City on Fire
Seen it?1987 | 105 min | Action, Adventure, Crime, Thriller
Saturday Specialearly ratingWhy it’s a Saturday Special
It earned strong reviews (85% on Rotten Tomatoes) and it made about 26 times its budget. A strong pick for the weekend.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for crime fans, anyone who likes to be kept guessing and action fans. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense, gritty.
- The pace
- Fast-moving, at 1 hr 45 min.
- What might put you off
- It's in Cantonese, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
Ko Chow is an undercover cop who is under pressure from all sides. His boss, Inspector Lau, wants him to infiltrate a gang of ruthless jewel thieves; his girlfriend wants him to commit to marriage or she will leave Hong Kong with another lover; and he is being pursued by other cops who are unaware that he is a colleague. Chow would rather quit the force, feeling guilty about betraying gang members who have become his friends.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsStrong
85% on Rotten Tomatoes
- AudiencesSolid
6.9 out of 10
- AwardsNot counted
No major awards or nominations
- Box office & staying powerStrong
$20 million worldwide on a $765K budget
- Buzz & cultural impactSolid
About 96K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Ringo Lam Ling-tung
- Chow Yun-FatKo Chow
- Sun YuehInspector Lau Ting-Kuang
- Danny Lee Sau-yinFu / Tiger
- Carrie Ng Ka-laiHung
- Roy Cheung Yiu-yeungInspector John Chan
- Lau KongCommissioner Chow
- Fong YauChow Nam
- Parkman Wong Pak-ManDetective Man
- Jessica Chow Bo-SanRose / Mei
- Tommy Sham Sai-SangSkinny