Reservoir Dogs on Fire

Being a huge Tarantino fan, I'd heard that Reservoir Dogs was (allegedly) a rip-off of this movie, so I thought I'd check it out. I was hoping to be able to prove Tarantino's critics wrong, but sadly they're pretty much correct. He took the basic plot, certain key shots and scenes (i.e. the lengthy sideways running shot of Chow Yun Fat being chased down the street is just like Mr Pink's escape in Dogs, and a Mexican stand-off occurs almost identically in both films), and certain elements of characterisations. In that sense, yes, this film IS the basis for Reservoir Dogs. But Dogs is a much, much better film - its dialogue crackles, the characters are more likeable and interesting, and it's non-linear structure is a vast improvement over City on Fire's conventional narrative. I'm quite happy to have seen this film, but I wouldn't bother watching it again. Reservoir Dogs, however, bears unlimited repeat viewings. Tarantino may have stolen the best bits, but he then made them even better and added his own idiosyncratic touches.