City On Fire Reviews

Awesome

Chow-Yun Fat's second best movie (after The Killer), this is the film that Tarantino 'borrowed' Reservoir Dogs from. Realistic, action packed and looking even cooler than R.D, this is one you have to see: one of the best things ever to come out of Hong Kong!

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.

Okay

It was a good story but couldn't help but feel something was missing and some ikesome relationships spoiled some of the action for us.... the girlfriend for instance.

We like Chow Yun Fat and wanted to give it two and a half stars really as it was a good story but occasionally irritating.

The one thing Tarantino got right...

...was to make Tim Roth's character more sympathetic than Chow Yun Fat's. The latter's performance is remarkably different from his role as Ah Jong in 'The Killer'; but while that is certainly testament to his acting skills, it doesn't change the fact that the character he plays here is about as pleasant as watching someone talk with his mouth full. Much has already been written about the extraordinary similarity between key scenes in this film and 'Reservoir Dogs'. The principal addition in the latter is the notorious (and inexcusable) mutilation scene.

Great film

to say this film is rubbish because youre all tarantino fans sucks. This film really has no similarities to dogs at all. sure the the main story structure is similar but this is where it ends.The reason tarantino borrowed from this film is because he like myself thought it rocked! This is one of my favourite heroic bloodshed movies, and a real classic of the genre and is ringo lams best film. Ignore the haters this film is brilliant and in my opinion better than both the killer and a better tommorow. It isnt as good as hard boiled but thats just because that film is perfect!

[Highly rated reviewer]

From out of The Wasteland...

The reason that I rented this film was to investigate the claims that Reservoir Dogs was a complete rip off of it. Looking at the menu screen you could be forgiven for making that assumption. However, this is an action film foremostly - itself highly derivative of American cinema of the 70s and 80s (as well as a class nod to Throne of Blood at one moment).

Sure, Tarantino has lifted various shots and also taken a portion of the narrative as the centre of his film, but that is where the similarity ends. Homage? Possibly. Influence@ Definitely. Rip-off? Never. If anything, my view of Tarantino improved as I saw how he was able to fashion an absolutely top-notch thriller out of a schlocky original. The man is a veritable Ezra Pound of our times!

As for the film itself, ridiculous acting and narrative cliche cause untold chaos with it. It is very much of its time (which was 1087) and makes Lethal Weapon look like a documentary. Nonetheless, the conviction of its principals and the escelation of set pieces make for a diverting hour and a half's viewing.

I wouldn't recommend you avoid it, but if you do rent it Friday night might be a good slot for the viewing.

Down in flames...

Billed as the inspiration behind Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, City On Fire never quite fulfills the heavy weight of expectation on its overblown shoulders.

Chow Yun Fat has certainly appeared in better movies. He always seems to me to be an Eastern actor who got lucky. Crouching Tiger, The Killer, Hard Boiled... lacking the charisma of most big screen action heroes, Chow Yun Fat has certainly been fortunate in his partnership with talented directors.

An undercover cop, a warehouse, a cops and robbers shoot out. Maybe Hong Kong Legends should have got in sooner, before a talented young video store assistant from Hollywood made his mark on an unexpecting audience.

City On Fire isn't a bad movie, but we've seen it all before. Inspiration or no inspiration, lacking the verbal sparring and the visual intensity of it's vastly superior sibliing, this a film that is destined to go down in flames.

City On Fire..? Don't You Mean

A true classic of Chinese Heroic Bloodshed Cinema, and without doubt one of the films that made Chow Yun Fat a megastar. Tarantino said that this film was his inspiration for Reservoir Dogs, but he never used the best bits.

The story of an undercover cop trying to stop a gang of jewel thieves, this film puts a new meaning on the getting in too deep theory. The direction by Ringo Lam is faultless, and Danny Lee provides some underrated support as the leader of the ruthless gang. The end is far better than Reservoir Dogs. (And that is a belter!)

If you only rent one Chow Yun Fat film to see how good he was before America got their hands on him, make it this one. This has never been available on DVD before, and after renting this to see if it was as good as I remembered, I will be buying my own copy.

This is a Hong Kong Legends release so it has a really good comentary track provided by Bey Logan... If you like that sort of thing. It is very infromative and almost as entertaining as the film itself.

[Highly rated reviewer]

It's not Reservoir Dogs

If that's what you're looking for then jump to the final third of the movie - however, it is not a satisfying reason to see the whole film. As it is, the film's main strength is the characterisation and it would fare a lot better if one wasn't looking for connections all the time.