TIGER ON THE BEAT has been described by some as the Hong Kong version of LETHAL WEAPON although to be fair this kind of comic action was doing the rounds in cinemas in the East long before the Mel Gibson flick came out. The movie stars the ubiquitous Chow Yun-Fat as a rookie cop who ends up teaming with a tough acquaintance (NINJA IN THE DRAGON'S DEN's Conan Lee) to tackle a drug-smuggling ring headed by a bunch of foreigners.
Where to begin? This film offers an exciting blend of comedy and action, and as is usually the case with such productions, it becomes more and more serious as time goes on. Yun-Fat's supplying the comedy here and is very good when he's drinking raw eggs or using a shotgun on a piece of elastic to eliminate foes (the latter scene has to be seen to be believed). Lee is the hard man who engages in some expertly staged fight scenes which come as no surprise when you find out the director is Lau Kar-Leung.
TIGER ON THE BEAT is a particularly well cast film for anyone with an interest in Hong Kong cinema of the 1970s and 1980s. There are supporting parts for the likes of Phillip Ko, Norman Chu, Ti Lung, and David Chiang here, while model-turned-actress Nina Li Chi supplies laughs and glamour as the femme fatale caught up in the mess. KILL BILL's Gordon Liu has an excellent role as the unstoppable chief henchman. Overall, though, - and questionable comedy aside - it's the action that makes this a top film. The fight in the beauty parlour is exemplary, a car and foot chase ably mix laughs and thrills, but the stand-out is the action-packed climax that ends with a chainsaw duel. Incredible stuff that makes this stand out from the crowd.
Where to begin? This film offers an exciting blend of comedy and action, and as is usually the case with such productions, it becomes more and more serious as time goes on. Yun-Fat's supplying the comedy here and is very good when he's drinking raw eggs or using a shotgun on a piece of elastic to eliminate foes (the latter scene has to be seen to be believed). Lee is the hard man who engages in some expertly staged fight scenes which come as no surprise when you find out the director is Lau Kar-Leung.
TIGER ON THE BEAT is a particularly well cast film for anyone with an interest in Hong Kong cinema of the 1970s and 1980s. There are supporting parts for the likes of Phillip Ko, Norman Chu, Ti Lung, and David Chiang here, while model-turned-actress Nina Li Chi supplies laughs and glamour as the femme fatale caught up in the mess. KILL BILL's Gordon Liu has an excellent role as the unstoppable chief henchman. Overall, though, - and questionable comedy aside - it's the action that makes this a top film. The fight in the beauty parlour is exemplary, a car and foot chase ably mix laughs and thrills, but the stand-out is the action-packed climax that ends with a chainsaw duel. Incredible stuff that makes this stand out from the crowd.