Tiger Cage
Director: Yuen Wo-ping
Year: 1988
Rating: 7.5
This action packed
cops and robber’s film does not have the intricate and clever choreography
that one might expect from a film directed by Yuen Woo Ping but is instead
surprisingly basic and brutal. Looking back it feels almost like 90 minutes
of people bashing one another into bloody pulps. What makes the film work
though is that it steadily increases the intensity with the ferociousness
of the fights until the viewer is exhausted.
Even though in many ways this is a typical modern action film (produced from
D&B films) without a lot of time spent on developing the characters,
it does have an intriguing premise that pulls you in and a number of sudden
and unexpected deaths that keep the adrenaline flowing. A tight knit group
of anti-narcotic cops (comprised of Simon Yam, Jacky Cheung, Do Do Cheng,
Ng Man Tat, Donnie Yen and Leung Kar Yin) are after drug kingpin Johnny Wang.
The film begins with a blast as they have a bloody and lengthy shoot-out
through the streets of HK. They capture the drugs but Wang gets away.
Afterwards they all get together to celebrate the upcoming marriage between
Leung and Do Do and the scene also attempts to establish the camaraderie
of this group. Unfortunately, this scene is poorly written and creates more
of a frat boy atmosphere than one of professionals bound together by the
fact that their lives are dependent on the skills and teamwork of the group
and the trust that they have for one another. Soon this group begins to fall
apart at the seams and an extra amount of character development would have
made it all the more tragic. It is still quite intense though.
The bad guy Wang kills one of the six cops in cold blood and the rest of
the group relentlessly hunts him down - often brutally beating witnesses
until they talk. They capture Wang, but Jacky overhears something that makes
him suspect that something is not right in the group. He investigates further
and concludes that one of the members is involved in drug trafficking. Soon
accusations of corruption are flying back and forth and Jacky is framed and
on the run. Soon they begin killing each other. It's basic but at the same
time it is pretty good stuff.
Also appearing are Irene Wan as Jacky's girlfriend and muscleman Michael
Woods as one of the bad guys who of course mixes it up with Donnie Yen.
