To anyone who's taken a few steps into the wonderful world of internet film discussion, the title "City on Fire" should set alarm bells ringing due to its unfavourable connection with Reservior Dogs. Unfavourable because people now seem to be incapable of judging the film on its own without referring the Chow Yun Fat as "The Mr. Orange guy". So this film has a sort of Holy Grail status amongst Tarantino's critics, which tends to mean its faults and individual merits go equally overlooked. So I'll do my best to review it from a neutral perspective.
As always, Chowy is great quality in the lead role, with a much more detailed character than Tim Roth had (argh!). He maintains the effective "heroic bloodshed" chemistry with his frequent co star Danny Lee that would be used most notably two years later in Woo's "The Killer". The rest of the cast are perfectly fine as they dance around the two stars, and Lam's direction avoids the OTT va va voom of his later works such as "Full Contact", staying suitably restrained for the fairly by-the-numbers plot. However the action is what Lam is usually noted for, and he handles the gunplay here very effectively with his usual stylish skill.
At times, the film feels like it's weighing itself down with too much baggage, mainly with the romance between Chow and his fiancée. However, this ultimately serves to up the tragedy of the final scenes and make Chowy's character seem a lot more human than the roles he is most noted for in the west, such as Hard Boiled's Tequila.
Overall, "City on Fire" may not standout in the careers of anyone involved, however it is an effective, enjoyably action drama. And to the question everyone asks, while it may lack discussions about Madonna and Steeler's Wheel numbers, at its centre it has a beating heart, something that seemed to be lost in translation when Tarantino made his breakthrough hit.
As always, Chowy is great quality in the lead role, with a much more detailed character than Tim Roth had (argh!). He maintains the effective "heroic bloodshed" chemistry with his frequent co star Danny Lee that would be used most notably two years later in Woo's "The Killer". The rest of the cast are perfectly fine as they dance around the two stars, and Lam's direction avoids the OTT va va voom of his later works such as "Full Contact", staying suitably restrained for the fairly by-the-numbers plot. However the action is what Lam is usually noted for, and he handles the gunplay here very effectively with his usual stylish skill.
At times, the film feels like it's weighing itself down with too much baggage, mainly with the romance between Chow and his fiancée. However, this ultimately serves to up the tragedy of the final scenes and make Chowy's character seem a lot more human than the roles he is most noted for in the west, such as Hard Boiled's Tequila.
Overall, "City on Fire" may not standout in the careers of anyone involved, however it is an effective, enjoyably action drama. And to the question everyone asks, while it may lack discussions about Madonna and Steeler's Wheel numbers, at its centre it has a beating heart, something that seemed to be lost in translation when Tarantino made his breakthrough hit.