The Tigers

cover

Year of release: 1991

Genre: cop drama

Director: Eric Tsang

Action directors: Stephen Tung, Ka Lee, Yuen Tak, Tony Leung Siu-Hung

Producer: Wallace Cheung

Writers: Nam Yin, James Yuen

Cinematography: Jingle Ma

Editor: Kam Ma

Music: Tats Lau, Patrick Lui

Stars: Andy Lau, Tony Leung Chiu-Wai, Ken Tong, Felix Wong, Michael Miu, Leung Kar-Yan, Irene Wan, Shing Fui-On, Phillip Chan, Yammie Nam, Lo Lieh

Rated IIB for violence and language

Movie review index
Main page

The Tigers  The Tigers

The Tigers  The Tigers

Andy Lau and Tony Leung Chiu-Wai play a pair of dim-witted cops who, along with several other members of their squad, come upon a suitcase full of money during a bust and decide to keep it. As you might guess, the plan doesn't work out well, as both the crooks and internal affairs are hot on the trail of the cash.

The Tigers was actually directed by prolific actor Eric Tsang, who has helmed about a couple dozen pictures during his career. He's had a few bona-fide hits like Aces Go Places, but most of Tsang's directorial output has been forgettable releases like this one. The Tigers isn't a bad movie, but it does nothing to separate itself and provide something different from the sea of hundreds of Hong Kong crime movies out there, unless you have a burning desire to see Andy and Tony do a song-and-dance routine to "London Bridge".

You might think that a film with four action directors (including Stephen Tung, one of the best in the business) would have plenty of flying bullets, but that is not the case. The emphasis here is definitely more on the dramatic side of things, which isn't a bad thing in and of itself. However, there's a copious amount of dopey comedy thrown in (mostly through Tony and Andy's antics) that makes the first half of the movie a chore to sit through at times. Due mostly to one of the main characters dying, matters do become more serious during the second half, but by then, Tsang has already lost most of his hold on the audience.

The finale does show some flashes of brilliance, with a well-crafted action scene resulting in a blood-soaked finale that Hong Kong crime movie fans will enjoy. But it's not really worth sitting through eighty-five minutes of extremely average film-making to be able to enjoy the last fifteen or so.

RATING: 5