Tiger on the Beat
AKA: Tiger on Beat
1988
Director: Lau Ka Leung
Stars: Chow Yun-Fat, Conan Lee
Chow and Lee play the typical mismatched cop buddies. Chow is the slacker veteran who sports loud Hawaiian shirts and drives around in a spiffed-up Yugo, while Lee is the buffed-out hot-headed rookie. Together, they must try and stop a drug lord.
Tiger on the Beat is just a really fun movie to watch. It's great seeing Chow play totally against type (during the opening scene, he wets himself when a gun is placed to his head, quite the opposite of the super-cool characters he usually plays) and his chemistry with Lee is great. While the plot is by the book, Chow and Lee's rapport really helps keep the film moving, especially during the comedic scenes, such as one where a thug demands that they take off their pants. The scene could have been a real stinker, but Lee and especially Chow pull it off.
The action in Tiger on the Beat is also top-notch and quite inventive. If you want to see Chow kick some ass with his fists instead of a gun, this is a good place to look -- but don't worry, there's plenty of gunfire in the movie and it's quite good, especially the finale, where Chow combines a bungee cord and a shotgun for explosive results. The finale also sports a Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2-inspired chainsaw duel that has to be seen to be believed.
While it may be a bit goofy for some people, Tiger on the Beat is a great "no-brainer" movie. Don't think so hard about "little" things like plot and characterization and you'll have a good time with it.
RATING: 8