Movie:
City on Fire is the English title for Long hu feng yun, which was originally released in 1987. The film features the team of director Ringo Lam and action star Chow Yun Fat (Ko Chow): the duo would team up again for Prison on Fire I & II and Full Contact. Also starring in the film are Danny Lee (Fu; He and Yun Fat would also go on to star in City War and The Killer) and Roy Cheung (John Chan; He and Yun Fat would star in Triads in 1989).

Deep undercover with clues that could lead to the arrest of a group of jewelry thieves, Wah is killed while contacting police headquarters. Undercover agent Ko Chow is called in from his current assignment and ordered to take over Wah's investigation. With great hesitation, Chow accepts. Posing as an arms supplier, Chow immediately fits in with the gang and soon becomes friends with Fu. When he is invited to participate in their upcoming heist, Chow's superiors leave him no other choice but to go along with them, leaving Chow to weigh the responsibilities of his duty as a police officer and his friendship with Fu.

I was looking forward to seeing City on Fire, if only because the other two films I've seen with Lam's direction and Yun Fat's acting were both quite good. City on Fire is mostly a dramatic movie that really weighs out right vs. wrong and duty vs. friendship. Yun Fat's acting is quite dynamic, as a cop who is so deep undercover that only a few police officers know the truth and who is conflicted over whether or not to betray his new friend and fellow criminal. The movie is engaging at all times, and it builds effectively to the film's climax, which influenced Quentin Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs.

Picture:
City on Fire is presented in 1.85:1 non-anamorphic widescreen. The transfer is excellent, compared to other Hong Kong DVDs, though it still has some problems. The transfer is soft throughout, with light blacks. Print defects are fewer than I expected, with some specks and a few smaller marks appearing. Colors vary from natural to slightly muted during the course of the film. Flesh tones are accurate throughout.

Sound:
City on Fire is presented in a remixed Dolby Digital 5.1 track in both Cantonese and Mandarin. The 5.1 track is almost entirely based in the front soundstage, with the front surrounds used mainly for ambient effects and the rear surrounds mainly inactive. The English subtitles have a few problems with grammar, though they aren't as bad as the subs for many Hong Kong DVDs. Also included are optional subtitles in Chinese (Traditional & Simplified), Korean, Japanese, Bahasa (Indonesian and Malaysian), Thai, and Vietnamese.

Extras:
Extras on the disc include trailers for this film, Prison on Fire I & II and All about Ah Long, as well as talent files for Yun Fat, Lee, and Lam.

Summary:
Though the film is also available via Buena Vista (English dub only, but anamorphic), I really recommend going with Universe Laser & Video Co.'s DVD, as the film is much more engaging and interesting with the subtitles. Either way though, City on Fire is a must watch for fans of Chow Yun Fat and Ringo Lam. Recommended!