Island of Fire

Island of Fire

Film poster
Traditional 火燒島
Simplified 火烧岛
Mandarin Huǒ Shāo Dǎo
Cantonese Fo2 Siu1 Dou2
Directed by Chu Yen-ping
Produced by Jimmy Wang Yu
Ko Chun-hsiung
Written by Lee Fu
Yip Wan-Chiu
Starring Jackie Chan
Andy Lau
Sammo Hung
Tony Leung
Music by Fu Lap
Chan Chi-yuen
Cinematography Chen Jung-shu
Yip Chun-wing
Distributed by Golden Harvest
Release dates
  • 28 March 1990 (1990-03-28) (Hong Kong)
  • 1 August 1991 (1991-08-01) (Hong Kong)
Running time
 125 minutes (Taiwan)
93 minutes (Hong Kong)
96 minutes (United States)
Country Taiwan
Hong Kong
Language Mandarin

Island of Fire (Chinese: 火燒島) is a 1990 Hong Kong action film directed by Chu Yen-ping, and starring Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, Sammo Hung, Tony Leung Ka-fai and Barry Wong. The film was shot in Taiwan and the Philippines in 42 days from 5 April until 17 May 1989.[1] The film's theme song, The Last Gunshot (最後一槍) by Cui Jian, was written as a response to the 4 June 1989 Tiananmen massacre in Beijing, China.

After appearing with Chan in Killer Meteors in 1976, the film's producer and co-star, Jimmy Wang Yu, came to Chan's aid when the then young actor sought his help in settling a dispute with veteran director, Lo Wei. Chan repaid the favour by playing roles in Wang's films, which included this film as well as the 1982 film Fantasy Mission Force.

As with both of those earlier films, recent DVD and VHS releases market Island of Fire & Jackie Chan Is the Prisoner as a Jackie Chan film, displaying an image of Chan on the cover as though the lead actor. In fact, Chan only appears in a supporting role, with Tony Leung Ka-fai as the central character.

Synopsis

Wang Wei (Tony Leung Ka-fai) is a police officer who goes undercover in a prison, hoping to determine how the fingerprints on a recently killed felon could belong to a con who had been executed three months before. While inside, he is tortured for getting involved in internal matters.

His fellow prisoners include Da Chui (Jackie Chan), who accidentally killed a card player while trying to raise money for an operation to save his girlfriend's life, Iron Ball (Andy Lau), who has himself thrown in jail to exact revenge for his dead brother killed by Da Chui, Kui (Jimmy Wang Yu), a leader of the prisoners, and Fatty (Sammo Hung), a compassionate but pathetic inmate who frequently escapes to visit his young son.

When Wang kills an especially corrupt guard and is sentenced to a firing squad, he learns that the "executed" convicts are actually used by the warden (Ko Chun-hsiung) as hitmen to assassinate untouchable criminals.

Cast

Versions

There are three different versions of this film: a 93-minute Hong Kong version, a 96-minute American version was released by Columbia Tristar Home Video in 2000 and later by Lionsgate in 2011 and a 125-minute Taiwanese version which focuses more on character development and plot detail.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Island on Fire (Taiwan version)". Hong Kong Digital. Retrieved 2007-10-05.

External links

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