Prison on Fire

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Prison on Fire

1987

1h 38m

Action

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Popcornmeter

100%

Tomatometer

5 Reviews

87%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

Yiu (Tony Leung Ka Fai) is a young advertising executive in Hong Kong. One night, defending his father from attack, he accidentally shoves a street thug in front of a bus. Sentenced to three years in prison, Yiu is "fresh meat" for the hardened criminals and triad stooges that run things, and is preyed upon by sadistic guard Scarface (Roy Cheung). The virtuous Ching (Chow Yun-Fat) intervenes, teaching him the ropes of prison life, and a tender friendship develops between the two.

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Panos Kotzathanasis

Asian Movie Pulse

“Prison on Fire” is a true classic of HK action cinema, and a movie that has stood the test of time in the best fashion, remaining a must-watch until today.

Rated: 7.5

Jan 2, 2023

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Alberto Abuín

Espinof

A good movie, which stands like a small classic. [Full Review in Spanish]

Feb 12, 2020

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Oct 1, 2005

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Michael Dequina

TheMovieReport.com

Chow once again takes command, handling the drama and comedy with equal capability.

Rated: 3/4

Sep 10, 2005

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Nicolas Lacroix

Showbizz.net

Rated: 3/5

Nov 12, 2002

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Leprechaun K

Ringo Lam's best work. A HK classic from the 80s.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/27/25

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DanTheMan 2

Shot on an insanely tight schedule inside an actual working jail, Prison on Fire brilliantly captures the harsh and often cruel nature of prison life in Hong Kong, where arbitrary violence punctuates the monotony of life behind bars. Ringo Lam once again proves he's a director who can achieve the impossible with outstanding performances from Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung Ka-Fai to boot.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/30/23

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c y

Thrillingly funny and iconic

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/17

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Audience Member

Idunno, it was pretty good but Shawshank it ain't. Pretty brutal watch at times - not much levity or entertainment value, but I can't say anything's wrong with it. Maybe I wished for better action coming from Ringo Lam. It's just a drama, and as far as asian drama's heights can reach, this wasn't all that. But I was genuinely interested how it would turn out at the climax.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Audience Member

One of the signature movies of Hong Kong cinema from the 80s, Ringo Lam's precise direction hooks you from the very beginning. Good pacing and a great cast. There are no impossible escapes here, this is a story of loyalty and brotherhood. Essential view.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/08/23

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Audience Member

Exciting action with lots of hope.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

Full Review

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Ringo Lam

Director

Chow Yun-Fat

41671

Tony Leung Ka Fai

Lo Ka Yiu

Roy Cheung

Officer 'Scarface' Hung

Yin Nam

Writer

Catherine S.K. Chang

Producer

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Synopsis

Yiu (Tony Leung Ka Fai) is a young advertising executive in Hong Kong. One night, defending his father from attack, he accidentally shoves a street thug in front of a bus. Sentenced to three years in prison, Yiu is "fresh meat" for the hardened criminals and triad stooges that run things, and is preyed upon by sadistic guard Scarface (Roy Cheung). The virtuous Ching (Chow Yun-Fat) intervenes, teaching him the ropes of prison life, and a tender friendship develops between the two.

Director: Ringo Lam
Producer: Catherine S.K. Chang, Karl Maka
Screenwriter: Yin Nam
Production Co: Cinema City Film Productions
Genre: Action
Original Language: Chinese
Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1987, Original
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Mono

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