City On Fire (1987) [4K Ultra HD]

Director: Ringo Lam

Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Sun Yueh, Danny Lee

Release Date: August 26, 2025

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Release Rating: 8.5/10

Synopsis:

Ko Chow is an undercover cop torn between his duty as a police officer and his loyalty to his friends on the wrong side of the law. He wants out – and his commanding officer Inspector Lau reluctantly approves his resignation – but only after he completes one final assignment. Tasked with infiltrating a notorious gang of criminals, Chow bonds with their leader (Danny Lee, The Killer), building a relationship based on mutual trust and respect. But when a planned heist turns into a violent shootout with the law, the tension among the thieves heats up … and they begin to suspect there is an informant in their midst.

‘City on Fire’ accompanies undercover cop Ko Chow who has become torn between his life and the requirements of the job. When his commanding officer agrees to accept his resignation after completing one final job, Chow reluctantly accepts and becomes immersed within a group of thieves responsible for a deadly chain of heists. But as Chow begins to sink deeper into the world and get to know the criminals that he’s forced to work with, he begins to form a bond with them and soon is unsure of precisely where he stands mentally. As things heat up and become more deadly and violent, he will have to decide exactly where he stands before it is too late.

Directed by Ringo Lam from a screenplay written by Tommy Sham, Lam does a tremendous job at the helm of the iconic action classic ‘City on Fire’ guiding along the thriller with tension, humor and heart. The film’s cast includes Chow Yun-Fat, Sun Yueh, Danny Lee, Carrie Ng and more, with most offering capable or at least fitting performances in each of their respective roles that help this action gem to work as well as it does at every turn and keep the viewer enthralled.

‘City on Fire’ first debuted in Hong Kong in early 1987 and was released here in the states many years later, yet in a shortened edition that cuts many critical scenes and detracts from the overall story itself. Fortunately for diehard fans of the film, this new 4K and Blu-ray release from Shout features the full 105 minute version of the film with the opening heist and other moments intact. ‘City on Fire’ still delivers a fun, tense, bloody and emotional ride decades later and it’s easy to see why the film has gained such a notable following over the years.

The film is also widely known for influencing Quentin Tarantino’s debut feature ‘Reservoir Dogs’ which even replicates many scenes from within (there’s even a fascinating and thoughtful exploration of this included in the Special Features which I would highly recommend checking out) yet the two films each still stand on their own in many respects. Featuring iconic action star Chow Yun-Fat at the height of his career and with a stellar supporting cast behind him as well as the capable guidance of director Ringo Lam, the end result is a marvelous and heartfelt crime thriller that still delivers the goods. If you’ve never had the pleasure of ‘City on Fire’ then it definitely wouldn’t hurt to check it out at some point.

‘City on Fire’ takes the fight home on 4K Ultra HD and Blu-ray for the first time ever in the states courtesy of Shout! Studios and serving as the sixth title in their Hong Kong Cinema Classics line. The release features the film in full Ultra High Definition with Dolby Vision and HDR-10 sourced from a new 4K scan of the Original Camera Negative that has the ‘80s gem looking better than ever before, or at least certainly in the states. The noteworthy new UHD video presentation is nicely complemented by a lossless dual mono DTS-HD MA soundtrack with the option to the view the film in its original Cantonese language (with newly translated subtitles to accompany it) or English dubbed.

It is also worth noting that while the initial US releases of ‘City on Fire’ were criticized for cutting important scenes, this release provides the full 105 minute version as opposed to the shortened cut. The new transfer is also featured on the accompanying Blu-ray disc, in addition to numerous brand new extras including interviews and more that should have fans quite excited. If you’re a fan of ‘City of Fire’ that’s been awaiting a hopeful upgrade then this new 4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray Combo Pack should be a real treat and is definitely recommended.

VIDEO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘City on Fire’ features a full 2160p Ultra High Definition presentation with Dolby Vision and HDR-10, with the film’s original 1.85:1 Aspect Ratio, featuring a new 4K Scan from The Original Camera Negative of the full 105 minute version. The video presentation looks very nice as a whole and offers a sharp, filmic and richly detailed presentation from start to finish that may not look utterly flawless, but is easily the best this film has ever looked in the states at home (and possibly anywhere). Detail is great on characters, backgrounds and interiors, with a capable grain structure always on display, while the Dolby Vision HDR does a nice job of enhancing various colors within such as neon lights, bits of bright clothing and more; all of which is nicely balanced by rewarding black levels and shadowing. Overall, this is a pretty wonderful Ultra High Definition presentation that should thrill diehard fans.

AUDIO:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release features a 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack both in the original Cantonese language, as well as English Dubbed. I primarily watched utilizing the Cantonese audio track with the new subtitles and the mono soundtrack may not be flawless, but it does sound quite capable and offers a generally clean and sharp presentation throughout. It does a nice job of balancing the various audio elements within and allowing the dialogue, music, action effects and everything else to comfortably share the channel(s) while never allowing any simultaneously occurring audio elements to conflict with any others along the way, ensuring that all dialogue and everything else remains clean and fully audible throughout. Overall, this is a pretty solid 2.0 dual mono DTS-HD MA soundtrack that should satisfy fans as well as newcomers.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

The 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release of ‘City on Fire’ offers a nice collection of bonus content, the majority of which is newly created. The 4K disc itself features an ‘Audio Commentary with Film Historians Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto’, while the Blu-ray disc also offers the same commentary track in addition to some new interviews and entertaining videos including ‘Burn it Down! An Interview with Screenwriter Tommy Sham’ (running approximately 18 minutes in length), ‘Hong Kong Confidential: Inside City on Fire with Grady Hendrix’ (running approximately 11 minutes), ‘Some Like it Hot: Ric Meyers on the Cult of Chow Yun Fat and the Hong Kong Kinetic Action Film’ (approximately 33 minutes), and ‘Burning Rivalries: The Influence of Ringo Lam on Reservoir Dogs’ (14 minutes). The film’s ‘Theatrical Trailer’ (3 minutes) and an ‘Image Gallery’ are also included.

*Please note that the above images are taken from the Remastered Blu-Ray disc included in the release and resized. They do not represent the quality of the 4K Ultra HD disc itself and will additionally suffer quality loss as a result of .jpg compression. Larger versions of each image can be viewed by clicking on the image. All images and content included on this Blu-Ray release are the property of their respective owners.

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Disc Rating: 8.5/10

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‘City On Fire’ Arrives Home in a 2-Disc 4K Ultra HD/Blu-ray Set on August 26, 2025 from Hong Kong Cinema Classics & Shout! Studios

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You can purchase ‘City On Fire’ on 4K UHD at Amazon HERE or purchase it directly from Shout HERE!

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