Though this isn't Ringo Lam's best film by a long way, PRISON ON FIRE still has enough on offer to keep you in your seat for 90 minutes. True, the story is familiar - middle- class lad goes to jail and is at the mercy of the tough inmates - but it's the convincing performances of the two lead actors, Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Leung, that carries the film and ultimately sells the average plot to the audience.
One slight niggle - it wasn't made completely clear what happened to brutal prison guard Officer Hung after being attacked by Ching (Chow Yun-Fat) in the climactic scene. Does he die? Does he remain in the prison service? And how about Ching? We see him returning to the prison at the end of the movie. But there's no indication of his fate.
But these are minor carps. If you enjoy the movies of John Woo, then it's well worth seeking out the films of Ringo Lam and though PRISON ON FIRE is enjoyable enough, you might also want to track down FULL CONTACT.
One slight niggle - it wasn't made completely clear what happened to brutal prison guard Officer Hung after being attacked by Ching (Chow Yun-Fat) in the climactic scene. Does he die? Does he remain in the prison service? And how about Ching? We see him returning to the prison at the end of the movie. But there's no indication of his fate.
But these are minor carps. If you enjoy the movies of John Woo, then it's well worth seeking out the films of Ringo Lam and though PRISON ON FIRE is enjoyable enough, you might also want to track down FULL CONTACT.