Prison on Fire 1&2: Hong Kong Cinema Classics – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Dates: Hong Kong, 1987 (Prison on Fire), Hong Kong, 1991 (Prison on Fire II)
Director: Ringo Lam (Both Films)
Writer: Nam Yin (Both Films)
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Tony Leung Ka-fai, Roy Cheung, Frankie Ng, Shing Fui-on, William Ho (Prison on Fire), Chow Yun-fat, Chen Sung-young, Yu Li, Tommy Wong, Victor Hon, Elvis Tsui, Wan Yeung-ming (Prison on Fire II)

Release Date: February 24th, 2025
Approximate Running Times: 102 Minutes 15 Seconds (Prison on Fire), 102 Minutes 15 Seconds (Prison on Fire II)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision (Both Films)
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese (Both Films)
Subtitles: English (Both Films)
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.99

Prison on Fire: "An explosive crime drama that caused a sensation upon its release, Prison on Fire made audiences in Hong Kong both gasp for breath at its uncompromising violence and cry at the brotherly bond between the two leads (Chow Yun-Fat and Tony Ka Fei Leung, riveting as the inmates navigating the prison system)." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Prison on Fire II: "Ching is a prisoner in a Hong Kong jail that has a large population of Mainland Chinese prisoners. When he escapes to see his young son, who's been put in an orphanage, he's set up by the vengeful chief of security, Zau, who arranges for Ching's downfall at the hands of the Mainlanders and their leader, Dragon. Little does he know how much Ching and Dragon have in common." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfers, "4K Scan from the Original Camera Negative."

Prison on Fire comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 69.7 GB

Feature: 69.4 GB

This is a solid restoration; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Prison on Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.3 GB

Feature: 28 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Prison on Fire II comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 77.2 GB

Feature: 76.9 GB

This is a solid restoration; flesh tones and colors look correct, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image always looks organic.

Prison on Fire II comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 42.4 GB

Feature: 31.2 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

Each film comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles. Both audio tracks sound clean, clear, balanced, and robust when they should.

Extras:

Extras on Prison on Fire’s 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with James Mudge, a Hong Kong film critic at easternKicks.

Extras on Prison on Fire’s Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (5 minutes 16 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival interview with director Ringo Lam (7 minutes 25 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with author and film critic David West titled Convicts and Convictions (16 minutes 11 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Prison on Fire (10 minutes 9 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with production manager Chan Lam titled Burning Ambitions (16 minutes 46 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with post-production manager Tony Chow titled Bravery Behind Bars (13 minutes 16 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.

Extras on Prison on Fire II’s 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with James Mudge.

Extras on Prison on Fire’s Blu-ray disc include a theatrical trailer (2 minutes 58 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an archival audio interview with director Ringo Lam (8 minutes 18 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with David West titled Stars Behind Bars (16 minutes 12 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential: Inside Prison on Fire II (7 minutes 26 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with editor Tony Chow titled A Fiery Follow-up (14 minutes 53 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with James Mudge.

Summary:

Ringo Lam followed his breakout film City on Fire with Prison on Fire, an unflinching portrayal of the harsh realities faced by inmates in Hong Kong prisons. The screenplay was written by Nam Yin (Ringo Lam’s brother) and it is based on his prison experiences. While Prison on Fire thematically shares many elements with City on Fire, it leans more into melodrama, whereas City on Fire fits firmly in the heroic bloodshed crime genre. That said, Ringo Lam’s one-two punch of City on Fire and Prison on Fire in 1987 is arguably his greatest year as a filmmaker. Both films redefined their genres, and their impact continues to this day.

While there are intermittent moments of violence, the narrative is exposition-heavy, with the bulk of it focusing on everyday and, in many instances, mundane moments. Another strength of the narrative is how much time it devotes to its characters; these are not just stereotypical personas; they feel like real, in-the-flesh people. Flashbacks very effectively flesh out character backstories by detailing how they ended up in prison. The common link among all the key characters is the choices they have made, which continue to derail their lives.

All around, the performances are outstanding, especially the two leads, Chow Yun-Fat (The Killer) in the role of Chung Tin-ching and Tony Leung Ka-fai (Center Stage) in the role of Lo Ka-yiu. While Chow Yun-Fat's performance is going to command a lot of the attention, the heart and soul of Prison on Fire is Tony Leung Ka-fai’s performance. His character, Lo Ka-yiu, is a victim of circumstance; a man accidentally died after he confronted him for robbing his father's business. Another factor contributing to the excellence of Chow Yun-fat's and Tony Leung Ka-fai’s performances is their remarkable onscreen chemistry.

Although Hong Kong cinema is known for its action sequences, Prison on Fire leans more into violent set pieces that have a rawness to them, which adds authenticity. While the majority of the violence is perpetrated by inmates against one another, the most vicious acts are carried out by the prison's head of security, a character known as 'Killer' Hung. He believes that commanding respect and keeping the inmates in line can only be achieved through brute force. The narrative effectively builds tension, culminating in a prison riot where inmates unleash their pent-up rage on their tormentors.

Ringo Lam was a filmmaker who did not like to repeat himself. While he would often work in the same genre, crime/action films, he only made one sequel, Prison on Fire II. The narrative follows a similar path to its predecessor, and it even culminates with a cathartic finale where characters meet their tormentors head-on. Despite any of these similarities, it never feels like a retread and has an ample amount of surprises that breathe new life into a familiar scenario.

Chow Yun-Fat (Hard Boiled) returns in the role of Chung Tin-ching. And this time around, his character's backstory takes on a more prominent role in the story that unfolds. He’s forced to make the difficult choice to send his son to an orphanage when no other relatives are alive to take care of him. Although both films showcase Chung Tin-ching’s empathy for others, it is ultimately the moments with his son where he shines the brightest. Prison on Fire II affords Chow Yun-Fat an opportunity to showcase his comedic talents.

While mostly known as an action director, Ringo Lam proves with Prison on Fire and Prison on Fire II that he was very adept at crafting dramatic moments. Despite their linkage, each film stands incredibly well on its own. Ultimately, Prison on Fire and Prison on Fire II are two exemplary crime dramas that are among Ringo Lam’s best films.

Prison on Fire and Prison on Fire II get an exceptional release from Shout Factory that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer

City on Fire: Limited Edition – Arrow Video (UHD)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Ringo Lam
Writers: Tommy Sham, Ringo Lam
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng, Roy Cheung, Lau Kong, Elvis Tsui

Release Date: December 1st, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 11 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese, LPCM Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: £29.99 (UK)

"Ko (Chow) is an undercover cop on one last job, assigned to infiltrate a gang of jewel thieves committing armed robberies across Hong Kong. When another police officer is killed in the line of duty during one of the gang's heists, Ko finds himself caught in the crossfire between the police force desperate to catch the culprits at any cost and the trigger-happy thieves who begin to smell a rat in their midst. As the bullets fly and the body count rises, Ko's only hope for survival might be his burgeoning friendship with weary gang member Fu (Danny Lee)..." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, “The original negative was sourced from the Hong Kong Film Archive and was scanned by Interface Video Production Ltd. in Hong Kong.”

City on Fire comes on a 100 GB triple layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 85.4 GB

Feature: 71 GB

This release uses the same source created by Shout! Factory for their 4K UHD release, and it looks comparable. Here’s what I said about that transfer: “After years of substandard releases, City on Fire finally gets an exemplary release that looks exceptional. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and comparison are solid; and the image always looks organic.”

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese and a LPCM mono mix in English. Although the audio, like the video, is comparable to Shout! Factory’s release, Arrow Video’s booklet lists audio restoration by Brandon Bentley. That said, both audio tracks sound excellent, and they are both their original mono tracks, instead of the shoddy remix tracks that so many previous home media releases had. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track. It should be noted that subtitles and audio can only be chosen via the audio setup menu, and they cannot be turned off while watching the main feature.

Extras:

Extras for this release include an image gallery (stills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Kim Newman titled Burning Rivalries - The Influence of Ringo Lam on Reservoir Dogs (14 minutes 4 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with film historian Ric Meyers titled Some Like It Hot - The Cult of Chow Yun-fat and the Hong Kong Kinetic Action Film  (33 minutes 30 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential Inside City on Fire (11 minutes 31 seconds, DTS-HD stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with screenwriter Tommy Sham titled Burn It Down! (18 minutes 22 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto, an archival audio interview with director Ringo Lam (10 minutes 49 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with cinematographer Andrew Lau titled Portrait of Anger (21 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), an archival interview with actor Roy Cheung titled Long Arm of the Law (21 minutes 41 seconds, DTS-HD stereo Cantonese with removable English subtitles), reversible cover art, a slipcover (limited to the first pressing), and a 32-page booklet (limited to the first pressing) with cast & crew information, an essay titled A Life of Fire: Ringo Lam and the Journey to City on Fire written by Dylan Cheung, and information about the transfer.

Summary:

Ringo Lam directed City on Fire; it was a breakout film for him as a filmmaker that firmly established his style. He’s known for Prison on Fire, School on Fire, Wild Search, Full Contact, and Burning Paradise. City on Fire has gained recognition in the U.S. since the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, which has a few similar elements.

An undercover cop named Ko reluctantly takes on another assignment as a favor to his mentor. Ko poses as an arms dealer, which leads to him becoming friendly with Fu, the leader of a group of jewel thieves. After gaining his trust, Fu and his boss ask Ko to participate in their next heist.

Though Ringo Lam made many crime films that are widely regarded as some of Hong Kong cinema’s best, he does not always get the acclaim he deserves because of the shadow that John Woo casts over these types of films. Like many of his contemporaries in the 1990s, he made the move to work in Hollywood; unfortunately, his films have varied quality-wise and not lived up to his Hong Kong films. The primary reason he struggled to find success in Hollywood is that the industry's system tends to dilute the unique elements that made his Hong Kong films so distinctive.

City on Fire is a film about two characters whose stories intersect; one is an undercover cop, and the other is a criminal who robs jewelry stores. When we are introduced to these two characters, Ko, the undercover cop, is working on a completely related case; he wants out because it is affecting his personal life, while Fu, the criminal, is riding high as part of a crew that has just pulled off an impressive heist. Before Ko is able to walk away, he’s drawn back in by his superior, who convinces him to infiltrate Fu’s gang.

City on Fire is a film that firmly sets its tone with a violent opening sequence where an undercover cop is exposed and knifed to death in front of a crowd of people. What set this sequence apart from similar ones made outside of Hong Kong is how they used real locations, and they rarely got permission to film there. By filmmaking this way, it adds an intensity and element of surprise that a controlled filmmaking process could never achieve. That said, when it came to filming moments like this, Ringo Lam was one of the best in Hong Kong cinema.

Although Ringo Lam gets most of the acclaim, and rightfully so, for City on Fire, one should not overlook the contributions of its two leads: Chow Yun-fat (The Killer) portrays Ko Chow, while Danny Lee (Undeclared War) portrays Fu. Ringo Lam makes an intriguing choice by casting them in roles that contrast with the characters they typically portrayed up to that point. Chow Yun-fat delivers an exceptional performance that covers a wide range of emotions, perfectly capturing his character's conflicted attitude to his job. There is a clear distinction between these two characters, and Danny Lee’s performance does a phenomenal job playing off of Chow Yun-fat. Another performance of note is Carrie Ng (Naked Killer), Hung, Ko’s frustrated girlfriend who feels like he does not invest enough into their relationship.

The narrative does a superb job building Ko and Fu’s stories before they ultimately merge and culminate with an explosive finale. The action sequences are exemplary, especially a pair of heist sequences and their subsequent aftermaths. Ringo Lam’s direction is inspired; he makes choices that his peers would not make, and they pay off in spades. Another strength of City on Fire is Teddy Robin’s (As Tears Go By) score, which features prominently a saxophone and a rendition of a Christmas staple. Ultimately, City on Fire is Ringo Lam’s masterpiece, which is only fitting since it marked the first time he was able to make a film the way he wanted to.

Arrow Video gives City on Fire its best home media presentation to date; highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer

City on Fire: Hong Kong Cinema Classics – Shout! Factory (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Hong Kong, 1987
Director: Ringo Lam
Writers: Tommy Sham, Ringo Lam
Cast: Chow Yun-fat, Danny Lee, Sun Yueh, Carrie Ng, Roy Cheung, Lau Kong, Elvis Tsui

Release Date: August 26th, 2025
Approximate Running Time: 105 Minutes 29 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10 Dolby Vision
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono Cantonese, DTS-HD Mono English
Subtitles: English, English SDH
Region Coding: Region Free (4K UHD), Region A (Blu-ray)
Retail Price: $39.99

"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." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 5/5 (4K UHD, Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "NEW 4K Scan From The Original Camera Negative."

City on Fire comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 66.2 GB

Feature: 66 GB

After years of substandard releases, City on Fire finally gets an exemplary release that looks exceptional. Flesh tones and colors look correct; image clarity, contrast, black levels, and comparison are solid; and the image always looks organic.

City on Fire comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 44 GB

Feature: 28.8 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 5/5 (Both Audio Tracks)

This release comes with two audio options, a DTS-HD mono mix in Cantonese and a DTS-HD mono mix in English. Both audio tracks sound excellent, and they are both their original mono tracks, instead of the shoddy remix tracks that so many previous home media releases had. Dialog always comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and action sequences sound robust. Included are English subtitles for the Cantonese language track and English SDH subtitles for the English language track. It should be noted that subtitles and audio can only be chosen via the audio setup menu, and they cannot be turned off while watching the main feature.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with film historians Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include an image gallery (stills/posters/home video art), a theatrical trailer (3 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), an interview with film historian Kim Newman titled Burning Rivalries - The Influence of Ringo Lam on Reservoir Dogs (14 minutes 3 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with film historian Ric Meyers titled Some Like It Hot - The Cult of Chow Yun-fat and the Hong Kong Kinetic Action Film  (33 minutes 29 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with author Grady Hendrix titled Hong Kong Confidential (11 minutes 30 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English with non-removable English subtitles for Cantonese film clips), an interview with screenwriter Tommy Sham titled Burn It Down! (18 minutes 21 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Cantonese with non-removable English subtitles), and an audio commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Ringo Lam directed City on Fire; it was a breakout film for him as a filmmaker that firmly established his style. He’s known for Prison on Fire, School on Fire, Wild Search, Full Contact, and Burning Paradise. City on Fire has gained recognition in the U.S. since the release of Quentin Tarantino’s Reservoir Dogs, which has a few similar elements.

An undercover cop named Ko reluctantly takes on another assignment as a favor to his mentor. Ko poses as an arms dealer, which leads to him becoming friendly with Fu, the leader of a group of jewel thieves. After gaining his trust, Fu and his boss ask Ko to participate in their next heist.

Though Ringo Lam made many crime films that are widely regarded as some of Hong Kong cinema’s best, he does not always get the acclaim he deserves because of the shadow that John Woo casts over these types of films. Like many of his contemporaries in the 1990s, he made the move to work in Hollywood; unfortunately, his films have varied quality-wise and not lived up to his Hong Kong films. The primary reason he struggled to find success in Hollywood is that the industry's system tends to dilute the unique elements that made his Hong Kong films so distinctive.

City on Fire is a film about two characters whose stories intersect; one is an undercover cop, and the other is a criminal who robs jewelry stores. When we are introduced to these two characters, Ko, the undercover cop, is working on a completely related case; he wants out because it is affecting his personal life, while Fu, the criminal, is riding high as part of a crew that has just pulled off an impressive heist. Before Ko is able to walk away, he’s drawn back in by his superior, who convinces him to infiltrate Fu’s gang.

City on Fire is a film that firmly sets its tone with a violent opening sequence where an undercover cop is exposed and knifed to death in front of a crowd of people. What set this sequence apart from similar ones made outside of Hong Kong is how they used real locations, and they rarely got permission to film there. By filmmaking this way, it adds an intensity and element of surprise that a controlled filmmaking process could never achieve. That said, when it came to filming moments like this, Ringo Lam was one of the best in Hong Kong cinema.

Although Ringo Lam gets most of the acclaim, and rightfully so, for City on Fire, one should not overlook the contributions of its two leads: Chow Yun-fat (The Killer) portrays Ko Chow, while Danny Lee (Undeclared War) portrays Fu. Ringo Lam makes an intriguing choice by casting them in roles that contrast with the characters they typically portrayed up to that point. Chow Yun-fat delivers an exceptional performance that covers a wide range of emotions, perfectly capturing his character's conflicted attitude to his job. There is a clear distinction between these two characters, and Danny Lee’s performance does a phenomenal job playing off of Chow Yun-fat. Another performance of note is Carrie Ng (Naked Killer), Hung, Ko’s frustrated girlfriend who feels like he does not invest enough into their relationship.

The narrative does a superb job building Ko and Fu’s stories before they ultimately merge and culminate with an explosive finale. The action sequences are exemplary, especially a pair of heist sequences and their subsequent aftermaths. Ringo Lam’s direction is inspired; he makes choices that his peers would not make, and they pay off in spades. Another strength of City on Fire is Teddy Robin’s (As Tears Go By) score, which features prominently a saxophone and a rendition of a Christmas staple. Ultimately, City on Fire is Ringo Lam’s masterpiece, which is only fitting since it marked the first time he was able to make a film the way he wanted to.

Shout! Factory gives City on Fire an exceptional release that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

Written by Michael Den Boer