Island of Fire

Island of Fire
Film poster
Directed by	Kevin Chu
Written by	Lee Fu Yip Wan-Chiu
Produced by	Jimmy Wang Yu Ko Chun-hsiung
Starring	Jackie Chan Andy Lau Sammo Hung Tony Leung
Cinematography	Chen Jung-shu Yip Chun-wing
Music by	Fu Lap Chan Chi-yuen
Distributed by	Golden Harvest
Release dates	28 March 1990 (1990-03-28) (Taiwan) 1 August 1991 (1991-08-01) (Hong Kong)
Running time	125 minutes (Taiwan) 93 minutes (Hong Kong) 96 minutes (United States)
Countries	Taiwan Hong Kong
Language	Mandarin

Island of Fire (Chinese: 火燒島) is a 1990 Hong Kong action film directed by Kevin Chu, 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. 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.

The Climax shows Da Chui, Fatty and Iron Ball being shot by the police whilst they are running the film then ends in a freezeframe implying all 3 have been killed.

Cast

• Jackie Chan as Da Chui / Lung (Hong Kong version) / Steve (US version)
• Andy Lau as Iron Ball / Lau / Boss Lee
• Sammo Hung as Fatty John Liu Hsi-chia
• Tony Leung Ka-fai as Wang Wei / Andy / Andrew
• Barry Wong as Inspector Wong
• Jimmy Wang Yu as Kui / Lucas (as Wang Yu)
• Ko Chun-hsiung as Prison Chief / Prison Superintendent
• Tou Chung-hwa as Chiu / Charlie (as Tao Chung Hwa)
• Jack Kao as Ho Lin
• Ken Lo as Bodyguard
• Rocky Lai as Iron Ball's thug / Prisoner
• Chin Ho as Iron Ball's assistant
• Teddy Yip Wing-cho as Prisoner
• Wang An
• Yen Ru-chen
• Kao Ming
• Kang Ho
• Fang Jing
• Yuen Yi
• Wai Hung-ho
• Tou Hu
• Wang Yao
• Bang Yu
• Chien Tsao

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

• Andy Lau filmography
• Jackie Chan filmography
• List of Hong Kong films
• List of Taiwanese films
• Sammo Hung filmography

External links

• Island of Fire at the IMDB