Skinny Tiger and Fatty Dragon

This 1990 buddy cop film is meant to be a tribute (of sorts) to the late martial arts superstar Bruce Lee. It even features another martial arts superstar in one of the leads: Sammo Hung (still with us and still acting) who, together with fellow actor/director/producer Karl Maka, tries hard to bring down a particularly ruthless crime syndicate with a combination of tough as nails action and slapstick comedy. Although it doesn’t always work in the film’s favour, SKINNY TIGER AND FATTY DRAGON provides high-octane entertainment and one of the most impressively choreographed action finales in the history of Hong Kong cinema!

When Detective Fatty Dragon (Sammo Hung) and his buddy/colleague Baldy Mak Sui-fu (Karl Maka) make it their mission to bring down a nasty bunch of Triad gangsters it goes without saying that things don’t run smoothly… not where bumbling Sammo Hung is concerned although both men display incredible cleverness when their latest task involves stopping a jewellery shop robbery, having successfully stopped a convenience store robbery a short time before and yes, the usual comedic mayhem ensure our top men are in top form… but things don’t exactly go as planned when – following said jewellery robbery – Fatty and Baldy’s attention is brought to crime boss Prince Tak (Lung Ming-yan) and his circle of cronies. The situation soon gets out of control when, following the robbery, a female associate of Prince Tak by the name of Lai (Carrie Ng) gets them into all sorts of trouble when the two determined detectives are searching for her in a ladies changing room although rumour has it that one of the culprits is in fact a ‘lady boy’ in disguise. Sure enough, after a mighty brouhaha some shocked female customers in the changing room complain about the detectives who are then read the riot act by their boss, Police Officer Wu (Bowie Wu). Not that a slap on the wrist intimidates our wannabe-heroes, far from it! Enter gang leader Wing (director Lau Kar-wing) who has just been informed that Johnny (Tai Bo), who is one of his henchmen, has apparently leaked a few secrets and it means the traitor must pay with his life.

Meanwhile Fatty and Baldy who, despite constantly bickering and with the latter displaying a bit of a roving eye when it comes to the female sex, carry on regardless and decide to search Lai’s abode but are caught in the act and now must think very fast if they want to escape with their lives. Whaddya know, disguised as robbers they steal Lai’s car with the real gangsters hot on their heels. Suffice it to say several vehicles get trashed in the process and later that night Lai sets a trap which brings more trouble for Fatty and Baldy, not to mention a failed attempt to catch Prince Tak which only results in ruining a wedding reception, in fact it turns out to be the English Deputy Commissioner’s wedding. Beside himself with embarrassment and fury, Officer Wu ‘demotes’ Fatty and Baldy and sends them to Singapore until things have smoothed out. Baldy doesn’t lose any time and immediately starts flirting with some local beauties, leading to yet another argument with Fatty, seeing how Baldy is supposed to be going out with his sister… who hopes to marry Baldy. In a minor subplot, Fatty also has lots of conversations about his profession with his father (Ni Kuang). Nonetheless, in between all the arguing both Fatty and Baldy get ample opportunity to let their hair down during a night out in Singapore, yikes, we even get to see Sammo performing a (rather embarrassing) dance routine in a Karaoke club. The fun is over when Lai, now working against her boss Prince Tak, gets bumped off by two female assassins who are either transsexual or dress as transvestites in order to confuse our detectives even further. Now the knives are out for sure and when Baldy’s girlfriend needs to be hospitalized after the gangsters got the better of her there’s no stopping the two detectives, now back on home turf. The jaw-dropping and epic finale takes place in an abandoned warehouse full of gas cylinders – cue for some seriously bone-crunching action stunts peppered with comedic interludes!

SKINNY TIGER AND FATTY DRAGON is presented in a Limited Edition 2-Disc Blu-ray set (300 copies only). Disc 1 presents the feature film plus Bonus material such as various audio options, audio commentaries, interviews, deleted scenes, trailers.
Disc 2 (bonus disc) features the insightful documentary I AM THE WHITE TIGER on the career of stuntman, martial arts artist and action director Mark Houghton (who plays an English gang member in the feature film). In the docu, Houghton reveals his story of breaking into the Hong Kong film industry, his struggle with injuries and consequent depression and his promise to his late teacher/mentor - the renowned filmmaker Lau Kar-Leung (best known for the films he made for the Shaw Brothers Studio) who passed away in 2013.