The Taking of Tiger Mountain

Set in northeastern China around 1946, after the Japanese surrender, the story follows a small detachment of the People's Liberation Army as it moves through a region controlled by armed gangs who have seized abandoned weapons stockpiles. The most feared of these bandit leaders is Lord Hawk, who rules from a heavily fortified stronghold on Tiger Mountain. Captain 203 and his unit decide to confront him, but the fortress cannot be taken by force alone. Scout Yang Zirong is sent undercover to work his way into Hawk's band and undermine it from within, setting up a contest of deception and firepower.

Tsui Hark directed and co-wrote the film, the twenty-fifth of the thirty-one features he has directed in chronological order, arriving between Young Detective Dee: Rise of the Sea Dragon and Journey to the West: The Demons Strike Back. Zhang Hanyu plays Yang Zirong, with Tony Leung Ka-fai as Lord Hawk, Lin Gengxin as 203, Tong Liya, Yu Nan and Han Geng among a credited cast of twenty-four. The production reunited Hong Kong and mainland Chinese companies, and its worldwide gross of about 142 million US dollars made it a substantial commercial success.

Audience response was moderate: on IMDb it holds 6.4 out of 10 from roughly 3,600 votes, and on TMDB 6.6 out of 10 from 218 votes. A critics' rating of 6.5 out of 10 from seventeen reviews places it close to the audience scores.