Tiger on the Beat

Tiger on the Beat is a Hong Kong action comedy about two mismatched police partners. Sergeant Francis Li, a veteran officer, is paired with Michael Cho, a younger recruit, and the two are sent to investigate the murder of a heroin trafficker. Their inquiry draws them into a larger drug organization, and it brings them into contact with Marydonna, the sister of a dealer connected to that group. Their clash of temperaments shapes the case as much as the criminals do.

The film was directed by Lau Kar-leung, a specialist in martial arts cinema. It was the ninth of the eleven features listed in his directing filmography, arriving in 1988 between Martial Arts of Shaolin and The Legend of Drunken Master. The screenplay is by Tsang Kwok-Chi, who also produced the film with Wellington Fung Wing. Chow Yun-fat plays Francis Li and Conan Lee plays Michael Cho, with Nina Li Chi as Marydonna, Norman Chui Siu-Keung as Johnny Law, Gordon Liu Chia-hui as Lau Fai and Shirley Ng Ling as Mimi Li. The credited cast totals thirty-nine.

Released on 19 March 1988, the film runs 94 minutes and mixes action, comedy, crime, drama and thriller elements. It took in about four million US dollars worldwide at the box office. On IMDb it holds 6.9 out of 10 from roughly 2,400 votes, while on TMDB it sits at 6.5 out of 10 from about 72 votes, so the two audiences agree broadly on its merits, with the larger sample a shade more positive.