Ringo Lam's prison-buddy movie manages to be both passionate and cornball. But maybe that's because it's from the 80s. Combining gangland intrigue with prisoner social justice (yeah, I know) with plenty of vicious revenge the film is given considerable weight by a funny and intense Yun-Fat Chow, a young and pretty Tony Leung and some genuinely explosive and chaotic fight scenes. Plus, a happy ending, of sorts.

It suffers from an unnecessary sentimental streak, but this is an interesting film from the heyday of Hong Kong cinema, especially as it is a prison film that does not incorporate a crime narrative or a lot of martial arts into its narrative. It also shows how much of a charismatic lead Chow Yun-Fat is when given a sizable role.