Favorite 'Tiger Cage' Movie?

[Darth Kermit]

TC2 also features that great John Woo-esq shootout in the warehouse, with the slo mo dual wielding and insane amount of bullets.

[D1 Ma]

The first movie had  a very nice opening action sequence with a mind-boggling stunt at the end. The rest of the movie had some action bits, but they're average at best

 The second was a letdown for me in the terms of stunts. The final у was great, though and saved the movie for me

I have to re-watch the third one, but I remember I enjoyed it more than the first two and I was surprised the movie didn't have more buzz. I'm reading the comments now and it looks like many haven't watched it. As I said, I gotta watch it again to make sure I still like it more than the second part.

Anyway, I voted for the third

[TibetanWhiteCrane]

Part 3 is the best. Anyone skipping it for no reason is a tard.

[Darth Kermit]

I just finished the third and was mighty let down. Found the story to be a bit boring, and hated the ending. it was frustrating, but not in a satisfying way. The action was good, but the first two were better in that department. It probably had some of the best stunts of the three though, especially the exploding boat with the dude doing a sideflip out of it while on fire.

[Chu Liu Hsiang]

After watching all 3 movies for the first time, I find it difficult to decide which one I liked best. They all have their merits in different areas.  Were they not presented as parts 1-3 in their English titles, we probably would not compare them to each other.
Being in a light mood today, I'm voting for part 2 because I had to grin several times. 

[ChillyChong]

2nd is best, 3rd is easily worst. There are some ok moments but first 20 minutes are some of most boring sh1t I have seen for ages.

[ChillyChong]

Tiger Cage 2.

Terrific movie about some crooked lawyers with american drug connection. And fantastic cast. Cynthia Khan, Michael Woods and John Salvitti are not used that much but all their scenes are decent. Donnie is in top form and displays several times his excellent kicking ability and does well in acting too. And definitely so does Rosamund Kwan. I like her here lot more than f e as Aunt Yee in OUATIC movies.

For this movie which saw first time long time ago boxset was worth getting. Best Donnie Yen movie?Dunno, would be coin flip between this and ITLOD4.

[DiP]

Tiger Cage (1988) - 8/10

Very dark, with many satisfying moments of twists and brutal violence where pretty much everyone gets punched, kicked and goes through suffering in one way or another. Jacky Cheung as the movie's lead is decent but should've switched roles with Donnie Yen seeing how much more effective the latter would've been both for acting and action. It's an understandable choice though given Donnie's status at the time of making the movie -- came off two flops, and returning to HK taking up acting lessons and working at TVB. Good performances from Carol Cheng, Simon Yam, Ng Man-Tat too. Overall, a thrilling and entertaining first entry in the trilogy that more than compensates the lack of lengthy fight scenes -- Donnie's fight with real-life buddies Michael Woods and Stephen Berwick being the icing on the cake -- that people would expect.

Tiger Cage II (1990) - 8.5/10

The movie takes a light and more humorous approach compared to the first movie, with Donnie Yen playing the lead role this time along with good support by Rosamund Kwan, David Wu, Robin Shou, Garry Chow, Carol Cheng, and Cynthia Khan. Whether the story is good or not depends on what you'd prefer. But overall, I'd say the themes (double-crossing, mistaken accusations etc) from the first movie recurs here (and in part 3) so for me it doesn't distract much. In fact, I would say this entry is much more entertaining because there's alot going on (predictable and clichéd but so much fun nonetheless) that keeps you going. The action scenes are cranked up here, and every set-piece is top-notch. Not just fight scenes but also the gunplay and the stunts. What a perfect way to compensate Donnie's demise in the first movie by letting him playing a totally new character and letting his skills loose! That sword fight with Salvitti as well as the fight scene with Woods are still memorable and unmatched after more than 30 years. 

Tiger Cage III (1991) - 6/10

It's the weakest entry in the trilogy for sure but it's not as bad as its' reputation. Stuntman-turned actor Cheung Kwok-Leung takes up the lead role this time who is torn between protecting his shady girlfriend (Sharla Cheng Man), and being righteous as a cop. The story -- about greedy people double-crossing each other within the world of stock market -- actually give the movie a good premise and starts out rather good. But as we get to the last two acts, that's where the story takes a major nosedive. At some point, Kwok-Leung's character gets injured, disappears only to return as a kind of stalking vigilante (did this idea prompt Woo Ping to make [I]Iron Monkey[/I]? If so then thumbs up actually!)... Totally out of place. Then we get to the last act where the reveal of another character's motive happens... I get the message. But the way they executed it was sloppy and rushed. That being said, the movie doesn't disappoint when it comes to action scenes. There's plenty here and they are quite visceral and gritty, so I'm sure people who love the first movie will enjoy this last entry as well.

Edited October 17, 2022 by DiP

[HeavenSword]

Rewatched this trilogy again and I gotta say Tiger Cage 3 takes it .  Who else thinks Cheung Kwok Leung provided us with the best fights in the series ? Dude is a beast . 
 

I’m probably the only person that has said that lol. 

Edited November 1, 2022 by HeavenSword

[Drunken Monk]

Tiger Cage (1988) - This was a first-time watch for me and I was shocked by how dark the film is. No comedic moments, some seriously brutal violence and then that character death. Though I wouldn’t call this a martial arts movie (it’s a crime thriller with a few scuffles), I did find myself enjoying it a lot. Woo Ping crafts a genuinely engaging story and the film moves at an excellent pace. The best of the trilogy in my eyes.

Tiger Cage II (1990) - A complete tonal shift for the sequel. This one’s a far more lighthearted affair, which isn’t a bad thing because it really is a fun film. Rosamund Kwan adds a lot. Of course, the biggest bonus is that there’s a lot more martial arts action here. Definitely not my favourite type of fight choreography. Everything is far too brief here. To rapid fire. Some people will love it but I like for there to be more exchanged. More complexity. With that said, this is a VERY enjoyable flick. A nice balance of action and comedic hijinks. Of course, Robin Shou delivers too.

Tiger Cage III (1991) - The worst of the trilogy. It feels like a huge misstep in Woo Ping’s choreography. This lacks the interesting plot, the comedy and worst of all, it lacks on the action front. There’s a decent machete versus sledgehammer fight and that’s it. The final rooftop fight scene has its moments, I guess. The most offensive thing about this one is that it’s boring as fuck. The film plods along at a snail’s pace and feels much longer than it is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the worst Hong Kong action film you’ll see but it’s nowhere near close to being a classic.

[legendarycurry]

17 minutes ago, Drunken Monk said:

Tiger Cage (1988) - This was a first-time watch for me and I was shocked by how dark the film is. No comedic moments, some seriously brutal violence and then that character death. Though I wouldn’t call this a martial arts movie (it’s a crime thriller with a few scuffles), I did find myself enjoying it a lot. Woo Ping crafts a genuinely engaging story and the film moves at an excellent pace. The best of the trilogy in my eyes.

Tiger Cage II (1990) - A complete tonal shift for the sequel. This one’s a far more lighthearted affair, which isn’t a bad thing because it really is a fun film. Rosamund Kwan adds a lot. Of course, the biggest bonus is that there’s a lot more martial arts action here. Definitely not my favourite type of fight choreography. Everything is far too brief here. To rapid fire. Some people will love it but I like for there to be more exchanged. More complexity. With that said, this is a VERY enjoyable flick. A nice balance of action and comedic hijinks. Of course, Robin Shou delivers too.

Tiger Cage III (1991) - The worst of the trilogy. It feels like a huge misstep in Woo Ping’s choreography. This lacks the interesting plot, the comedy and worst of all, it lacks on the action front. There’s a decent machete versus sledgehammer fight and that’s it. The final rooftop fight scene has its moments, I guess. The most offensive thing about this one is that it’s boring as fuck. The film plods along at a snail’s pace and feels much longer than it is. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not the worst Hong Kong action film you’ll see but it’s nowhere near close to being a classic.

Interesting to read your thoughts! Saw TC2 as a teen but didn't see the first one until I think my mid-20's and the third one in my earliest 30's.


I think Tiger Cage has the best story, Tiger Cage 2 has the best action and Tiger Cage 3 has Sharla Cheung Man. My ratings:

Tiger Cage: 7/10
Tiger Cage 2: 10/10
Tiger Cage 3: Sharla/10

I remember the first time I saw Tiger Cage I was shocked that all the martial arts action scenes from the whole movie where basically the clips you could find over at the old stuntpeopleforum review page for it (Remember that site?)

There was a period of a a day or two when I was 16 where I would watch the final fight of Tiger Cage 2 (my friend's burned DVD-R Copy of the film) every commercial break when I was watching a TV show. It was exactly short enough to be watched 3 times from first punch to last hit before commercial breaks ended.

Saw Tiger Cage 3 for the first time a few years ago and felt it wasn't too bad of a film. 6/10 I suppose.

[Ramji]

I actually quite enjoyed Tiger Cage 3, was a first watch for me, watched the 88 films release. Lol at Sharla Cheung Man, she's pretty fire. Thought it had some great fight choreography. 

[ShawAngela]

Yesterday, I watched the Tiger Cage Ttrilogy.

I enjoyed all three, good plots and great action.

Number one is very captivating, but very dark and violent. I hated Donnie Yen's fate there.

Number two is the funniest, I couldn't help but laugh at some scenes. I hated David Wu's fate, here.

Number three was good too, and I hated Thomas Cheung's fate, here. And at the end, it was difficult to decide is Sharla Cheung really loved him or not, considering how she despised the photo on which they both appeared near the end.

[legendarycurry]

1 hour ago, ShawAngela said:

Yesterday, I watched the Tiger Cage Ttrilogy.

I enjoyed all three, good plots and great action.

Number one is very captivating, but very dark and violent. I hated Donnie Yen's fate there.

Number two is the funniest, I couldn't help but laugh at some scenes. I hated David Wu's fate, here.

Number three was good too, and I hated Thomas Cheung's fate, here. And at the end, it was difficult to decide is Sharla Cheung really loved him or not, considering how she despised the photo on which they both appeared near the end.

I think Sharla didn't have genuine love for anyone in the third film very much a Femme Fatale style character with dubious morals and manipulative. She was the best part of the third  movie in my opinion (I feel this way about most films she is in to be fair, I've seen Evil Cult 10 times mostly because she plays 2 characters in it )

Which one of the three did you feel had the best action if you don't mind me asking? I think part 2 personally which I feel had brilliant action.  The rest all have some good stuff even if I don't enjoy them as much as part 2.

Sidenote: had no idea Cheung Kwok Leung had the English name Thomas. Adding that to the knowledge bank.

[DrNgor]

I finally got around to watching and reviewing the first Tiger Cage a few weeks ago. Now I've posted it. A very good effort from Yuen Woo-Ping.

https://abeautifulfilm.blogspot.com/2023/04/tiger-cage-1988.html

[PandaPawPaw]

I watched the set a few weeks ago and loved pt 1&2. The first was awesome and Simon Yam was great as the bent copper.

Spoiler

Donnie Yen getting shot in the head and turning around was funny!

The second was just as good if not better and thoroughly enjoyable. I liked the chemistry between Yen and Kwan too. It was also the first time I've seen Robin Shou in a HK film (I only know him from MK) and he was great.

The 3rd was meh. Sharla Cheung looked nice in it though.

[ShaOW!linDude]

Tiger Cage III (1991) starring Thomas Cheung, Michael Wong, Sharla Cheung Man; director: Yuen  Wo Ping; choreographers: Yuen Shun Yi, Ku Huen Chiu

Don't know that I've read much on what the consensus is among the forum members here for this. I came across it on Tubi and I'm always looking for a good HK modern actioner. This works. Some ridiculous gun play, lots of explosions, and solid bootwork here from Thomas Cheung.

John Cheung Ng-Long (who fought against Jason Scott Lee in Dragon) shows up for a couple of fights as does Ridley Tsui in the finale (who was the serial killer in Sammo Hung's Pantyhose Killer). Not a bad flick over all. If you get a chance to see it, it's worth the 90 minute run time.

[sym8]

1 hour ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Tiger Cage III (1991) starring Thomas Cheung, Michael Wong, Sharla Cheung Man; director: Yuen  Wo Ping; choreographers: Yuen Shun Yi, Ku Huen Chiu

Don't know that I've read much on what the consensus is among the forum members here for this. I came across it on Tubi and I'm always looking for a good HK modern actioner. This works. Some ridiculous gun play, lots of explosions, and solid bootwork here from Thomas Cheung.

John Cheung Ng-Long (who fought against Jason Scott Lee in Dragon) shows up for a couple of fights as does Ridley Tsui in the finale (who was the serial killer in Sammo Hung's Pantyhose Killer). Not a bad flick over all. If you get a chance to see it, it's worth the 90 minute run time.

Recently saw this too but I found it a bit slow(old vhs tape though).I saw it back in the day and remember liking it but not this time around.I thought it could have more hard falls and hits(which were the norm back in those days).Maybe if I hunt down a decent quality version it might change my mind.

[ShaOW!linDude]

56 minutes ago, sym8 said:

Recently saw this too but I found it a bit slow(old vhs tape though).I saw it back in the day and remember liking it but not this time around.I thought it could have more hard falls and hits(which were the norm back in those days).Maybe if I hunt down a decent quality version it might change my mind.

I watched it on Tubi and it had moments where it was bit glitchy. Yeah, the action could've been amped up a little more for sure.

[PandaPawPaw]

14 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Tiger Cage III (1991) starring Thomas Cheung, Michael Wong, Sharla Cheung Man; director: Yuen  Wo Ping; choreographers: Yuen Shun Yi, Ku Huen Chiu

Don't know that I've read much on what the consensus is among the forum members here for this. I came across it on Tubi and I'm always looking for a good HK modern actioner. This works. Some ridiculous gun play, lots of explosions, and solid bootwork here from Thomas Cheung.

John Cheung Ng-Long (who fought against Jason Scott Lee in Dragon) shows up for a couple of fights as does Ridley Tsui in the finale (who was the serial killer in Sammo Hung's Pantyhose Killer). Not a bad flick over all. If you get a chance to see it, it's worth the 90 minute run time.

I watched it a few months ago and was so disappointed by it.

I had seen TC 1&2 which I absolutely loved so when I saw TC3, I was shocked at how poor and and dull it was. It had none of what made the other two work.

Maybe if I had seen it a while after I had seen TC 1&2, I may have liked it more.

[ChillyChong]

46 minutes ago, PandaPawPaw said:

Maybe if I had seen it a while after I had seen TC 1&2, I may have liked it more.

I doubt that. Remember of TC3 only in about middle guy was doing spying and after got noticed did cause some ok action. And ending was in  rooftop. I have less than zero interest to return into that trainwreck to see if memory was accurate and when else movies has I have thankfully forgotten.