Tiger on the Beat is an unrelated sequel to Tiger on the Beat. But predominantly features the same cast as the original. Only Chow Yun-Fat is missing and is substituted by Danny Lee who surprisingly enough is capable of almost the same charming goofiness he was.
Like it's predecessor the focus is on comedy that is blended with the typical crime elements you often see in films like these. Main baddie Gordon Liu wants a ring back that is stolen from him by thief Ellen Chan. Well, technically it's not his since he ordered one of his goons (Roy Cheung) to kill the owner and take the ring. She witnesses this and tries to flee from the scene where she then bumps into Conan Lee (named Buffalo for some reason). This is not their first encounter but seeing how Conan is a little gullible and very ready to get into action he gets involved. Ellen Chan named Sweet Dream is more like a nightmare for everybody who gets tangled up in her affairs. Fortunately for us these antics are mostly funny. Maybe it was the fact that I had seen the awful The Cyprus Tigers before this that I could appreciate the comedy in this one a little better. Or simply that it is genuinely more funny. But of course you don't watch movies like these solely for the comedy so what about the action There is not much of it (action spread out in short sequences) but whatever is present is adequate to good although none of it is as spectacular as the chainsaw sequence in the original. To be fair that is kind of hard to top. However like in the original they saved the best for last and it does feel rewarding enough.
I had zero expectations for this sequel but perhaps that is why it managed to surprise me. It's my guess that director Lau Kar-leung was more hands on in this one than he was in the original. In case you don't know, he is a real kung fu legend who sadly passed away in 2013. He even let Ellen Chan do her own stunts. If Ellen seemed like an ordinary actress to you then think again. In one scene she is hanging on a pipe from a tall building and in one of the final scenes she gets kicked through a window with her face first. And I am not sure if this was some kind of running gag but Gordon Liu's wig from the original makes a return. At times it almost fooled me in being real hair but of course we know better. The Wig deserves an award for it's performance.
Believe it or not Tiger on the Beat is well worth your time. Although you do have to keep your expectations in check.
