Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon
Encyclopedia
Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon aka Skinny Tiger & Fatty Dragon aka Nutty Kickbox Cops from the German distributor is a 1990
Hong Kong
action
comedy
film
directed by Lau Kar Wing
(Liu Chia Yung), starring Sammo Hung
and Karl Maka
. The trio had worked together in the late 1970s, making two films for Lau and Hung's short-lived Gar Bo Motion Picture Company. Whilst Lau continued to appear in Hung's films for Golden Harvest
throughout the 1980s, Maka had gone on to co-run Cinema City. Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon was therefore something of a reunion for the three actors.
The gang leader, Wing (Lau Kar Wing
), learns that one of his henchman, Johnny (Tai Bo), has leaked his secrets so he is beaten up by the gang.
During their investigation of the Lai's house, things go very wrong for Fatty and Baldy, and they end up imitating robbers in order to escape from the gang. They steal her car and have a brief chase from the gangsters. Later that night, Lai calls Fatty and arranges a meeting at an abandoned warehouse. At the location another fight ensues, followed by a chase of Lai's boss, "Prince" Tak (Lung Ming Yan), and Fatty ends up ruining the English Deputy Commissioner's wedding.
Fatty and Baldy are ordered to leave Hong Kong while things settle down, so they head to Singapore. However, Lai, who has turned against her gang, is then killed by a pair of transsexual assassins. When Fatty is about to have dinner with Baldy and his girlfriend (Wanda Yung), he inadvertently ruins their relationship. So the pair have dinner outside, leading to another confrontation. Baldy deals with two English henchmen, whilst Fatty is fighting the transsexual assassins.
In the aftermath of the event, Fatty's father and Baldy's girlfriend are hospitalised. Realising they will never have peace until Wing is stopped, they apprehend Tak's brother at an abandoned warehouse full of gas cylinders. The plan goes sour, leading to a final confrontation with the gangsters. The two English henchmen try to take down Baldy while Fatty uses nunchaku
. At the final moment, Tak fires his gun, he hits the gas cylinders and Baldy and Fatty escape.
announced the title first causing their rival company to come up with another name. Once the rival company has their title resolved, Cinema City retitled this movie again to "Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon".
impersonation happen in two early films prior to this. Enter the Fat Dragon
and Millionaire's Express
with Cynthia Rothrock in a brief fight together. This is the final film in which he relates the early Bruce Lee references into the 90's.
When Bey Logan interviewed Mark Houghton, he initially is tasked to find a black businessman which is suppose to be another tribute to Game of Death
. Unfortunately he offended a few of them with one who believes he has no business in being in the movie. Houghton though he would be in trouble for offending a black businessman so he told Lau Kar Wing that he couldn't find any so the director would step in as the main bad guy for this role.
Much of the film was recorded in Singapore
, but the rest was filmed in the New Territories
and Hong Kong
.
Bey Logan pointed out the two Thai
"ladyboys
" is an example of what differentiate his movie from his other movies during the final period of Cinema City. It's probably the only movie in which Sammo fight against these tranvestites which hasn't transcended before or since.
In the film, the main characters played by Hung and Maka are known by the nicknames "Fatty" and "Baldy", respectively. Despite the film's title, Maka's character is never referred to as "Skinny". In one scene, the pair are referred to by a work colleague as "Crazy Tiger and Mad Dragon".
pointed out in his review why the film did moderately successful. Firstly, there are certain logic and structure issues which is the negative aspect of the movie. A few examples were the car chasing sequence in which he explains that if the heroes just call the police, the bad guys would be arrested and the scene wouldn't be as funny. The other is the Singapore holiday as he explains, after the Chinese wedding catastrophe, the film should be gaining momentum but instead goes down like a holiday expedition. That structural flaw detracts from the main story overall.
For western audiences, the character Baldy played by Karl Maka is described as being way over the top. The reason is his character definition from his previous films most prominently the Aces Go Places
series. So the things he does like the watermelon bowling could come across as very broad. On the other hand, it's really playing to the less sophisticated Asian audiences at the time that do like this style of broad humour.
The mixed and positive aspect is the action sequences with Sammo Hung. Fans of Bruce Lee after the Bruceploitation
, would disregard any movie in which people tried to impersonate Bruce Lee and didn't come off well. Sammo Hung's style of action in Logan's opinion is regarded the best because of the slightly faster pace and the way Bruce Lee action references is incorporated in what otherwise be a straightforward action movie. Also because of his previous work on Enter the Fat Dragon, he's widely regarded as the best Bruce Lee impersonator than anyone came before during the 1970's. Also, because of his bulk appearance and the fact he doesn't look like Bruce Lee, the most important element in his action sequences is he sells power. Unlike Yuen Biao
, when Sammo fights, it doesn't take more than five hits to knock down a stuntman on camera and that's why his fights works so well.
Hong Kong films of 1990
A list of films produced in Hong Kong in 1990:.-1990:-External links:* * Hong Kong films of 1990 at...
Hong Kong
Cinema of Hong Kong
The cinema of Hong Kong is one of the three major threads in the history of Chinese language cinema, alongside the cinema of China, and the cinema of Taiwan...
action
Hong Kong action cinema
Hong Kong action cinema is the principal source of the Hong Kong film industry's global fame. It combines elements from the action film, as codified by Hollywood, with Chinese storytelling and aesthetic traditions, to create a culturally distinctive form that nevertheless has a wide transcultural...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
directed by Lau Kar Wing
Lau Kar Wing
Lau Kar Wing is a Hong Kong martial arts film director, action choreographer and actor.-Background:Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar Wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham , a martial arts master who studied under Lam Sai Wing, pupil of the legendary Chinese folk...
(Liu Chia Yung), starring Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung
Sammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
and Karl Maka
Karl Maka
Karl Maka is a popular Hong Kong producer, director, actor and presenter. He was born on 29 February 1944 in Taishan, China. One of his popular movie is the Aces Go Places film series which he acted alongside Sam Hui....
. The trio had worked together in the late 1970s, making two films for Lau and Hung's short-lived Gar Bo Motion Picture Company. Whilst Lau continued to appear in Hung's films for Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest
Golden Harvest is a film production, distribution, and exhibition company based in Hong Kong. It played a major role in becoming the first Chinese film company to successfully enter the western market for an extended period of time, especially with the films of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan...
throughout the 1980s, Maka had gone on to co-run Cinema City. Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon was therefore something of a reunion for the three actors.
Synopsis
Fatty and Baldy are a pair of detectives dealing with a crime syndicate of triad gangsters. After a jewellery robbery, they later find Lai (Carrie Ng), a woman who is associated with the gangsters, but end up getting themselves into trouble for going into the women's changing room.The gang leader, Wing (Lau Kar Wing
Lau Kar Wing
Lau Kar Wing is a Hong Kong martial arts film director, action choreographer and actor.-Background:Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar Wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham , a martial arts master who studied under Lam Sai Wing, pupil of the legendary Chinese folk...
), learns that one of his henchman, Johnny (Tai Bo), has leaked his secrets so he is beaten up by the gang.
During their investigation of the Lai's house, things go very wrong for Fatty and Baldy, and they end up imitating robbers in order to escape from the gang. They steal her car and have a brief chase from the gangsters. Later that night, Lai calls Fatty and arranges a meeting at an abandoned warehouse. At the location another fight ensues, followed by a chase of Lai's boss, "Prince" Tak (Lung Ming Yan), and Fatty ends up ruining the English Deputy Commissioner's wedding.
Fatty and Baldy are ordered to leave Hong Kong while things settle down, so they head to Singapore. However, Lai, who has turned against her gang, is then killed by a pair of transsexual assassins. When Fatty is about to have dinner with Baldy and his girlfriend (Wanda Yung), he inadvertently ruins their relationship. So the pair have dinner outside, leading to another confrontation. Baldy deals with two English henchmen, whilst Fatty is fighting the transsexual assassins.
In the aftermath of the event, Fatty's father and Baldy's girlfriend are hospitalised. Realising they will never have peace until Wing is stopped, they apprehend Tak's brother at an abandoned warehouse full of gas cylinders. The plan goes sour, leading to a final confrontation with the gangsters. The two English henchmen try to take down Baldy while Fatty uses nunchaku
Nunchaku
is a traditional Okinawan weapon consisting of two sticks connected at their ends with a short chain or rope.-Etymology:The Japanese word nunchaku is the Kun'yomi reading of the Kanji term for a traditional Chinese two section staff....
. At the final moment, Tak fires his gun, he hits the gas cylinders and Baldy and Fatty escape.
Working title
This movie was previously titled "Tiger on the Beat 3". There was worry that Phillip Ko that worked on the earlier two starring Conan Lee will make a movie with that title so Cinema CityCinema City
Cinema City can mean:* Cinema City & Films Co. - the production company established in 1980 by actors Raymond Wong, Karl Maka and Dean Shek. See Hong Kong action cinema....
announced the title first causing their rival company to come up with another name. Once the rival company has their title resolved, Cinema City retitled this movie again to "Skinny Tiger, Fatty Dragon".
Bruce Lee references
Sammo doing a Bruce LeeBruce Lee
Bruce Lee was a Chinese American, Hong Kong actor, martial arts instructor, philosopher, film director, film producer, screenwriter, and founder of the Jeet Kune Do martial arts movement...
impersonation happen in two early films prior to this. Enter the Fat Dragon
Enter the Fat Dragon
Enter the Fat Dragon is a 1978 Hong Kong action film directed by and starring Sammo Hung...
and Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express
Millionaire's Express aka. Shanghai Express is a 1986 Hong Kong martial arts action western film written and directed by Sammo Hung. Film starred Hung, Yuen Biao, Rosamund Kwan, Mei-sheng Fan and Hwang Jang Lee.-Plot:...
with Cynthia Rothrock in a brief fight together. This is the final film in which he relates the early Bruce Lee references into the 90's.
- The tap with the two metal bars is seen in Game of DeathGame of DeathThe Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
with Bruce Lee and Dan InosantoDan InosantoDaniel Arca Inosanto is a Filipino-American martial arts instructor from California who is best known as a student of the late Bruce Lee and authority on Jeet Kune Do Concepts.-Martial arts:...
before the nunchaku fight. Also the use of the nunchaku is used in the finale at an abandoned warehouse full of barrels which goes back to Fist of FuryFist of FuryFist of Fury, formerly known as The Chinese Connection and The Iron Hand in the United States, is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film directed by Lo Wei. It starred Bruce Lee in his second major film after The Big Boss...
in which Bruce Lee introduces the weapon and Enter the Fat DragonEnter the Fat DragonEnter the Fat Dragon is a 1978 Hong Kong action film directed by and starring Sammo Hung...
in which Sammo first used the weapon. - Sammo holding of one of the henchman's hair is seen in Enter the DragonEnter the DragonEnter the Dragon is a 1973 Hong Kong martial arts co-production with Golden Harvest and Warner Bros. studios, directed by Robert Clouse; starring Bruce Lee, Jim Kelly and John Saxon. This is Bruce Lee's final film appearance before his death on July 20, 1973...
in which Jackie ChanJackie ChanJackie Chan, SBS, MBE is a Hong Kong actor, action choreographer, comedian, director, producer, martial artist, screenwriter, entrepreneur, singer and stunt performer. In his movies, he is known for his acrobatic fighting style, comic timing, use of improvised weapons, and innovative stunts...
tries to attack Bruce but got his neck snapped off camera. - The brief fight with Sammo Hung and Mark Houghton is similar to Way of the DragonWay of the DragonThe Way of the Dragon is a 1972 Hong Kong martial arts film written, produced, directed by and starring Bruce Lee.- Plot :Tang Lung is sent from Hong Kong to Rome to help his friend's niece Chen Ching Hua, and family friends, whose restaurant is being targeted by the local Mafia, which has been...
with Bruce Lee and Chuck NorrisChuck NorrisCarlos Ray "Chuck" Norris is an American martial artist and actor. After serving in the United States Air Force, he began his rise to fame as a martial artist and has since founded his own school, Chun Kuk Do...
. Then follows up with Bruce Lee attacking the guy with the gun while in Nora MiaoNora MiaoNora Miao ); born February 8, 1952 ) is a Hong Kong actress who appeared in many kung-fu films in the 1970s. She was contracted to Golden Harvest, and spent her time making films in Hong Kong and in Taiwan, where she starred in several romance movies....
's apartment. - The german sheperd dog is a reference to the The Big BossThe Big BossThe Big Boss, previously known by its U.S. title Fists Of Fury is a 1971 Hong Kong martial arts action crime thriller film. The Big Boss was Bruce Lee's first major film. It was written to star James Tien; however, Lee's strong performance relegated Tien, already a star in Hong Kong, to second...
. Also is the use of the double knives in the finale of both movies although shot in a different way.
When Bey Logan interviewed Mark Houghton, he initially is tasked to find a black businessman which is suppose to be another tribute to Game of Death
Game of Death
The Game of Death is a 1972 film starring Bruce Lee. It was almost the last film Bruce Lee had planned to be the demonstration piece of his martial art Jeet Kune Do. Over 100 minutes of footage was shot before his death, some of which was later misplaced in the Golden Harvest archives...
. Unfortunately he offended a few of them with one who believes he has no business in being in the movie. Houghton though he would be in trouble for offending a black businessman so he told Lau Kar Wing that he couldn't find any so the director would step in as the main bad guy for this role.
Much of the film was recorded in Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
, but the rest was filmed in the New Territories
New Territories
New Territories is one of the three main regions of Hong Kong, alongside Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula. It makes up 86.2% of Hong Kong's territory. Historically, it is the region described in The Convention for the Extension of Hong Kong Territory...
and Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
.
Bey Logan pointed out the two Thai
Thai people
The Thai people, or Siamese, are the main ethnic group of Thailand and are part of the larger Tai ethnolinguistic peoples found in Thailand and adjacent countries in Southeast Asia as well as southern China. Their language is the Thai language, which is classified as part of the Kradai family of...
"ladyboys
Kathoey
Kathoey or katoey is a male-to-female transgender person or an effeminate gay male in Thailand. Related phrases include sao praphet song , or phet thi sam . The word kathoey is thought to be of Khmer origin...
" is an example of what differentiate his movie from his other movies during the final period of Cinema City. It's probably the only movie in which Sammo fight against these tranvestites which hasn't transcended before or since.
In the film, the main characters played by Hung and Maka are known by the nicknames "Fatty" and "Baldy", respectively. Despite the film's title, Maka's character is never referred to as "Skinny". In one scene, the pair are referred to by a work colleague as "Crazy Tiger and Mad Dragon".
Cast
- Sammo HungSammo HungSammo Hung is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist, film producer and director, known for his work in many martial arts films and Hong Kong action cinema...
- Fatty Dragon - Karl MakaKarl MakaKarl Maka is a popular Hong Kong producer, director, actor and presenter. He was born on 29 February 1944 in Taishan, China. One of his popular movie is the Aces Go Places film series which he acted alongside Sam Hui....
- Baldy Mak Sui Fu - Carrie NgCarrie NgCarrie Ng is a Hong Kong actress best known for cult CAT III films Naked Killer and Sex and Zen. She won Best Supporting Actress at the Hong Kong Film Awards for her performance in The Kid and Best Actress at the Golden Horse Film Festival awards for her performance in Remains of a Woman.-Awards...
- Lai - Lung Ming Yan - "Prince" Tak / Ted
- Wu FungWu FungBowie Wu Fung is a former TVB actor and director. Wu was most famous for his role in Looking Back In Anger, one of TVB's most popular dramas ever and was also with GDTV in its early days.-Filmography:*Tears For An Absent Love...
- Officer Wu - Ni KuangNi KuangNi Kuang , also known as Ngai Hong, I Kuang or Yi Kuang, is a Hong Kong-based Chinese novelist and screenwriter, with more than 300 published wuxia and science fiction novels and more than 400 film scripts. He is the brother of another romance novelist, Yi Shu.-Life:Born Ni Chong , he grew up in...
- Dragon's father - Lau Kar WingLau Kar WingLau Kar Wing is a Hong Kong martial arts film director, action choreographer and actor.-Background:Born in the Xinhui District of Jiangmen in Guangdong, China, Lau Kar Wing was the fourth child of Lau Cham , a martial arts master who studied under Lam Sai Wing, pupil of the legendary Chinese folk...
- Wing - Tai Bo - Johnny
- Yip Seung Wa - Tak's brother
- Sin Ho Ying - Ho / Howard
- Ridley TsuiRidley TsuiRidley Tsui is an actor, director and action choreographer of martial arts films....
- Pak - Ng Ching Ching - Jing Jing
- Wanda Yung - tall girl
- Cutie MuiCutie MuiCutie Mui Siu Wai is an actress and television host associated with Television Broadcasts Limited. Her notable roles include Sek Mei in Virtues of Harmony and Loose Head Zhi in Justice Of Life.-Filmography:*The Seasons...
- tall girl's neighbour - Mark Houghton - English gang member
- Wan Seung Lam - gang member
- Gabriel Wong - burglar
- Hung Yan YanHung Yan YanHung Yan-yan, also known as Xiong Xinxin, is a Hong Kong martial artist, actor, stuntman and action director. He was the stunt double for martial arts superstar Jet Li.-Early life:...
- robber - Jackson Ng - robber
- Kong Long - robber
- Lo Hung - man at wedding party
- Patrick Gamble - Lai's lawyer
- Yeung Yau Cheung - waiter
- Ng Kwok Kin - policeman
- Garry Chan Chi Shing - suspect at police station
- Wilson YipWilson YipWilson Yip Wai-Shun is a Hong Kong actor, filmmaker and screenwriter. His films include Bio Zombie, The White Dragon, SPL: Sha Po Lang, Dragon Tiger Gate, Flash Point, Ip Man, and Ip Man 2.-Early career:...
- man on the Street - Strawberry Yeung - karaoke singer
- Chang Seng Kwong - thug
- Max Gusinsky - English gang member
Reception
Bey LoganBey Logan
Bey Logan is a respected expert on East Asian cinema, particularly Hong Kong action cinema. He is also notable as a screenwriter, film producer and as a martial artist who has had roles in a number of films, including the 2003 Dante Lam film The Twins Effect.He has written two books - Hong Kong...
pointed out in his review why the film did moderately successful. Firstly, there are certain logic and structure issues which is the negative aspect of the movie. A few examples were the car chasing sequence in which he explains that if the heroes just call the police, the bad guys would be arrested and the scene wouldn't be as funny. The other is the Singapore holiday as he explains, after the Chinese wedding catastrophe, the film should be gaining momentum but instead goes down like a holiday expedition. That structural flaw detracts from the main story overall.
For western audiences, the character Baldy played by Karl Maka is described as being way over the top. The reason is his character definition from his previous films most prominently the Aces Go Places
Aces Go Places
Aces Go Places, , also known in the United States as Diamondfinger or Mad Mission 1, is a 1982 Hong Kong action/comedy film directed by Eric Tsang, and starring Sam Hui and Karl Maka.-Plot:...
series. So the things he does like the watermelon bowling could come across as very broad. On the other hand, it's really playing to the less sophisticated Asian audiences at the time that do like this style of broad humour.
The mixed and positive aspect is the action sequences with Sammo Hung. Fans of Bruce Lee after the Bruceploitation
Bruceploitation
Bruceploitation is a cultural phenomenon mostly seen in the 1970s after the 1973 death of martial artist and actor Bruce Lee. Movie makers in mainland China, Hong Kong and Taiwan hired a great number of Bruce Lee look-alike actors to star in many cheap knock-off martial arts movies to cash in on...
, would disregard any movie in which people tried to impersonate Bruce Lee and didn't come off well. Sammo Hung's style of action in Logan's opinion is regarded the best because of the slightly faster pace and the way Bruce Lee action references is incorporated in what otherwise be a straightforward action movie. Also because of his previous work on Enter the Fat Dragon, he's widely regarded as the best Bruce Lee impersonator than anyone came before during the 1970's. Also, because of his bulk appearance and the fact he doesn't look like Bruce Lee, the most important element in his action sequences is he sells power. Unlike Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao
Yuen Biao is a Hong Kong actor, martial artist. He specialises in acrobatics and Chinese martial arts and has worked on over 80 films as actor, stuntman and action choreographer...
, when Sammo fights, it doesn't take more than five hits to knock down a stuntman on camera and that's why his fights works so well.