Long Arm of the Law

1984 1h 46m CN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 48

ActionCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

A group of desperate Chinese criminals hope to make a quick, effortless score in Hong Kong. Things go afoul, and the gang must hide out until the heat dies down, besmirched with the blood of an undercover cop.

“Some stories are better left unspoiled.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

David Lam Wai
Ho Yiu-Tung
Wong Kin
Chubby / Sik Koo
Chiang Lung
Ah Chung
Chan Ging
Rooster
Lee Ying-Git
Blockhead
Lam Seung-Sam
Bull's Eye
Yeung Ming
Ah Sheung
Lau On-Kei
Angel

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Johnny Mak Tong-Hung
Writers: Philip Chan Yan-Kin
Languages: Cantonese, English
Countries: Hong Kong

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

42 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Part of the "Long Arm of the Law Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Johnny Mak Tong-Hung, shot by Johnny Koo Kwok-Wah. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Peter Cheung Yiu-Chung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

AWARDS

Did you know

David Lam Wai and Wong Kin and Chiang Lung carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0088107 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Johnny Mak Tong-Hung directs. Johnny Koo Kwok-Wah behind the camera. Peter Cheung Yiu-Chung cuts. Produced in Hong Kong. Dialogue in Cantonese, English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

142 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
2Dialogue crosses 2 languages: Cantonese, English.
3Part of the "Long Arm of the Law Collection" — so the characters or world continue elsewhere.
4Directed by Johnny Mak Tong-Hung, shot by Johnny Koo Kwok-Wah. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Editor Peter Cheung Yiu-Chung shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6David Lam Wai and Wong Kin and Chiang Lung carry the top of the cast.
7IMDB entry: tt0088107 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 48 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
9Classified under 11 themes, including "illegal immigration", "hong kong", "ex soldier", "criminal gang".

The technical file

Cinematography: Johnny Koo Kwok-Wah
Editing: Peter Cheung Yiu-Chung
Costume design: Chu Sheng-Shi
Makeup / hair: Simon Chan Kwok-Hong
Runtime: 106 min · 1h 46m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: CN
Certification (US): 18
IMDB: Long Arm of the Law (1984)

Part of

Long Arm of the Law Collection

Long Arm of the Law (省港旗兵, "Guangdong and Hong Kong Criminals") is a 1984 Hong Kong film directed by Johnny Mak. The film was followed by two sequels: Long Arm of the Law II (1987) and Long Arm of the Law III (1989).