It’s been not quite 30 years since a group of young Hong Kong-based moviemakers, now in or near their 60s, reinvented the gangster film, infusing the motifs of the American crime drama with the balletic action, nimble style and thematic preoccupations of their hometown industry. John Woo began the process with “A Better Tomorrow” in 1986 and became the movement’s standard-bearer in the United States, eventually directing a string of big-budget Hollywood films. The prolific Johnnie To emerged later, with “Breaking News” and his “Election” films, and is now a major presence on the international festival circuit. Lost in their shadows, at least in the United States, was Ringo Lam, whose “City on Fire” in 1987 was another landmark of the Hong Kong cops-and-crooks genre. After a career marked by hits and misses in Asia and a handful of American productions (several of which went straight to video), he took a hiatus from directing. “Wild City,” set for release next month in China, will be his first feature in 12 years.

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