Magnificent Warriors (1987) - A Review

 

Magnificent Warriors is an underrated action movie!

Magnificent Warriors is a action/adventure/martial arts movie released in Hong Kong in 1987 starring Michelle Yeoh (known as Michelle Khan at this time), Richard Ng, Derek Yee, Lowell Lo Koon-Ting, Cindy Lau Chin-Dai, Matsui Tetsuya, and Hwang Jang-Lee. Magnificent Warriors was directed by David Chung Chi-Man, with Stephen Tung Wai, Fung Hak-On, and Benz Kong To-Hoi as action choreographers.

Don't let the smile fool you, Michelle Yeoh destroys fools in this movie with no mercy!

In Magnificent Warriors, Michelle Yeoh plays a happy go lucky biplane pilot and adventurer who gets hired by the Chinese government to help Special Agent 001 (played by Derek Yee) to smuggle Lord Youda (played by Lowell Lo Koon-Ting) out of the Japanese-occupied village of Kaal during the early years of World War II. When Yeoh gets there, she meets with a con man (played by Richard Ng) in a mix-up, believing he is Special Agent 001. Yeoh and Ng meet up with the real 001, and they plan to work together to smuggle Youda out. When they meet up with Youda, they find out the Japanese forces are planning to build a poison gas plant in the village, and they agree to stop them. Together, along with Lord Youda's girlfriend Chin Chin, (played by Cindy Lau Chin-Dai), they fight the Japanese forces to prevent the building of the plant and the takeover of the village.

The heroes: From left - Derek Yee, Michelle Yeoh, and Richard Ng.

Magnificent Warriors is one of the last movies Michelle Yeoh made before she got married to Dickson Poon (the co-founder of D & B Films, the company that produced Michelle Yeoh's movies up to that point, along with many other classics) and retired. Back then, it was common for an actress to retire after they got married. Michelle Yeoh really left on a high note! This movie is pretty good! I had never heard of this movie, so when I saw the DVD for it at Walmart back in the day, I didn't buy it. One of the biggest regrets of my Asian Cinema collecting journey. I finally got to see it, and I think this movie is a bit underrated (as I said before, I had never heard of this movie back then).

Michelle Yeoh plays her character with confidence, strength, and straight up joy. She even has some funny moments in this. You never doubt that Yeoh could take on an entire army by herself; she is shown to be totally capable of destroying her opponents with her martial arts skills. She just likes to have fun, as well. When she and her friends are surrounded by incoming Japanese soldiers, she blows them away with a mounted machine gun and a joyous smile on her face. What can I say, Michelle Yeoh rules in this! To me, her character is a mix of Indiana Jones (she even has a whip) and Asian Hawk (Jackie Chan's character in the Armor Of God movies).

Richard Ng is great in this as well. He is funny, as is expected. You even get to see him get injured in battle scenes, which is a bit surprising (I've never seen him get injured like that in a movie). Derek Yee is the serious Special Agent 001, and he goes by the book. Cindy Lau Chin-Dai surprised me the most in this movie. Even though her character is a bit of a ditz, she can really fight! Weird that she wasn't in that many movies, because she was good at acting and action.

If you are wondering why I'm not referring to the main characters' names, their names are revealed in a scene that I don't want to spoil. It's pretty surprising!

The fight scenes in Magnificent Warriors are wild and crazy!

The action in this movie is really good! Michelle Yeoh's character is quite powerful, as she often sends her opponents flying into walls and other solid objects with her kicks! She uses her whip to expertly dispatch her opponents. Her best fight scene in this movie is when they try to escape the village. Michelle Yeoh is taking on multiple opponents at once, using any weapon she can get her hands on, and using the surrounding structures to escape danger or to accentuate the power of the moves she is unleashing. That fight scene rules! Cindy Lau Chin-Dai's introductory scene is great as well. She just wrecks her opponents! The final battle is literally all out war. Michelle Yeoh has a short fight with the incredible Hwang Jang-Lee, and how she defeats him is pretty crazy! I do wish that fight scene was much longer.

I recommend watching Magnificent Warriors. Though the main complaint from other reviewers is that the plot is weak or shallow, I still think it's a good movie. It's interesting throughout, despite the lack of character depth. It is never boring, and the action scenes are awesome. I feel more people should know about this movie, and see this movie! Michelle Yeoh shows why she is the top female action star once again in this movie. Thank goodness she came out of retirement and returned to making awesome action movies!

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] Ballerina - Female John Wick

 It's Fight Scene Friday™! This week's scene is inspired by the John Wick movies. Vlad Rimburg directs, filmed, edited, and is fight coordinator/action designer for this short film concept. Shai Debroux stars in this, and she is awesome! Lots of cool, creative moves and stunts are in this. I think this would make a cool movie. If this is what the John Wick movies are like, then I really need to watch them as soon as possible! 

 

GREEN GHOST AND THE MASTERS OF THE STONE (2022) Trailer

 Here is the trailer for a superhero/martial arts comedy movie called, Green Ghost And The Masters Of The Stone, starring Danny Trejo, Marko Zaror, and Charlie Clark! This movie/trailer is shocking to me because Charlie Clark is a car dealer in my city! I see his billboard and TV ads all the time where I live, and now I find out he's in a movie? What the heck?!?

Here is the synopsis: In a Texas border town, car salesman Charlie moonlights as masked Lucha libre wrestler "Green Ghost." When assailants arrive seeking an otherworldly emerald, Charlie discovers that he has super powers that he must harness to save humanity.

And here is the synopsis from Charlie Clark himself: 

This is the untold story of the true Mayan Apocalypse that has been misinterpreted by scholars and was to have taken place on 12/21/12 - that was obviously wrong. A secret group of Mexican superheroes, known as El Trio de la Luz, are forced by destiny to include their adopted gringo into their group to join the fight to save humanity. Will the car salesman and local TV personality carry his weight and transform from the GRINGO into the GREEN GHOST? We shall see.. —Charlie Clark

 

I...I...need to to see this!

 

Royal Warriors (1986) - A Review

 

Royal Warriors is one of the greatest action movies ever made.

Royal Warriors is an action/martial arts movie released in Hong Kong in 1986, and stars Michelle Yeoh (known as Michelle Khan at this time), Hiroyuki Sanada, Michael Wong, Pai Ying, Michael Chan Wai-Man, Lam Wai, Kam Hing-Yin, and Kenneth Tsang Kong. This movie was directed by David Chung Chi-Man, with Mang Hoi as martial arts director. Royal Warriors is a movie in the 'Girls With Guns' and/or 'Bullet Ballet' subgenre of Hong Kong action movies, and is the second movie in the In The Line Of Duty series (after Yes, Madam!).

In Royal Warriors, Michelle Yeoh plays Michelle Yip, a Royal Hong Kong Police Force cop on vacation in Japan. Naturally, she stops some Yakuza members from murdering someone before going back to Hong Kong. On her flight, she meets Michael Wong (played by...Michael Wong), the plane's sky marshal, and Yamamoto, a Japanese cop with his wife and daughter. Also on this flight is a crime boss being extradited back to Hong Kong. The crime boss's partner frees him from police custody (by violently shooting them at point blank range) and attempts to hijack the plane. Michelle, Michael, and Yamamoto work together to stop that from happening in a thrilling fight. Both hijackers are fatally subdued, and Michelle, Michael, and Yamamoto arrive in Hong Kong to a heroes' welcome.

Michelle Yeoh is absolutely incredible in this movie!

The hijacking is all over the news, and there is a man who wants to get revenge on the hero cops. This man (played by Lam Wai) does the unthinkable, and things escalate from there. Yamamoto seeks vengeance, putting Michelle, Michael, and several innocent people in danger at a nightclub. After an incredible battle in the nightclub, vengeance is served. Yamamoto has to stay in the Japanese embassy until further notice, and Michelle is suspended. Michelle was beginning to piece together the reason why they were attacked before she was suspended. Michael (who has been trying to woo Michelle throughout the whole movie thus far) decides to solve the case himself after Michelle rejects him for not taking anything seriously after all the death that has happened. Michael finds out that there is one more man after them, but it is too late. Michelle and Yamamoto go to the final criminal's hideout to get justice for those who have died...

Hiroyuki Sanada is cool, yet filled with rage.

Royal Warriors is my favorite Michelle Yeoh movie, bar none. This movie is incredible. The action is off the charts! I feel like this movie is underrated. Not that many people talk about how great it is. The first time I heard of this movie was when my friends were telling me about it after they saw it on a local Mexican TV station across the border. They said they couldn't tell if it was an American or Hong Kong movie until they saw Hiroyuki Sanada's kicks in the airplane fight scene! I mean, American action scenes didn't have kicking (or choreography) like that back in the day! So yeah, the first time I saw this myself (which was years after my friends told me about it) was when I bought the DVD. It blew me away! The fight scenes, the action, the drama, the soundtrack; all perfection!

Michael Wong as...Michael Wong. Some find him annoying, I don't.

 In this movie, Michelle Yeoh is given center stage. She is the hero, and she rises to the occasion. She starts out smiling and happy for the most part, and as the story unfolds, her mood gets darker and darker. When she finally breaks, it is one of the best scenes in the movie. A reporter asks her what she's going to do, and she answers straight to the camera. She even reiterates her point! It's amazing to see a highly moral cop say what she says on national TV! Michelle Yeoh is incredible in this movie.

Hiroyuki Sanada (who you may know from The Last Samurai, Rush Hour 3, and Mortal Kombat 2021) is awesome as Yamamoto. His character goes through a lot! He is also a good cop who goes down a dark path. All he wanted was to take a different position at his job so he could be with his wife and daughter. There is a scene where he runs toward a car as it is about to explode. No stunt double, no special effects, real car exploding. Sanada is great in this. Michael Wong as...Michael Wong is quite the character. He is a bit too optimistic. He wants to be with Michelle so badly, that he's constantly buying her bundles of flowers. He is a bit immature, but he is a good guy. Trust me when I say, he really does love Michelle. Just to let you know, a lot of people hate not just this character, but Michael Wong himself. They say he is a bad actor. I don't know, he doesn't bother me at all in this movie.

The fight scenes in this movie are fast, intricate, and hard-hitting. The nightclub scene is a masterpiece.

The fight scenes in Royal Warriors rock! Mang Hoi absolutely killed it with the choreography in this! The first fight scene is Michelle Yeoh fighting off some Yakuza members carrying swords. Michelle uses a kendo stick at first, but eventually beats them with her bare fists and kicks! The fight scene in the airplane is next, and it is awesome! Michelle Yeoh and Hiroyuki Sanada take on Michael Chan in a thrilling fight. The choreography is so good in this one! It also has one brutal and creepy death in it! The car chase scene is great! They drive wildly through the streets of Hong Kong shooting at the escaping vehicle (who is also shooting back), ending up at a construction site. Later, Yamamoto goes to buy an illegal firearm and bullets on a ship, and a nice little fight scene occurs there. Then, there's the nightclub battle. The whole scene is set up nicely, showing the layout of the club, and the nice people there having a good time. Lam Wai shoots up the whole club with an uzi before Michelle and Yamamoto can finally fight him to the death, basically. A lot of glass is broken in this fight, with Michelle getting stabbed with a broken bottle! This fight rules, and I consider it one of the greatest action scenes ever filmed. It is intense. The final fight scene happens after Michelle shows up in a special armored vehicle that wrecks as much of the area as possible. Michelle has to fight off the final boss bare handed as he uses a chainsaw against her! We see Michelle use some powerful strikes against him, including a close up shot of her kicking the guy in the side of the head! I'm talking about full contact made, and in slow motion. Hong Kong movies in the 80s were wild, man!

Yes, I highly recommend you watch Royal Warriors. Michelle Yeoh absolutely kills it in this movie. She is just awesome in this. As said before, the story (though a bit basic), the action, the fighting, the drama, and the music are all excellent. Just because Michelle Yeoh is a woman doesn't mean that she can't believably kick butt. You will have no doubt that Michelle Yeoh is one of the greatest action stars ever after seeing this movie! I feel like this is one of the greatest action movies ever made, as well! WATCH IT!

The cover of the DVD I watched for this review. (I apologize for the quality of these pics, I can't seem to get good pics with my new phone yet.)

Back cover of the DVD.

The DVD disc. Pretty awesome!

Reviewed by David Williams

Yes, Madam! (1985) - A Review

 

The movie that started the 'Girls With Guns' genre in Hong Kong!

 

Yes, Madam! is an action/martial arts comedy film released in Hong Kong in 1985 (a big year in Hong Kong cinema). It stars Michelle Yeoh (known as Michelle Khan at this time), Cynthia Rothrock, John Shum, Mang Hoi, Tsui Hark (yes, the Tsui Hark), James Tien, Dick Wei, Chung Fat, and Melvin Wong. Yes, Madam! was directed by Corey Yuen, with the martial  arts directed also by Corey Yuen and Mang Hoi.

Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock about to show why they are the best.

In Yes, Madam!, Michelle Yeoh plays Senior Inspector Ng, a tough, no nonsense cop in the Royal Hong Kong Police force. At the start of the movie, Inspector Ng deals with a flasher and then an armored car theft. Later that night, an illicit deal is being made in a hotel room between a foreigner and a shady man named Willie (played by Dick Wei). The deal goes wrong, and Willie kills the foreigner. After Willie leaves, two thieves disguised as waitstaff, Aspirin (played by Mang Hoi) and Strepsil (played by John Shum) go into the room to steal the dead man's valuables, not knowing the man was just murdered.

That same night, Ng had plans to visit her friend that was vacationing in Hong Kong for the week. She arrives at the hotel room, and it is the same man that was murdered! She runs out of the room to search for the murderer, and suspects the murderer was someone disguised as a waiter or waitress. She asks for all waitstaff to stay where they are. This allows Willie to escape, right in front of her.

At the police station, Ng finds out her friend Richard Nornen was working undercover, and he had microfilm of documents that proved that happy-go-lucky business man Henry Tin (played by James Tien in one of his most obnoxious roles ever, you just want him to get arrested...or worse) was involved in illegal activities (Henry Tin is getting ready to launch distributing opium into his business plans). Of course, Aspirin and Strepsil unwittingly give the microfilm (hidden in an ID card) to their friend Panadol (played by Tsui Hark), who then sells it to a shady guy going out of town. The police learn of this and plan to catch the guy at the airport, and this is where Carrie Morris (played by Cynthia Rothrock) arrives to help with the case. 

From left: Chung Fat, James Tien, and Dick Wei as the dastardly villains.

Ng and Carrie (who is a detective working for Scotland Yard) don't get along too well at first; they are on the same page, they just have different ways of dealing with suspects. One thing leads to another, and Strepsil and Aspirin try to blackmail Henry Tin into paying them for the microfilm. Things go very bad, and Inspector Ng, Carrie Morris, and Strepsil, go to Tin's mansion to make a trade for the microfilm. As you can imagine, an epic fight ensues, and justice is served...just not in the way you would expect.

Yes, Madam! was the movie that started the 'Girls With Guns' trend in Hong Kong after it released. This movie was also Michelle Yeoh's and Cynthia Rothrock's first starring roles. This is a classic Hong Kong action movie that everyone should see. To think, this movie released one month before Jackie Chan's Police Story. Hong Kong was just swimming in classic action movies in 1985!

Even though Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock are the stars of the movie, a lot of the focus is on the three petty crooks (played by John Shum, Mang Hoi, and Tsui Hark). These three characters argue a lot, and they are mostly comedic. Mang Hoi did win Best Supporting Actor for his role as Aspirin in this movie, so people enjoyed what they saw of these characters. It is also amazing to see legendary movie director Tsui Hark in this movie! His portrayal of Panadol is quirky, funny, and weird. Conversely a lot of the more recent reviews find them annoying, but also mistakenly call this a buddy cop movie. Inspector Ng and Carrie Morris are colleagues in this movie, not buddies. Ng is a bit more calm and reasonable when dealing with suspects, while Carrie beats the crap out of them to get the info she needs! They are on the same page, but go about doing things in their own way. Also, a lot of reviewers say Rothrock gives a poor acting performance in this movie, but you have to understand; this was Cynthia Rothrock's first acting role ever, and it wasn't even in a language she knew how to speak. A lot of reviewers are also unsatisfied with the ending, but it is totally fitting. To talk about it, I would have to spoil it. 

Cynthia Rothrock showing a criminal how it's done! This movie has some incredible fights and stunts!

The action in Yes, Madam! is top notch! Corey Yuen and Mang Hoi outdid themselves with the choreography and stunts in this one! In Michelle Yeoh's introductory action scene, she has to chase after some armored truck thieves and get into a shoot out with them. She shows no fear as she stops the crooks in pretty brutal fashion. In Cynthia Rothrock's introductory scene, she fights off a criminal who tries to take her hostage, showing off her impressive kicks to boot. She shows she can handle herself in a tough situation. Yeoh and Rothrock fight Dick Wei in a restroom, and that is a hard-hitting fight. The choreography is on-point for this scene. The final fight takes place in a glass-filled mansion, and this is where everyone goes all out! Yeoh and Rothrock fight off henchmen first, and these henchmen take some of the most brutal, violent, and painful falls ever put on film! Then, Yeoh and Rothrock take on Henry Tin's enforcers (played by Dick Wei and Chung Fat). These fights are hard-hitting and intricate as well. Maybe a little too hard-hitting, as Dick Wei was not really holding back and injured Cynthia Rothrock in the filming of their fight scene (she went to the hospital and finished the scene anyway). This final fight scene has to be seen to be believed! One of the best fights in Hong Kong cinema, and Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock more than held their own in these fights.

Since Yes, Madam! is not only a classic Hong Kong action movie, but also a classic action movie in general, you have to see it. Yes, there is comedy in this otherwise serious movie, but that is just the Hong Kong style of the time. Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock show why they are the best female action stars ever, and why everyone else pales in comparison to them. It has an awesome end fight that must be seen. Watch this movie. NOW.

 

The DVD I watched for this review. I special ordered it from Tai Seng back in the day.

 

The back cover of the DVD case.

The DVD disc. It was tough to get a picture of this, as the disc is reflective. Just know that the title and Michelle Yeoh striking a tough pose is on the disc!

 

 

 

Reviewed by David Williams

Outlaw Brothers (1990) - A Review

 

Outlaw Brothers is a solid 90s Hong Kong action movie!

Outlaw Brothers is an action/martial arts comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1990. It stars Frankie Chan, Yukari Oshima, Max Mok, Michiko Nishiwaki, Michael Miu, Sheila Chan, Sharon Kwok, Mark Houghton, Vincent Lyn, and Jeffrey Falcon. Outlaw Brothers was directed by Frankie Chan; with Fung Hak-On,  Yuen Shun-Yi, and Cheng Chi-Ho as martial arts directors.

In Outlaw Brothers, Frankie Chan plays James, who along with his best friend Bond (played by Max Mok) steal expensive cars for their very rich boss. James and Bond live the high life with the money they get paid for stealing cars. Bond wants to marry his girlfriend (played by Sharon Kwok), but it seems James and her had a previous relationship. James also has a younger sister (played by Sheila Chan), whose boyfriend is in a criminal group and regularly physically abuses her.

The heroes: from left- Max Mok, Frankie Chan, and Yukari Oshima.

Trouble starts when Sergeant Tai Hwa Wang (played by Michael Miu) uses his superior officer's car to catch some car thieves in action. Unfortunately for him, James and Bond steal the car in a moment of distraction. Later on, a rival gang wants James and Bond to steal a car for them, which Bond is forced to agree to. James and Bond decide to 'steal' James' car and report it to the police so the gang will get arrested. This is where Detective Tequila (played by Yukari Oshima) comes into the picture. She sneaks into the garage full of stolen cars, beats everyone up, including the gang boss, and gets the car back.

When James goes to get his car, Tequila goes undercover to find out more about him and his line of work. James is immediately smitten by Tequila. They go on a car ride, flirt a little, dance a little, break into a house, fight off gang members, you know the usual. At first their relationship is very shaky, but as Tequila sees what a good man James is, she begins to soften her stance on him. Throughout this courtship, Wang is frustrated that his crush Tequila is interested in the suspicious James!

Eventually, James' sister reveals that she is pregnant, and that she doesn't want her boyfriend to participate in an upcoming race (involving criminals). She asks James to steal his race car so he can't race. James and Bond steal the car, but are caught red-handed by Tequila and the police squad. She lets them go, much to the frustration of Wang. James and Bond find a certain something hidden in the car's gas tank, and this stolen car is very important to Miego (played by Michiko Nishiwaki), a coked up crime boss who is the mortal enemy of Tequila. All of this leads to Tequila, James, and Bond confronting Miego and her criminal gang in a final battle!

Michiko Nishiwaki and Jeffrey Falcon have a serious conversation while Sheila Chan enjoys the heck out of her champagne.

Outlaw Brothers is a somewhat underrated 90s martial arts action movie. The fighting is really good in this, but a lot of people don't really like the plot or the comedy. I'm okay with it. The comedy is decent. There are some funny lines said between James and Tequila during their first meeting. Some good physical comedy as well. The incredible Sheila Chan is in this, but she doesn't play a comedic character. Her character is actually quite tragic. There is one funny scene with her, though the scene is supposed to be serious. There are some messed up jokes in this about AIDS (City Hunter also had a horrible AIDS joke, but it has been 'translated' into something else in the most recent releases), and this movie shows real chickens getting needlessly killed... so this movie may not be for everyone.

Frankie Chan plays James as a goodhearted, humble, elegant thief. He's a criminal, but you can't help but like him. Yukari Oshima plays a tough, no nonsense cop as Tequila, who begins to soften a little as she gets to know James better. I will say, it is nice to see her play a hero. The movies I've seen her in, she usually plays a villain or a more neutral character. Yukari Oshima is awesome in Outlaw Brothers! Michiko Nishiwaki plays the main villain Miego, and man is she ruthless. It is disconcerting seeing her snort cocaine as well. Michiko is great in this, though! Michael Miu as Wang is hilarious as the jealous partner of Tequila. That guy just never wins in this movie!

Yukari Oshima is a fighting machine in this movie. This is one woman you do not want to mess with!

What this movie may supposedly lacks in an original story, it makes up for in awesome fight scenes! Frankie Chan and, especially, Yukari Oshima really get to show off their skills in this one! At the beginning of the movie, Frankie Chan has to fight off a bunch of security guards in a parking garage, and ends up using a broom to hold them off! Frankie even gets to fight the head security guard, played by the legendary Fung Hak-On. Yukari Oshima's introductory scene has her sneaking into a garage that houses stolen cars, and a bunch of thugs as well. Yukari proceeds to destroy those thugs with no remorse, causing damage to the stolen cars in the process! She kicks the boss through a window, and he lands on a car a level below. That guy had what was coming to him, though. The final fight scene has the best fights, with Frankie Chan & Yukari Oshima facing off against Mark Houghton, Jeffrey Falcon, Vincent Lyn, and others in a storage facility. These fights are hard-hitting, fast, and intricate. It is also cool to see traditional kung fu styles used in the fight scenes. Good stuff, and Jackie Chan had a hand in some of the choreography in it.

So, should you see Outlaw Brothers? I would say yes if you love Hong Kong style action. Once again, there is a cruel joke and needless animal cruelty in this, so you may want to avoid. Overall, Frankie Chan did a good job with this movie. He really let Yukari Oshima shine as the butt kicker she truly is. It is really unfortunate she never became a huge star on the level of Michelle Yeoh or Cynthia Rothrock, because she had the skills and the screen presence. Watch this movie for the fights and for Yukari Oshima!

Cover of the DVD I watched for this review. That is not an accurate representation of what Yukari Oshima looks like in this movie (or in general)!

Back cover of the Dragon Dynasty DVD release of Outlaw Brothers.

The DVD disc art. Pretty cool, eh?

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] "Dragon Lady" | Drunken Kung Fu vs Karate | Old School Kung Fu Movie Homage | Drunken Fist

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene comes from Vlad Rimburg and his crew! PeiPei Yuan stars as the kung fu master, and Brendon Huor stars as the karate master. Vlad Rimburg directed, filmed, and edited this short film. This scene shows the power of kung fu when done by a true master, and PeiPei Yuan kills it in this! It's a cool scene, so check it out!

 

Madam City Hunter (1993) - A Review

 

Madam City Hunter is a mix of silly comedy and bloody action as only Hong Kong can do!

Madam City Hunter is a comedic action/martial arts movie released in Hong Kong in 1993. It is in the 'Girls With Guns' or 'Bullet Ballet' genre of Hong Kong action movies. It stars Cynthia Khan, Anthony Wong, Sheila Chan, Kara Hui, Bowie Wu Fung, and Tommy Wong Kwong-Leung. Madam City Hunter was directed by  Johnnie Kong Yeuk-Sing, with action directed by Yuen Cheung-Yan.

In Madam City Hunter, Cynthia Khan plays Ching, a tough, no nonsense cop who gets called in to help during a shoot out between the cops and gang members. She sneaks in, blasts the thugs away with her assault rifle, and fights one of the leaders of the Five Fingers gang, killing him in the process. Later on, Charlie Chan (played by Anthony Wong) finds an underage girl with her adult...lover (I guess), and gets into a physical scuffle with him. Ching coincidentally arrives on the scene and beats the pedophile up and arrests him. The next day, Charlie Chan's assistant (played by Sheila Chan) is incredibly rude to him and to the teenage girl's grandmother who comes to their home to thank him.

Ching goes to check on the teenage girl, who is huffing glue with her friends in an apartment. The male druggies attack Ching and plan to rape her, but instead put her in the trunk of a car (yes, there is a car in the apartment). A mysterious man barges in and murders everyone in the room with Ching's gun, with Ching safe in the car trunk. After Ching escapes the car and sees everyone dead, she goes to the police station where she is suspended until the teenage girl recovers (she was the only one who didn't die) and can corroborate Ching's story of what really happened.

While suspended, Ching deals with her father (played by Bowie Wu) and his overly seductive, younger wife Siu-Hung (played by Kara Hui). Ching believes Siu-Hung is planning on murdering her father for his money. Charlie Chan gets hired by Ching's superior officer, Officer Kwong (played by Tommy Wong Kwong-Leung) to keep her safe, but also to investigate the case against Ching. Officer Kwong has a huge crush on Ching, by the way. Charlie Chan's assistant. Blackie (played by Sheila Chan) eventually gets involved in the investigation as well. It is found out that Ching is being targeted by the Five Fingers gang for killing one of their leaders! These two seemingly unconnected plots eventually intertwine, and Ching must take down the leader of the Five Fingers gang, with a little help from her new friends.

Cynthia Khan is really good in this movie. She is an underrated action star.

Madam City Hunter is a silly comedy for the most part. Don't get me wrong, there are some cool fight scenes and gun battles, but the majority of the movie is comedic shenanigans. This movie has nothing to do with the City Hunter manga, anime, or Jackie Chan movie, by the way. The only reason I think it's called Madam City Hunter is because of the zany comedy (like in the Jackie Chan movie) and the fact that there is a private investigator and his young, immature assistant involved in the plot. Nevertheless, this movie is pretty entertaining. Cynthia Khan gets to play a more fully developed character in this. She isn't just a butt-kicking cop; she is dealing with her suspension by getting drunk, dealing with her superior officer's crush on her, and dealing with her father's relationship with his young wife. She's got a lot going on in her life! It is really great seeing Cynthia Khan in a comedy as well (even though she is mostly the straight woman in this).

From left: Kara Hui, Cynthia Khan, Tommy Wong Kwong-Leung, and Sheila Chan.

This movie has a great cast as well! Anthony Wong as the private investigator Charlie Chan is fun to watch. Not going to lie, it was kind of weird for me to see Anthony Wong play such a comedic character, after seeing him play more disturbed characters in other movies. He's cool in this. He even has some fight scenes as well! Another surprising performance is Kara Hui as Siu-Hung, the young wife of Ching's father. I am used to seeing her play strong, elegant martial artists, but in this she plays a seductive minx. We are introduced to her doing a flirtatious dance for her husband (it's not that sexual, it's more funny because of the husband's reactions to it). Kara Hui is mainly dressed in a maid's outfit or in a silk bathrobe through out the movie as well. She does have a fight scene in this, too! Then there is Sheila Chan as Blackie, Charlie's young assistant. She is hilarious in this movie! Sheila is really good at playing greedy, desperate-for-money characters. She has great facial expressions as well. After watching this movie, I've decided she is one of my all-time favorite comedic actors. She is just funny!

Cynthia Khan kicks major butt in Madam City Hunter!

The action is pretty good in this, not the greatest you'll ever see, though. The first action scene, which is Ching's introduction, is nice. She storms the bad guys' hideout, blasts them all way with an assault rifle, then goes after the Five Fingers gang member on the roof. Good fight, Cynthia Khan gets to show off a bit here. There are many smaller fights throughout the movie as well. Kara Hui gets to fight some thugs, and she shows that she is not one to be messed with! Kara Hui is an awesome martial arts actress. The final fight scene is Cynthia Khan fighting the Five Fingers gang leader on bamboo scaffolding on the side of a building! Really acrobatic stuff here, and you see her do two versions of a Liu Kang-like bicycle kick in the final fight scene; one flying across the room, and one going down the scaffolding. What else can I say? Cynthia Khan is awesome! Truthfully, there isn't that much action, but what is there, is good!

Should you watch Madam City Hunter? I say give it a shot. The action is good, not great. The story is really two different plots that connect at the end. It is mainly a comedy, leaning toward more romantic/relationship comedy. It gets pretty violent in places. This is considered one of Cynthia Khan's better movies, but it is average at best. The main reasons to watch this movie are for Cynthia Khan, Anthony Wong, Kara Hui, and especially Sheila Chan. Check it out!

One last shot of the incredible Sheila Chan! *swoons*

 

Reviewed by David Williams

Killer Angels (1989) - A Review

 

Killer Angels is a really good 'Girls With Guns' movie!

Killer Angels (also known as Ultra Force) is a Hong Kong martial arts/action movie released in 1989. Killer Angels is usually categorized as a 'Girls With Guns' or 'Bullet Ballet' movie that became popular in Hong Kong in the mid 80s to the mid 90s. It stars Moon Lee, Kingdom Yuen King-Tan, Yuen Hung, Takajo Fujimi, Lau Siu-Kwan, Gordon Liu, Leung Kar-yan, and Mark Houghton. The movie was directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku, with action directed by Chui Fat.

Bow down to Moon Lee, an incredible action star.

In Killer Angels, Moon Lee plays Yau Li, a member of the Blue Angels (an elite group hired by the police for special cases). She and her partner, Rose (played by Kingdom Yuen King-Tan) are hired to protect a former Triad member Jacky Chan (played by Lau Siu-Kwan), who claims to have a list of names of members of the Shadow Gangsters Triad he just left. Yau Li also goes undercover at a nightclub to find evidence that the boss of the nightclub (played by Leung Kar-yan) is actually the boss of the Shadow Gangsters. While working there, the boss's enforcer Michael (played by Gordon Liu) seems to have feelings for Yau Li. The boss's daughter (played by Takajo Fujimi) is incredibly interested in Michael, so she naturally hates Yau Li's guts!

While undercover Yau Li finds out that the female workers at the nightclub are being sent overseas for prostitution. A new member of the Blue Angels joins them in the safehouse later on. Amy (played by Yuen Hung) has a tragic past, and she wants to kill Jacky Chan! Eventually, secrets on both sides come out, people die for them, and Yau Li is determined to bring in the Shadow Gangsters' boss!

Takajo Fujimi is fierce in her role as the boss's daughter!

Killer Angels is a cult classic 'Girls with Guns' movie. This one may not be as well known and regarded as Yes, Madam! or Iron Angels, but it's still really good! I watched the English dub of this, so what I wrote in the plot summary may not be totally accurate to the original Cantonese version, but it is an interesting movie that is never boring. Moon Lee is the unflappable heroine, doing what must be done to stop the criminals. She is awesome in this. Not only does she get to show off her fighting skills, but also her singing and dancing skills as well. A lot of people like this aspect of the movie! Gordon Liu plays a villain in this, but he's a villain with a heart. It is a bit unclear whether he is in love with Moon Lee's character, or if he's just protective of her. Gordon Liu doesn't fight at all in this, but he uses his huge gun a lot! Yuen Hung is amazing in this as well. Her backstory is tragic, and her rage is understandable. She is a top-notch fighter! Takajo Fujimi as the boss's daughter is ferocious! She absolutely hates Moon Lee's character! She shows no mercy to anyone! She's awesome. Finally, Leung Kar-yan as the nightclub boss/suspected Shadow Gangsters boss, is actually pretty similar to the final boss Yuen Wah plays in Dragons Forever. Same huge glasses, business suit, and cigar. He's great in this movie. He is not obviously evil...until he is.

And yes, it is weird that the guy the Blue Angels are protecting is named Jacky Chan. This guy is constantly trying to get with the females in the safehouse, and in one instance Rose has to kick his butt to get him to stop! I do wonder if naming him Jacky was some kind of inside joke that we aren't aware of....

A nice little reminder among all the death and chaos going on in this scene!

The action in Killer Angels is really good! I will say, the fight scenes are actually pretty short, but they have great choreography. Moon Lee's fight against some henchmen in a shipping port is really good. She does some graceful, yet powerful moves in that one. Moon Lee vs. Yuen Hung is great as well. They fight all over the safehouse, with Moon Lee just trying to stop Hung from killing Jacky. Yuen Hung does some awesome kicks and acrobatics, and one awesome move is a jumping double side kick that Moon Lee blocks perfectly. Moon Lee fights Mark Houghton in a good one as well. Mark Houghton shows of his skills well! The final fight is between Moon Lee and Yuen Kar-yan, and it is acrobatic and hard-hitting. They are going all over the place in that fight! Really good fight, but ends faster than you'd like.

Killer Angels is a good movie! Or at least, it's a good movie if you love action, gunplay, martial arts, explosions, and women who kick butt. I highly recommend it if you're into those things. There are a lot of gun fights, martial arts fights, explosions, car chases, and betrayals to last you a good long while. If you couldn't tell, I really like this movie. Check it out! Moon Lee is incredible, and more people need to see her in action.

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] Mickey Facchinello vs. Brendon Huor - WHEELS ON MEALS | FIGHT SCENE PRACTICE | JACKIE CHAN (2014)

 This week's Fight Scene Friday™ is a shot for shot remake of the classic final fight scene from Wheels on Meals (also known as Spartan X in Japan). This is from the Lazy Brown Productions crew, with Emmanuel Manzanares directing. Brendon Huor (wearing black) plays Jackie Chan's character 'Thomas', and Mickey Facchinello (wearing white) plays Benny 'The Jet' Urquidez.

The final fight scene in Wheels on Meals is considered one of the best fight scenes ever filmed (which I totally agree with), so it is cool to see LBP's take on it. There are some changes to the choreography, but the fight still flows well. It is great that they used the music from the original English/international dub, as that music is just awesome. I actually prefer the original English dub to the original Cantonese dub, as the music is so much cooler and makes the movie even more exciting. Anyways, check this fight scene out, and if you like it, check out the movie!

This is an age restricted video for some reason. There is nothing graphically violent or sexual in this, so...weird restriction to have. 

(Here is the link if you have trouble playing it from here:

https://youtu.be/UUDJ_Flk04s )

 

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection Announcement Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Konami's Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Cowabunga Collection coming out for the PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch and PC Steam later this year! When I saw this trailer last night, I fainted. Yes, I lost consciousness! It's what I've been wanting for years! You don't know how bad I've been wanting to play TMNT 3: The Manhattan Project (my all-time favorite Ninja Turtles game) and the Super Nintendo version of TMNT: Tournament Fighters again! I am definitely getting this when it comes out later this year!

Here are the games in the collection:

• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Turtles in Time (Arcade)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: The Manhattan Project (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (NES)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Super Nintendo)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Hyperstone Heist (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tournament Fighters (Sega Genesis)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Fall of The Foot Clan (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: Back From The Sewers (Game Boy)
• Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III: Radical Rescue (Game Boy)

 

Check out the official announcement from KONAMI!

Enforcer (执法人) 2022 - Movie Trailer

 Check out the trailer for Enforcer, coming out later this year! I can't find any information on this movie, unfortunately. Whatever the story is, we can see that the action is going to rock in this! Can't wait to see this one!

This trailer has English subtitles, too!

 

The Fate Of Lee Khan (1973) - A Review

 

The Fate Of Lee Khan is an artistic wuxia film.

The Fate Of Lee Khan is a Hong Kong wuxia movie released in 1973, and stars Li Li-hua, Ying Bai, Tien Feng, Angela Mao Ying, Hsu Feng, Roy Chiao, Wei Ping-Ao, and Han Ying-chieh. The legendary King Hu directed the movie, with Sammo Hung as martial arts director.

These women kick so much butt!

In The Fate Of Lee Khan, Li Li-hua plays Wan Jen-Mi, the innkeeper of the Spring Inn in the Shaanxi province of China. She is anxiously awaiting the arrival of the Mongol General Lee Khan (played by Tien Feng) and his crew; his sister Lee Wan-erh (played by Hsu Feng) and his second in command, Tsao Yu-kun (played by Roy Chiao). Lee Khan is traveling to the Spring Inn to get a map that reveals the location of the Chinese rebel forces that were stolen. Wan Jen-Mi has four women (Angela Mao plays one of them named Hai Mu-tan) who serve as waitresses at the inn, and they put up with a lot of unruly customers.

Three customers are particularly noteworthy: Wang Shih Cheng (played by Ying Bai) is the most civil, polite, and generous customer there. Wen Mei-Chi (played by Wei Ping-Ao) is a rude, drunk, and horny old man constantly grabbing at the waitresses. Sha Yuan Shan (played by Han Ying-chieh) is an incredibly rude traveling musician. As you can guess, almost every person in the inn is not who they say they are...

Lee Khan (in the middle) and his sister are quite the intelligent villains.

The Fate Of Lee Khan is a classic King Hu film. King Hu is a well respected Hong Kong movie director, writer, and actor who gets compared to Akira Kurosawa. You can see in this movie how talented he is. The acting is really good! Very realistic, subtle performances. The cinematography is excellent as well. Even though most of the movie takes place in the inn, the way it is shot and all the colors on display never make it boring. The scenes shot outside are great as well, the final battle takes place on a beautiful mountain side. The story (which was written by King Hu and Chung Wang) is very interesting. It held my attention the whole time, and there are no superfluous scenes. This movie is really good!

I will admit, back in the day, I always avoided renting this movie at the local video rental store. Looking at the cover and reading the description, I thought it was going to be an old-fashioned boring movie. Decades later, I find out I was wrong! It is old-fashioned in some respects, but in a good way.

Angela Mao showing who's boss at the inn!

Admittedly, there is not that much action in this movie. What action there is, is pretty decent. The legendary Sammo Hung choreographed the fighting in this movie. Since this is a wuxia film (think Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon), all of the fights involve swords or other weapons. The characters don't fly around like in many other wuxia movies, but they do jump a lot, and they jump two stories and above with ease! It is cool to see them do those jumps without wires as well (trampolines were used).

This movie was made early in Sammo's choreography career, so it isn't what you would think of as Sammo Hung-style fights. There are some trademark hard hits in the final fight scene, though! Angela Mao (she played Bruce Lee's sister in Enter The Dragon) gets to strut her stuff in this movie, especially in the finale. Hsu Feng as Lee Khan's sister is especially vicious in her fight scenes (as well as in her character). The fights aren't intricately choreographed, but they are still fun to watch. It is cool to see early Sammo choreography, and how much he evolved in such a short time.

In conclusion, The Fate Of Lee Khan is an interesting, compelling movie. I do recommend it, heartily! Just be warned that it is not full of action, it is a movie filled with tension. The action is good, but it is not the modern Hong Kong style we all know and love. Watch this movie to see what King Hu is all about!

Reviewed by David Williams

《边缘行者》/ Man on the Edge 首支预告（任贤齐 / 任达华 / 方中信 / 谭耀文）【预告片先知 - Official Movie Trailer

 Here is the trailer for Man On The Edge, starring Richie Jen, Simon Yam, Sammo Hung, Danny Chan Kwok Kwan, Alex Fong, Karena Lam, Patrick Tam, and Jerry Lamb. It is directed by Sam Wong Ming-Sing and the film is an action/mystery/thriller. Here is the synopsis:

Lok is  a Hong Kong undercover policeman, who struggles in the conspiracy between gangs and the police in order to investigate the truth of gangs’ drug trafficking.

With Sammo Hung and Simon Yam in this, you know I'm watching it! Man On The Edge comes out April 15, 2022! The trailer has no subtitles unfortunately, so enjoy the sights and sounds!

 

[Fight Scene Friday] - Mulan: An East Side Story [Gangster Reboot]

 It's Fight Scene Friday™! This week's scene is a short film done by the Team Red Pro crew called Mulan: An East Side Story! This is their version of Mulan, set in the modern day. Not going to lie, I would watch the heck out of this, if it was a series or a movie! This short was directed by Joseph Le, and it stars Jackie Kim (as Mulan), Leroy Nguyen (as Lefty/the big boss), Travis Davis (as Jackson/Righty), and Smitty Chai (as Smitty).

When I first saw this, I was blown away that Leroy Nguyen was in this! I was even more surprised to hear and see him singing! I am a huge fan of his fight scenes, so it was a pleasant surprise! Jackie Kim as Mulan is so cool, and I hope she is in more action film roles in the future. She is an awesome kicker! Without further ado, check out the video!

 Here are the bloopers/behind the scenes if you want to see how much went into the making of this!