In The Line Of Duty 3 (1988) - A Review

 

Cynthia Khan busts onto the Hong Kong movie scene with In The Line Of Duty 3.

In The Line Of Duty 3 (also known as Yes Madam 2, Force Of The Dragon, and  In the Line of Duty - Part 3) is a martial arts crime comedy movie released in Hong Kong in 1988 and stars Cynthia Khan, Fujioka Hiroshi, Nishiwaki Michiko, Stuart Ong, Paul Chun Pui, Dick Wei, Sandra Ng Kwun-Yu, Benny Law Ching-Ho, and Yueh Hua. Brandy Yuen and Arthur Wong directed the movie, with martial arts directed by Chris Lee Kin-Sang, Tony Leung Siu-Hung, Brandy Yuen, Yuen Cheung-Yan, and Yuen Yat-Choh. In The Line Of Duty 3 was Cynthia Khan's debut film.

Fujioka Hiroshi (left) as Hiroshi Fujioka and Cynthia Khan as Madam Yeung, our two heroes.

In In The Line Of Duty 3, Cynthia Khan plays Yeung Lai-Ching, a young cop who has been promoted to her uncle Insp. Cameron Chuen's (played by Paul Chun Pui) squad in the Hong Kong police force. Being her uncle, Insp. Chuen doesn't want Madam Yeung to get involved in dangerous police cases. Eventually, a major case comes in, and Madam Yeung gets thrust into the action.

The case they are working on involves two Red Army terrorists (played by Nishiwaki Michiko and Stuart Ong) who steal jewels at a fashion show in Japan, and brutally kill people in the process. Interpol agent Hiroshi Fujioka (played by Fujioka Hiroshi, yes, the first Kamen Rider) and his young partner are there and chase the terrorists. Unfortunately, the terrorists kill Fujioka's partner and get away. Fujioka vows to find the terrorists and kill them in revenge for his partner. The terrorists go to Hong Kong to sell the jewels to get money for a cache of weapons. After finding out the jewels are fake, the terrorists go on a search for the fashion designer they stole the jewels from to kill him. Fujioka follows them to Hong Kong, and Madam Yeung is assigned to keep him out of trouble. As you can imagine, Fujioka cannot be stopped in his quest for vengeance, and Madam Yeung gets thrust into the middle of this conflict. Things go from bad to worse, and Madam Yeung has to deal with the terrorists on her own terms...

Nishiwaki Michiko (left) and Stuart Ong as the Red Army terrorists. Yes, things get kinky during this scene...

After Michelle Khan (Michelle Yeoh) got married and retired from acting, D&B films wanted to continue the successful In The Line Of Duty franchise with a new actress. They chose Cynthia Khan (real name Yang Li-tsing, her name is a combination of Cynthia Rothrock and Michelle Khan's, two of the most successful female action stars at that time) to star in In The Line Of Duty 3, and they really did everything they could to make her a credible action star. Their efforts were successful, as Cynthia Khan showed she can live up to her namesakes, and bring something all her own to the role.

As Madam Yeung, Cynthia is shown as being very smart, strong, brave, and physically capable and skilled to take on any violent crime. Throughout the movie, the stakes are raised higher and higher, and Cynthia rises to the occasion every time. She is determined to catch the bad guys no matter what. On the other hand, Nishiwaki Michiko (you may remember her as the muscular woman in My Lucky Stars, 1985) who plays one of the terrorists, is absolutely ruthless! She is relentless in her vengeance, and is a very tough foe for Cynthia. Her character is very... sensual in a way (you have to see the movie to see what I'm talking about). Similarly,  Fujioka Hiroshi, the Japanese Interpol agent, is driven by revenge as well. His role is actually similar to Hiroyuki Sanada's role in Royal Warriors (1986). He does everything he can to avenge the death of his partner, but it causes more problems for Cynthia and the Hong Kong police force.

The tone of the movie is mixed; it is mostly a comedy, but things get violent and gritty as well. On the comedy side, we have a few cameos from the My Lucky Stars cast. Richard Ng and Eric Tsang seem  straight up to be playing their characters from My Lucky Stars. The relationship between Madam Yeung, her uncle the Inspector, and his squad is comical. On the other hand, the terrorists are violent and vicious. There are violent shoot-outs, massive explosions, and gritty fights. There is nothing funny going on involving them. Hey, it's an 80s Hong Kong action movie! This is to be expected, and I would not have it any other way!

Cynthia Khan kicks major butt in this movie!

The action in In The Line Of Duty 3 is hard-hitting. Cynthia Khan shows off her fighting skills well in this, and she gets put through the wringer. Not only does she have to fight Nishiwaki Michiko, but she has to fight the ferocious Dick Wei at the same time! This is a great fight, and shows Madam Yeung's intelligence as well. She has to use her wits as well as her brawn to defeat them and survive. Fujioka Hiroshi and Stuart Ong have a gritty fight to the death that isn't so much about martial arts skill, but about doing any thing they can to maim and kill each other. It's an amazing fight that will have you on the edge of you seat! The choreography is very good; it's fast, fluid, and impactful. 

In conclusion, I highly recommend watching In The Line Of Duty 3! It may not be as good as its predecessors, Yes, Madam! or Royal Warriors, but it is good in its own way. It has comedy, cameos, emotion, and awesome action. Really, the action is the main reason to watch this, as is Cynthia Khan, who makes her film debut in smashing fashion. Cynthia has gone on to star in more action classics through the years, and she should get the respect she deserves as an action star.

Here is the original export trailer:

Reviewed by David Williams

Devil Hunters (1989) - A Review

 

Classic, yet infamous, girls with guns movie.

Devil Hunters (also known as Ultra Force 2, Red Force 3, and Megaforce 2) is an action/crime/girls with guns movie released in Hong Kong in 1989 and stars Sibelle Hu, Moon Lee, Ray Lui, Michael Chan, Alex Man, Ken Lo, Francis Ng Chun-yu, and Wong Wai. It was directed by Tony Lou Chun-Ku, with action directed by Chui Fat and action choreographed by Lung Sang. Devil Hunters is most famous for the botched stunt that occurs at the end of the movie.

Sibelle Hu (left) and Moon Lee gearing up to kick butt!

In Devil Hunters, Superintendent Tsang (played by Alex Man) is leading his team in trying to arrest Hon San (played by Wong Wai), a Triad boss. He has his best officer on the case, Tong Fung (played by Sibelle Hu). Unbeknownst to them, Chun Bing (played by Moon Lee) is also tracking down Hon San. Chun Bing ruins the police's big ambush, allowing Hon San to escape. During this, Chai Yuet (played by Ray Lui), the son of a rival Triad boss, helps his father escape. Hon San believes this rival Triad boss was in on the police ambush, so he sends his right hand man Chiu Sing (played by Francis Ng) to assassinate the boss (which happens right in front of Chai Yuet).  

Chun Bing tries to work with Chai Yuet; she wants Chai to bring her Hon San alive, but he refuses. She then tries to work with Tong Fung and the police, but things go wrong, and a beloved officer is killed during an incident with Hon San's gang. Tong Fung is now determined to get Hon San. Eventually, Chun Bing gets Hon San, and she works with Yin Fu (played Michael Chan), one of Hon San's loyal gang members, to get him to the Philippines. Things go wrong, secrets are revealed, and Tong Fung, Chun Bing, and Chai Yuet have to work together to capture the big man responsible for everything...

Ray Lui kicks some serious butt in this!

I first heard of Devil Hunters on an Asian cinema message board in the early 2000s in a topic about the most dangerous stunts/the most serious injuries in Hong Kong cinema. Reading about what happened was pretty shocking. I kept that movie in mind for years, until I finally was able to watch it on Hulu of all places (back when Hulu was free). Finally seeing the actual stunt play out, it was way worse than described in that message board thread! Basically, the three main characters (Moon Lee, Sibelle Hu, and Ray Lui) are supposed to jump out of a second story window as an explosion goes off behind them. Unfortunately, too much gun powder was used, and the explosion goes off a bit early, causing the flames of the explosion to engulf the actors, mainly Moon Lee and Sibelle Hu. Because Sibelle Hu seemed hesitant to do the stunt (she is not ready to jump when the others start their jump), she got the worst injuries. You can see in the movie that she is totally engulfed in the flames as she plummets to the ground. It's brutal. You would think maybe the producers and director would do something different for the ending and not use the botched stunt in the movie, but no. The stunt footage is used at the end, and it is shown from multiple angles! A message is shown at the end of the movie acknowledging the botched stunt and commending and wishing the actors well. The end credits show all the newspaper stories covering the accident. All three actors suffered third degree burns and were hospitalized.

To me, it seems the accident affected the plot of the movie in some ways. Since the action and stunts are usually filmed first, and then the acting scenes are filmed later, the three main actors may not have been available for their scenes (since they were recovering from the accident). As a result, Sibelle Hu disappears during the middle of the film, Moon Lee is not involved in a lot of action until the end, and close ups of Moon Lee and Sibelle Hu seem to be filmed at different locations than the ones the scenes they are in are taking place. Ray Lui (who jumped first and seemed to be the least injured) has the most screen time of the three. Michael Chan also gets his own action scene, to perhaps make up for the lack of Moon Lee and Sibelle Hu action at the end.

The infamous stunt. Sibelle Hu is in the middle.

 Despite all this, the movie is pretty good! The plot may be a little convoluted, but it is interesting throughout. Let's just say, what's going on with the villains is not all what it seems. The acting is very good, with Michael Chan putting in a surprising performance as a family man (if you know the types of roles he is known for, this role is a surprise). Francis Ng is a complete bastard in this movie as well.

The action is excellent in Devil Hunters. The fight scenes are fast, hard-hitting, and creative. Moon Lee is amazing, as always. Ray Lui surprised me with his skills, he's really good! Ray Lui and Ken Lo have a brutal fight at the end. The final fight is great as well, with Moon Lee, Sibelle Hu, and Ray Lui teaming up to take out the final boss. There are a lot of gun battles as well. Lots of explosions, too. This movie has it all in the action department.

So, should you watch Devil Hunters? I say yes. Despite the controversial botched stunt, the movie is good, the action is top notch, and the music rocks too. This is an excellent example of the girls with guns film genre. Devil Hunters is the best and the worst of the girls with guns genre, as well: Awesome action done by awesome actresses, but conversely, the exploitive actions of the producers of the movie using the accident to hype up the movie is lamentable. Watch Devil Hunters and show respect to Sibelle Hu, Moon Lee, and Ray Lui; three actors who almost gave their lives for the entertainment of the audience.

Reviewed by David Williams

[Fight Scene Friday] WARLIKE - Action Short Film

 It's Fight Scene Friday™, and this week's scene is from BIGFILMS! It stars Aurélia Agel, and is directed by Teddy Masson, with fight choreography by Jérôme Gaspard. This is a cool mix of fighting and gunplay. Check it out!

 

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! 

 

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

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