Hank Okazaki's HK "Girls with Guns" list
yuk...@rain.org
-- A List by Hank Okazaki (Yuk...@Rain.Org)
Hello again, everyone! The following is an extract from
my HK Movies database, covering all the movies that I
have deemed to fit into the "Girls with Guns" genre.
These movies have modern-day urban settings, and tend to
be about cops, gangsters, assassins, drug-runners and
gun-runners - at least some of whom are ultra-cool,
super-tough women who are equally proficient in theur
use of guns and martial arts.
They also quite often (but not always) tend to feature
at least one of the following actresses: Michelle Yeoh /
Khan, Cynthia Khan, Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Sibelle Hu,
Michiko Nishiwaki, Cynthia Rothrock, Carrie Ng,
Bridgette Lin Ching Hsia, Kara Hui Ying Hung, Anita
Mui, Joyce Godenzi,Jade Leung... (The list goes on, and
will continue to grow, with any luck!)
As this list only covers movies I have seen or which I
have immediate access to - meaning that I know this is
not a complete list, and I could come up with several
more titles if I wanted to - I am always interested in
receieving recommendations, reviews, or offers to trade
regarding movies which are not on this list. (Also,
there are undoubtedly factual errors or missing data in
the entries on this list,and corrections and/or
additions are equally welcomed.)
Hope this will prove to be of some interest!
Hank
The List Begins:
*** HANK OKAZAKI'S "GIRLS W/ GUNS" HK MOVIE LIST ***
[2/15/95]
======================================================
Angel (Iron Angels), d. Raymond Leung and Teresa Woo,
Hong Kong, 1986, in English (dubbed), with no subtitles.
Cast: Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima.
Somewhat disappointing. Not enough fight scenes,
and they aren't long enough when they occur. The final
fight between Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima is good,
though.
Angel 2 (Iron Angels 2), d. Teresa Woo and Raymond
Leung, Hong Kong, 1988, 90m, in English (dubbed), with
no subtitles, p. Teresa Woo and Raymond Leung. Cast:
Moon Lee, Alex Wong and Elaine Lui.
Moon Lee and her partners (one male, one female)
are the "Angels," and they're on vacation in Malaysia
(Kuala Lumpur) when they find out that a school-chum of
the male Angel is now a gun-runner plotting a revolution
in Malaysia with his private army. The Angels decide to
stop him.
Angel 3 (aka Iron Angels 3), d. Stanley Tong, Hong Kong,
1989, in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Moon
Lee, Alex Fong, Ralph Chen and Kharina Isa.
Angel Hunter, d. Sun Chung, Hong Kong, 1991, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles, w. Raymond Cheung.
Cast: Vivian Chow, Anthony Wong, Law Ching Wong, Carrie
Ng and Ng Man Tat.
Satanic Cult recruits schoolgirls, and then bad
things happen to them. Police decide to investigate.
Stars pop star Vivian Chow, in a rare acting
paerformance.
Angel Mission (aka "Angels Project"??), Hong Kong, in
Mandarin, with English subtitles. Cast: Sibelle Hu and
Moon Lee.
Pretty good. Not "grade A" Moon Lee, but she and
Sibelle are charming, as is "the Dwarf" - an undercover
cop w/ whom Sibelle spends a couple of days a little
"too close" for comfort, while travelling in search of a
witness. Great scene where she pisses on him, on
accident. (There seems to be another film, going by the
same name - starring Yukari Oshima.)
Angel of Vengeance, Hong Kong, in Cantonese, with
English subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima.
A stinker - two virtually independent plotlines,
the stupid of which gets the lion's share of screen-time
(a student working on a thesis about 'body & soul' wants
to know what it's like to be a whore; her mother is a
madam; her new potential-boyfriend helps her to do
'research'). Yukari Oshima is the only decent thing
about the movie, and her scenes are much too few and
short, and her 'revenge moment' gets spoiled by goofy
choreography.
Angel Terminators, Hong Kong, 1990, in Cantonese, with
no subtitles. Cast: Sharon Yeung (butch cop), Michiko
Nishiwaki (female villain), Carrie Ng (bad guy's ex-
girlfriend) and Kara Hui Ying Hung (Sharon's partner).
A tough, gritty movie with amazing action
sequences. Stars a tough/butch actress named Sharon
Yeung, as a policewoman. Amazing scene right at the end,
w/ her hanging from a phone wire and attacking a guy in
a car. Michiko Nishiwaki plays the female villain, who
forcefully injects two of the heroines with heroin over
a period of time sufficient to get them addicted. The
main bad guy (played by one of those guys who is always
playing suave gangsters or police inspectors) is a real
slime.
Angel Terminators 2, Hong Kong, in Cantonese, with
English subtitles. Cast: Sibelle Hu, Moon Lee and
Yukari Oshima.
Excellent! Great performances from all 3 "bad girl"
heroes!
Avenging Quartet, d. Siu Wing, Hong Kong, 1992, 95m, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles, p. Chan Fai Ling.
Cast: Cynthia Khan, Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Michiko
Nishiwaki, Waise Lee, Chin Ka Lok and James Ha.
Asian Trash Cinema summarizes the plot thusly:
"Chinese female-cop Cynthia Khan teams up with
powerhouse Moon Lee to stop two bad girls from Tokyo,
Yukari Oshima and Nishiwaki Michiko, who are plotting to
steal a valuable painting from Waise Lee." Additional
plot complications: Waise is a fugitive mainlander, who
was Cynthia's lover in the past (she was a mainland cop,
but came to HK to seek out her old love). And Moon Lee
is a streetwise, cool HK gal who just happens to fall
for Waise, too. (Oh yeah - the painting hides important
secrets about Japan, too...) This is an uneven movie,
but it's worth it just to see the "big four" girls with
Guns stars in one movie...
Beauty Inspector (aka Beauty Investigator), d. Hsu Hsia,
Hong Kong, 1992, in Cantonese, with English subtitles.
Cast: Moon Lee (Li Sai Feng) and Yukari Oshima.
A pretty good girls-with-guns story in which Moon
Lee and her "pretty-girl" partner are somewhat
unorthodox, semi-bumbling junior cops trying to prove
themselves to their boss. Involves undercover work in a
night club, and a fair amount of comedy (the girls
bicker a lot) mixed in with lots of "unwelcome advances
by slimy men" scenes. Yukari Oshima is cool, as usual,
as the mysterious Japanese assassin.
Black Cat [DV], d. Stephen Shin, Hong Kong, 1991, 96m,
in English (dubbed), with Dutch? subtitles, p. Dickson
Poon. Cast: Jade Leung and Simon Yam.
Very good! Jade Leung is an exciting new, rising
star. This remake of "La Femme Nikita" matches the
original in many respects, and surpasses it, in others.
Black Morning Glory (The), d. Casey Chan, Hong Kong,
1993, in Mandarin, with English subtitles, p. Casey Chan
and Andrew Leung, Gold Harbour Films. Cast: Michelle
Reis (Lee), Lau Suk Ming, Lester Chan and Waise Lee (Lee
Chi Hung?).
Michelle Reis plays a fashion designer who
discovers her boyfriend is involved in a counterfeiting
ring around the same time that one of the counterfeiters
is killed by a female assassin on a motorcycle who bears
a striking resemblance to her.... Turns out the two
women grew up together, and as little girls both used to
play with the same boy, who is now a lawyer vacationing
back in the little town where they all grew up. Trouble
stalks Michelle's two characters, after a crucial piece
of counterfeiting equipment falls into one of their
hands. The action reaches its climax in the small
coastal town where they grew up, as various pieces of
the past comes back to haunt... Pretty good drama, and
Michelle Lee in assassin-mode is fun to watch. Not
necessarily for those who require constant fighting
action, though.
Bogus Cops, d. Leung Ka Yan, Hong Kong, in Mandarin,
with English subtitles, p. Veronica Yip, Leung Ka Yan,
Liu Shu Hui and Eric Tsang. Cast: Veronica Yip, Tsang
Chi Wai and Leung Ka Yan.
"Girls with Guns" cop-comedy with big-busted
Veronica Yip.
A Book of Heroes, d. Chu Yen Ping, Hong Kong, 1987, in
Mandarin, with English subtitles, p. Raymond Wong, Long
Shong Pictures. Cast: Yukari Oshima, Hu Kwa, Yang Hui
San, Kurata and David To.
An amusing, not-too-annoying - if a little slow at
times - semi-comic plot makes for a fairly watchable
film, but the dazzling, acrobatic fight scenes
(especially when they involve any of the three fantastic
women fighters) are what lift this film out of the realm
of the "standard" and into the category of "lhighly
entertaining!" Lots of flips, splits, and people being
kicked/thrown into furniture, and against (or, on
several occasions through) walls or windows.... Great
matchups between Yukari and the woman who plays the
wanna-be cop. Nice fight with the thief-woman taking on
a room full of disgruntled gamblers, with the help of an
eight year old kid. (Features innovative use of high-
heeled shoes in conjunction with opponents' faces.)
Nothing too "heavy" about this film, but the
choreographers had a lot of fun, and actors (and
especially actresses) really display some impressive
acrobatic skill. (This one broke a mini-streak of
somewhat disappointing Yukari films I've been seeing -
though Yukari, herself, remains my personal deity of GWG
films.)
Boys Are Easy, d. Wong Ching (Wong Jing), Hong Kong,
1993, in Cantonese, with English subtitles, p. Wong
Ching (Wong Jing). Cast: Bridgette Lin Ching Hsia, Tony
Leung Ka Fai, Maggie Cheung, Chingmy Yau Suk Ching,
Jacky Cheung, Jimmy Lin, Chang Iy-Gin, Richard Ng,
Sandra Ng Kwan Yue, Lo Hwei-Kong and Shing Fui On.
Brave Young Girls, d. Luk Kam Bo, Hong Kong, 1988, 93m,
in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Yukari
Oshima, Kara Hui Ying Hung (?) and Shing Fui On.
Braveful Police (Pretty woman at War), Hong Kong, 1990,
85m. Cast: Kara Hui Ying Hung.
Burning Ambition [RM/SP/LD], d. Frankie Chan, Hong Kong,
1989, in Cantonese, with English subtitles, p. Frankie
Chan, Long Shong. Cast: Yukari Oshima, Frankie Chan,
Kara Hui Ying Hung and Simon Yam.
Bury Me High, d. Tang Chi-Li, Hong Kong, 1990, in
Mandarin, with English subtitles. Cast: Moon Lee,
Sibelle Hu, Yuen Wah, Tang Chi-Li and Chin Pei.
Complicated plot, involving the supernaturally
influenced fates of the descendents of various people
buried in different spots on a sacred mountain. Also
involves a small country which experiences a military
coup led by bad-guy / dictator Yuen Wah. Some good FX,
and fight scenes, but unfortunately Moon Lee doesn't
quite get her share of kung fu action, and Sibelle Hu
doesn't really do any hand-to-hand fighting.
City Cops, d. Lau Kar Wing, Hong Kong, in Mandarin, with
English subtitles, p. Joe Siu, w. Berry Wang. Cast:
Cynthia Rothrock, Michiko Nishiwaki, Ken Tong, Miu Kiu
Wai, Shing Fui On and Suki Kwan.
Combat at Heaven Gate, 100m, in Mandarin (?), with
English subtitles. Cast: Sibelle Hu.
Crystal Hunt, Hong Kong, 1991, in Mandarin, with English
subtitles, Cheung Yau Production Co. Cast: Donnie Yen,
Sibelle Hu, Carrie Ng, Liu Chia Hui and Michael Woods.
Features - like "Cheetah on Fire," which I suspect
this film was made back-to-back with, using the same
cast - Michael Woods, the African-American "villain"
from ITLOD 4.
Dignified Killers, d. Chen Chu Huang, Hong Kong, in ??,
with English subtitles.
A fun little film about revenge. Starts out as a
"boys'" film about triad stuff, but turns into the story
of a woman who goes after the man who wronged her, with
the help of four of her nightclub-hostess girlfriends,
all wearing relfective silver jumpsuits!
Dreaming the Reality, d. Simon Yun Ching, Hong Kong,
1991, 102m, in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast:
Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima and Sibelle Hu.
Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima are sisters who have
been raised/trained by their foster father to be
professional assassins, along with their rather cruel
brother. Sibelle Hu is an ex-cop from HK, now living in
Thailand with her rather naive brother - who wants to
make a living in the local boxing ring. (Sibelle's role
could easily be a continuation of her role in Angel
Terminators 2, if that character had retired to
Thailand....) Eventually, their no-good foster father
sends the two sisters on a perilous mission in (you
guessed it!) Thailand, where they get separated - Moon
Lee ending up recovering from injuries sustained with
Sibelle and Bro., and helping them with some local
troubles. In the end, some long-buried family
difficulties among the assassin clan finally get
resolved - needless to say this requires lots of ammo,
explosives, and a small army of bad guys.... Generally
speaking, this movie had good characters and action
sequences; my only complaint is that Yukari should have
got more on-screen time and character development (but I
say that about almost any movie she's in!)...
Fantasy Mission Force, d. Chu Yen Ping, Hong Kong, 1984.
Cast: Jackie Chan, Chang Ling, Jimmy Wang Yu and
Bridgette Lin Ching Hsia.
Fatal Chase, d. Chik Ki Yee, Hong Kong, 1992, in
Mandarin, with English subtitles. Cast: Shing Fui On,
Waise Lee and Yukari Oshima.
Fatal Termination, d. Andrew Kam, Hong Kong, 1988, 88m,
in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Moon Lee,
Simon Yam, Ray Lui and Philip Ko.
Moon Lee is a nice housewifey mom who gets *real
pissed* when her little girl is kidnapped. Along with
her cop husband, she goes after the bad guys in a big
way. (Includes the unbelievable scene in which the
little girl is being dangled by her hair outside a fast-
moving car while Moon Lee, draped across the hood, is
fighting with the people in the front seat.)
Forbidden Arsenal, d. Yuen Chun Man and Cheng Siu Keung,
Hong Kong, 1991, 90m, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles, p. Dickson Poon. Cast: Cynthia Khan, Waise
Lee, Too Shu Chun and Loretta Lee.
This cousin to the "In the Line of Duty" series is
less spectacular than many of those films, but it has
some good moments - especially at the end. Cynthia Khan
is the HK cop who teams up with a womanizing Taiwanese
cop (Waise Lee) and a cop from Mainland China, in an
effort to bring down an international gun-smuggling
ring.
Golden Queen's Commando (aka Commando Amazon / Amazon
Commando), d. Chu Yin Ping, Hong Kong, 1984, 90m, in
English (dubbed), with no subtitles. Cast: Bridgette
Lin Ching Hsia (Venus Lin), Sally Yeh (Sally Yip),
Teresa Tsui, Elsa Yeung and Hilda Lau.
Seven tough women in the same WWII POW camp escape
together and embark on a journey to destroy an evil
warlord's chemical weapons laboratory / repository, in
this entertaining HK girls-with-guns take on the
"Magnificent Seven" legend. Makes effective use of Ennio
Morricone's score for one of the Sergio Leone spaghetti
Westerns. Many likeable characters, among whom the
*coolest* are: Brigette Lin as the leader, "Black Fox";
the butch "dark horse" figure of "Black Cat" (played by
Elsa Lau); and Sally Yeh, looking terrific as the
demolitions expert who's always got a lit cigarette on
her (known as "Dynamite"). Not "serious fare," but a
lot of fun. If you like this one, check out the pseudo-
sequel, "Pink Force Commandos."
Guardian Angel, Hong Kong, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima.
Heroic Trio 2: Executioners, d. Johnny To and Ching Siu
Tung, Hong Kong, 1993, 85m, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles. Cast: Maggie Cheung, Anita Mui and Michelle
Yeoh.
Heroic Trio [LD], d. Johnny To, Hong Kong, 1992, 88m, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles, p. Ching Siu Tung,
Paka Hill Film Production Co., dis. Tai Seng, w. Sandy
Shaw, m. William Hu, ad. Bruce Yu. Cast: Maggie Cheung,
Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh, Anthony Wong, Damian Lau and
James Pak.
Perhaps the best of the outrageous, campy
contemporary HK action fantasies (cf. "Savior of the
Soul"). The glamorous and gutsy trio of Anita Mui,
Maggie Cheung and Michelle Yeoh are just about perfect,
as costumed super-heroes in a gloomy futuristic world.
Visually stunning, great photography, and great special
effects add to the enjoyment provided by the colorful
characters. The "Terminator" inspired ending is just
icing on the cake!
In the Line of Duty (Royal Warriors)
[AKA Police Assassins], d. David Chung, Hong Kong, 1986,
85m, in Cantonese (some Japanese), with English
subtitles, p. Dickson Poon. Cast: Michelle Khan
(Michelle Yeoh), Michael Wong and Hiriyuki Sanada (Henry
Sanada).
Michelle Khan is truly amazing in this classic
pull-out-all-the-stops "Girls with Guns" movie, which is
still one of the best of the genre. Excellent fight
choreography and stunts, and tons of action - including
a final scene in which Michelle really "brings down the
house"!!! Possibly my favorite Michelle Khan/Yeoh role
to date. Hiriyuki Sanada shows off some very impressive
moves in his supporting role as Mr. Yamamoto, a Japanese
cop who helps Michelle take on the bad guys. [AKA Police
Assassins.]
In the Line of Duty 2: Middleman, d. Cha Chuen Yi (Cha
Fu-Yi), Hong Kong, 1987, in Mandarin?, with English
subtitles, p. Dickson Poon, D & B Film Co., dis. Ocean
Shores Video, Inc. Cast: Cynthia Khan, David Wai/David
Wu, Elvina, Kong Yan Yin and Kim Maree Penn.
In the Line of Duty 3 (Force of the Dragon, Yes Madam
2), d. Brandy Yuen and Arthur Wong, Hong Kong, 1988, in
Mandarin, with English subtitles, p. Dickson Poon and
Stephen Shin. Cast: Cynthia Khan, Michiko Nishiwaki,
Hiroshi Fujioka and Stuart Ong.
I *love* this movie! Cynthia Khan makes you
*believe* that she can go toe-to-toe with any guy in a
fight, but Michiko ends up being the ultimate foe. The
brutal last-battle is amazing.
In the Line of Duty 4 (Witness) [RM], d. Yuen Woh Ping,
Hong Kong, 1989, in Cantonese, with English subtitles.
Cast: Cynthia Khan, Donnie Yen, Michael Woods and
Michael Wong.
Along with "Righting Wrongs," this movie has the
best fights I've seen in the "Girls with Guns" genre.
This is the first Cynthia Khan movie I saw, and it made
an instant believer out of me. Some great fights /
stunts involving moving vehicles. Donnie Yen is stunning
too. The fight between Donnie and Michael Woods (the
African American "villain" in the movie) is excellent.
Inspector Wear Skirts 4, Hong Kong, 1992, in Cantonese,
with no subtitles, P.U. Productions Limited, dis. Try
Ease Limited. Cast: Cynthia Khan, Moon Lee (Li Sai
Feng), Richard Ng, Dick Wei and Kara Hui Ying Hung.
The goofiest of the ITLOD spinoffs I've seen. Has
some good scenes, incl. spoofs of the Wong Fei Hung
movies, drunken boxing, and the "bus chase" scene from
Police Story.
Inspector Wears Skirts 1 (aka Top Squad), d. Wellson
Chin, Hong Kong, 1988, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles, p. Jackie Chan. Cast: Sibelle Hu, Cynthia
Rothrock, Kara Hui Ying Hung, Regina Kent, Anne
Bridgewater, Sandra Ng, Dick Wei and Jeff Falcon.
Amusing comedy that mixes elements of the "Police
Academy" series, "Private School For Girls" and the HK
Girls-with-Guns police movies. It's about the
misadventures of a diverse squad of women cadets in the
RHKP academy, led by strict instructors Sibelle Hu and
Cynthia Rothrock. There is a bit of rivalry and romance
between the women cadets and the men at the neighboring
police academy for men, and in the end, as expected,
they get involved in a "real" adventure.
Kick Boxer's Tears, Hong Kong, 1992, 92m, in Cantonese,
with English subtitles. Cast: Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima
and Wong Yut San (nerdy Teenager).
"Kicking Buddha" (Min Wu trans.), Hong Kong, in Mandarin
Japanese (some scenes), with English
Chinese subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima.
What a sleeper! I wish I knew the real English
title of this film because it's way above average for a
triad/cops/girls with guns flick. The rather complex
plot holds together pretty well, and there's lots of
good action, with guns and kung fu - well choreographed,
edited, etc.. Many good performances by actors I don't
know by name - most all the villains, the noble brother
who joins the triad in order to track down his sister,
the HK cop who aids Yukari Oshima (playing a Japanese
"international cop").
Killer Angels, d. Lui Jun Go, Hong Kong, 1989, 92m, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Moon Lee (Lee
Choi-Fung), Yukari Oshima and Liu Chia Hui.
An absolute classic. All three of the "Blue Angels"
- led by Moon Lee, who goes undercover as a nightclub
chanteuse - are wonderful, and Yukari Oshima's "jealous
bad girl in a leather jacket on a motorcycle with a
shotgun" is unforgettable. The butch Angel, who goes
undercover dressed as a man in order to case the
nightclub, is very cool - as is the 'schoolgirl' looking
Angel who beats up the witness she's protecting whenever
he hits on her.
Lady Super Cop, d. Chong Shiao-Shiong, Hong Kong, 1993,
86?m, in Cantonese, with English subtitles, Perfect
Films Production Co. Cast: Carina Lau, Waise Lee,
Teresa Ho, Chan Wai Man and Eric Tsang.
Lethal Panther, d. Godfrey Ho, Hong Kong, 1990, 94m, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles, p. Godfrey Ho, Benny
Chan and Tam Wing Chuen, Filmswell International
Productions, ph. Benny Chan. Cast: Sibelle Hu, Yoko
Miyamoto, Lawrence Ng, Alex Fong, Harold Low, Raymond
Wong and Maria Jo.
Lethal Panther 2 (Magkasangga Sa Batas), d. Philip Ko
and Erwin Lanado, Philippines/Hong Kong, 1993, 88m, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima
("Cynthia Luster"), Edu Manzano, Gabriel Romulo and
Shiela Ysrael.
License to Steal, Hong Kong, with English subtitles.
Cast: Yuen Biao, Joyce Godenzi, Agnes Aurelio and
Richard Ng.
Lucky Seven 2, d. Chiu Chang Kwok, Hong Kong /
Philippines, 1989, 90m, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima, Phillip Kao and Wong
Chu Yu.
Madam City Hunter, d. Yuen Woh Ping, Hong Kong, 1992,
87m, in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast:
Cynthia Khan, Anthony Wong and Kara Hui Ying Hung.
Magnificent Warriors, d. David Chung, Hong Kong, 1987,
89m, in English, with Dutch subtitles, p. Dickson Poon.
Cast: Michelle Khan (Yeoh), Richard Ng and Matsui
Tetsuya.
One of the first 3 Michelle Khan movies, from the
period before her "retirement." Michelle is a biplane
pilot/spy working against the occupying Japanese forces
in China in the late 1930s or early 1940s. Richard Ng is
a poncho-wearing itinerant swindler who accidentally
gets tangled up in Michelle's mission to rescue a local
ruler, who is pretending to support the Japanese
occupation forces while actually working to subvert
their hold on his province. Some nice stunts, and
Michelle w/ a bullwhip (Indianna Jones-style) and comic
relief from Richard Ng make it fairly watchable, but
it's definitely not up to the standards of Yes Madam!
and Royal Warriors/In The Line of Duty. [The Indonesian
version with Dutch subtitles that I saw was nearly
ruined by the terrible English dubbing and the annoying
musical score.]
Midnight Angel (Justice Women), d. Yee Chik-Ki, Hong
Kong, 1988, in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast:
Yukari Oshima, Shih Kien [as Grandpa] and May Law (as
Rabbit).
His three adopted (grand)daughters end up - at
different times - taking up the mantle discarded 30
years prior by "Grandpa" (Shih Kien, who played the evil
Mister Han in "Enter the Dragon"), as the "Scarlet
Pimpernel"-like masked hero/vigilante, "Cotton Flower,"
who takes vengeance on those who prey upon the weak. A
good premise is ruined by a bad script, which never
really gets the tension/suspense/drama going, and mixes
fairly uninteresting humor into the standard situations
that it comes up with. To succeed by my standards, it
would have had to be either darker / grimmer, or more
outrageous and energetic, bringing out the comic-book
elements more. (Cf. the much more successful "Heroic
Trio," which manages to accomplish *both* of those
tasks.) Most noteworthy are the performances of the very
attractive actresss who plays the youngest daughter,
"Rabbit" (May Law, who reminds me a bit of Emily Chu),
and, of course, Yukari Oshima - playing the eldest
daughter, "Ying." The fight scenes are competently
produced, but somehow I couldn't really get "engrossed"
in this one.
Mission of Justice, Hong Kong, 1992, 87m, in Cantonese,
with English subtitles. Cast: Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima
and Carrie Ng.
Naked Killer [JM], d. Clarence Fok Yiu Leung, Hong Kong,
1992, 90m. Cast: Chingmy Yau (Yau Suk Ching), Carrie
Ng, Simon Yam, Kelly and Svenwara Madoka.
On Parole, Hong Kong, in Mandarin, with English
subtitles, PanAsia Films Production Co. Cast: Kara Hui
Ying Hung and Shing Fui On.
Outlaw Brothers, d. Frankie Chan, Hong Kong, 1988, with
English subtitles. Cast: Frankie Chan, Yukari Oshima
and Michiko Nishiwaki.
Passionate Killing in the Dream, d. Wong Kwok-chu, Hong
Kong, 1992, in Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast:
Michiko Nishiwaki, Lam Pan-kwun, Pak Yu-chun and Wong
Man-yu.
Elements of "Eyes of Laura Mars" in this film about
a fashion photographer who sees in her dreams "scenes"
of a real-life killer at work. Eventually, through a
friend who is a psychiatrist, she gets to meet the cop
who's working on the case of serial-murder that she's
been dreaming about. she ends up assisting with the
investigation, at the cost of her own safety...
(*Unlike* Laura Mars, though, she happens to be a
martial arts expert on the side - though that clashes a
bit with her femme-y persona and need to have male
protectors in her life.) A good dramatic performance for
Michiko - playing someone more "sensitive" than her
usual psychotic or heartless villain character...
Contains a couple of wild fight sequences which, even if
they don't quite fit in with the general tone of the
movie around them, we appreciate! Overall, a
compellingly directed and well-acted film, despite a
couple of weird plot moves...
Pink Bom(b)!, Hong Kong, in Mandarin, with English
subtitles, Super Power Motion Pictures Co. Cast: Waise
Lee, Cynthia Khan, Fenny Yuen, Lee Siu Yin and Gloria
Yip (as the "hooker").
"Cynthia Khan, Lee Siu Yin, and Fenny Yuen take a
tour bus to Thailand. They pick up a hooker (Gloria Yip)
with stolen mob money. Thai gangsters want their money
back and the tour guide (Waise Lee) helps them fight for
their lives. Very funny fantasy dream sequences and good
fights between Khan and the gang."
Pink Force Commando, d. Chu Yin Ping (Lawrence Full),
Hong Kong, 1984, 90m, in English (dubbed), with no
subtitles. Cast: Bridgette Lin Ching Hsia (aka Venus
Lin), Sally Yeh (aka Sally Yip), Teresa Tsui, Sophia
Ching, Hilda Lau and Elsa Yeung.
Sequel to "Golden Queen's Commando."
Police Story 3: Supercop, d. Stanley Tong, Hong Kong,
1991, 90m, in Mandarin, with English subtitles. Cast:
Jackie Chan, Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Yuen Wah.
An HK cop (Jacky Chan) and a Mainland cop (Mickelle
Yeoh) infiltrate a drug gang by helping to "spring" one
of its leaders (Yuen Wah)from a prison camp in Mainland
China.
Princess Madam [dub] (Under Police Protection), d.
Godfrey Ho, Hong Kong, 1990, 80m, in English, with no
subtitles. Cast: Sharon Yeung, Moon Lee, Michiko
Nishiwaki and Kenneth Tsang Kong.
[SPOILER ALERT!:] Though Moon Lee is her costar and
gets a fair amount of on-screen time, this is really
Sharon Yeung's picture. Like her other great film,
"Angel Terminators," this film complicates the standard
female cop / girls with guns story by introducing
elements of divided loyalties (upholding the law vs.
personal motivations), and builds to powerful conclusion
in the "Heroic Bloodshed" [to quote the good folks at
_Eastern Heroes_] tradition of tragic revenge narrative.
It is largely Sharon Yeung's acting - rather than fight
scene frequency, or innovative choreography - that
makes this film really work: she lends it the gravity
and feeling to support the melodrama of a tragic ending
without it succumbing to "cheesiness." The structure of
the film, and its sub-plots, shares some of the common
weaknesses of many other Hong Kong films - it doesn't
seem to know which story is the central one, which sub-
plots should be subordinated to others, where the
overall narrative is "going." So it isn't until
something like the latter third of the film that it
seems to decide upon the centrality of tomboy cop
Sharon's ("Lisa's") relation to her father (played by
the ubiquitous Kenneth Tsang), and the unavoidable
weight of the past, in the scheme of the story. I don't
see this entirely as a hindrance, however, as such a
meandering structure allows for an interesting triangle,
in the middle section of the film, between Moon Lee (who
plays Sharon's best friend and partner), her husband,
and the the films introductory villain, Michiko
Nishiwaki. In a sense, each protagonist is allowed to
work through her "family" problems before our very eyes,
with a satisfying degree of carnage in each case! Once
again, Sharon proves that she sure knows how to take a
death-defying leap - and her fighting skills are
something else, too!
Princess Madam [sub] (Under Police Protection), d.
Godfrey Ho, Hong Kong, 1990, 80m, in Mandarin, with
English subtitles. Cast: Sharon Yeung, Moon Lee,
Michiko Nishiwaki and Kenneth Tsang Kong.
[SPOILER ALERT!:] Though Moon Lee is her costar and
gets a fair amount of on-screen time, this is really
Sharon Yeung's picture. Like her other great film,
"Angel Terminators," this film complicates the standard
female cop / girls with guns story by introducing
elements of divided loyalties (upholding the law vs.
personal motivations), and builds to powerful conclusion
in the "Heroic Bloodshed" [to quote the good folks at
_Eastern Heroes_] tradition of tragic revenge narrative.
It is largely Sharon Yeung's acting - rather than fight
scene frequency, or innovative choreography - that
makes this film really work: she lends it the gravity
and feeling to support the melodrama of a tragic ending
without it succumbing to "cheesiness." The structure of
the film, and its sub-plots, shares some of the common
weaknesses of many other Hong Kong films - it doesn't
seem to know which story is the central one, which sub-
plots should be subordinated to others, where the
overall narrative is "going." So it isn't until
something like the latter third of the film that it
seems to decide upon the centrality of tomboy cop
Sharon's ("Lisa's") relation to her father (played by
the ubiquitous Kenneth Tsang), and the unavoidable
weight of the past, in the scheme of the story. I don't
see this entirely as a hindrance, however, as such a
meandering structure allows for an interesting triangle,
in the middle section of the film, between Moon Lee (who
plays Sharon's best friend and partner), her husband,
and the the films introductory villain, Michiko
Nishiwaki. In a sense, each protagonist is allowed to
work through her "family" problems before our very eyes,
with a satisfying degree of carnage in each case! Once
again, Sharon proves that she sure knows how to take a
death-defying leap - and her fighting skills are
something else, too!
Queen's High, d. Chris Lee, Hong Kong, 1991, p. Dickson
Poon. Cast: Cynthia Khan, Simon Yam, Kim Maree Penn and
Eddie Malher.
Raped by an Angel (Naked Killer 2), d. Lau Chang Wei
(Jeff Lau), Hong Kong, 1993, in Mandarin, with English
subtitles, p. Wong Ching, Wong Jing's Workshop, w. Wong
Ching. Cast: Chingmy Yau (Yau Suk Ching), Carrie Ng,
Mark Cheng (as villain) and Simon Yam?
Righting Wrongs (Above the Law), d. Corey Yuen, Hong
Kong, 1987, 100m, in Cantonese, with English subtitles.
Cast: Yuen Biao, Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong, Roy
Chiao/Roy Chow, Karen Shephard and Peter Cunningham.
An instant classic. Cynthia Rothrock's best movie
by a mile. Contains a handful of the best fight scenes
I've seen. Vintage Yuen Biao. A gritty movie that's not
bound by the conventions of the unmitigatedly happy
ending...
Righting Wrongs 2: Blonde Fury / Lady Reporter (Above
the Law 2), d. Man Hoi, Hong Kong, in English (dubbed),
with no subtitles, p. Samo Hung and Yuen Kwai (Corey
Yuen), Golden Harvest. Cast: Cynthia Rothrock.
Rothrock plays an FBI agent who goes undercover as
a newspaper reporter, in order to track down some
counterfeiters. More goofy / comic than the classic
"Righting Wrongs," to which it claims to be a sequel.
Robotrix, d. Simon Yun Ching, Hong Kong, 1991, in
Cantonese, with no subtitles, Golden Harvest. Cast: Amy
Yip Chi Mei, Aoyama Chikako, Hui Hiu Tan (as Sara),
David Ng (Wu Da-Wei), Billy Chow and Ken Goodman.
_The Essential Guide to Hong Kong Movies_ says this
movie "looks like a Chinese _Robocop_ invested with the
spirit of Russ Meyer!"
Sea Wolves, d. Cheng Siu Keung, Hong Kong, 1990, with
English subtitles, p. Dickson Poon and Stehen Shin.
Cast: Cynthia Khan and Simon Yam.
[Includes 30 minutes of Jackie Chan and Michelle
Yeoh on "Good morning America" at the end of the tape.]
She Shoots Straight, Hong Kong, in Cantonese, with no
subtitles. Cast: Joyce Godenzi, Agnes Aurelio and Samo
Hung.
Story of a Gun, Hong Kong, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima.
Subekan Deka, Japan, in Japanese, with no subtitles.
War breaks out, invlovling paramilitary
groups/gangs of Japanese schoolgirls armed with deadly
yoyos! Absolutely brilliant!
Supercop 2: Project S (Once a Cop), d. Stanley Tong,
Hong Kong, 1993, in Mandarin, with English subtitles.
Cast: Michelle Yeoh, Yu Rong-Guang (as evil boyfriend),
Chu Yun (as little sister)?, Yukari Oshima (cameo at
beginning), Eric Tsang and Jackie Chan (cameo).
Tiger Cage 2, Hong Kong, with English subtitles. Cast:
Donnie Yen, Rosamund Kwan, Cynthia Khan and Michael
Woods.
Ultracop 2000, 1992, 84m, in Cantonese, with English
subtitles. Cast: Yukari Oshima.
Cheesy futuristic alien cop movie w/ Yukari Oshima
(*not* as the alien cop) w/ alien good guy and alien bad
guy on Earth.
Way of the Lady Boxers (aka Madam the Great), Hong Kong,
in Mandarin, with English subtitles. Cast: Sibelle Hu
and Sharon Yeung.
Two HK cops (incl. Sharon Yeung - the butch woman
cop from Angel Terminators 1) team up with Mainland
China cops (led by Sibelle Hu) to stop gun traffickers.
Decent, but not stunning fight scenes. The "jump from
top of tall building to drift down on ballon" stunt was
nice.
Wonder 7, d. Ching Siu Tung, Hong Kong, 1994, in
Cantonese, with English subtitles. Cast: Michelle Yeoh,
Li Ning, Kent Cheng Jut-Si, Andy Hui, Kwon Tsun-un,
Hilary Tsui and Xiong Xin-xin.
"Decent action movie about a motorcycle-riding
gang."
Yes Madam '92: A Serious Shock, d. Stanley Wing Siu,
Hong Kong, 1992, in Mandarin, with English subtitles.
Cast: Cynthia Khan, Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, Waise Lee
and Lawrence Ng.
The most harrowing and dramatically intense "girls
with guns" movie I've seen. Excellent acting
performances by Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, and Cynthia
Khan. This movie breaks new ground in the genre.
Yes Madam! [JM/LD], d. Corey Yuen, Hong Kong, 1985, in
??, with English subtitles, p. Samo Hung. Cast:
Michelle Khan (Michelle Yeoh), Cynthia Rothrock, Dick
Wei, Tsui Hark, Anthony Wong, Samo Hung, Richard Ng and
Wu Ma.
Michelle Khan is great. Cynthia Rothrock's best
movie after "Righting Wrongs." Tsui Hark has a funny
role as the counterfeiter. Features the crazy-moustache
guy from Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, as the knife-
fighting guy.
===========
End of List
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| Hank Okazaki | "All you need to make a movie is a girl and a gun" |
| E-mail: | |
| <yuk...@rain.org> | -- Film-Maker Jean-Luc Godard |
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