“Iron Angels” Japanese Poster

Director: Teresa Woo San
Cast: Saijo Hideki, Elaine Lui, Yukari Oshima, Alex Fong Chung Sun, David Chiang, Hwang Jang Lee, Peter Yang Kwan, Wang Hsieh, Lam Chung, Chiang Tao
Running Time: 93 min. 

By Z Ravas

I can’t say this period of history has many consolations for those of us living through it, but getting to experience obscure Hong Kong action films via terrific looking and sounding boutique Blu-ray releases is most assuredly one of them. The first time I saw Iron Angels, it was on a crappy Region 0 DVD that I ordered off of Ebay; I say ‘crappy’ mostly because the disc kept skipping during the final twenty minutes of the movie. (If you’ve seen Iron Angels, you know some of the film’s best action is crammed into the final twenty minutes. You don’t want to miss that part!). What a difference a few years make: now I have the privilege of watching Iron Angels with a pristine hi-definition transfer, courtesy of Vinegar Syndrome.

And if you’re unfamiliar with this series, it’s absolutely worth springing for Syndrome’s recent 3-film box set. The first film ranks up there alongside Royal Warriors and She Shoots Straight as one of the finest examples of that Hong Kong subgenre fondly remembered as Girls with Guns. The movie has the brilliant idea to ask, ‘What if Charlie’s Angels were co-ed and Charlie was played by Shaw Brothers legend David Chiang?’ The story opens with a sequence that could mislead you into thinking you’re in for a military-themed actioner, as the Thai army unleashes machine guns and flamethrowers on a massive opium-harvesting operation in the Golden Triangle. Back in Hong Kong, a lead subordinate of the drug operation—played by Japanese martial artist Yukari Oshima—swears revenge and begins targeting various Interpol agents around the globe. With their backs to the wall, the Hong Kong police decide to enlist the help of the mercenary service known as the Angels.

And you really don’t need much more justification than that to string along 90 minutes of go-for-broke Hong Kong action, though the film has a capable cast to lean on. The Angels are led by Hideki Saijo, an actor primarily known for his singing career in Japan (he did a chart-topping cover of the “Y.M.C.A.”) but who comes across as a tough martial artist here; Moon Lee, a veritable icon in the Girls with Guns genre thanks to her appearances in films like Fatal Termination and Devil Hunters;  and Elaine Lui Siu-Ling, who would go on to co-star in fan favorite Hong Kong titles like The Bride with White Hair and The Red Wolf.

I have to single out Elaine Lui Siu-Ling in particular because at first you assume her role is kind of the party girl of the trio, you know, the gal with big hair who’s more into her wardrobe than taking the mission seriously—but about halfway through the film, her character makes a sharp pivot, diving into battle while strapped with grenades and bullet clips like a pint-sized Rambo. Elaine Lui totally sells you on the transition too, displaying a wealth of onscreen moxie. It’s one of the greatest examples of the Hidden Badass trope that I can recall seeing.

Director Teresa Woo Ann is immediately interesting as one of the only women filmmakers in the Hong Kong action space during this time. I should note that Raymond Leung and Ivan Lai are also sometimes listed as co-directors or Executive Directors on the film, but Woo would seem to be the driving creative force behind this project, having also served as producer and sole credited screenwriter. The action is attributed to the great Tony Leung Siu-Hung (Bloodmoon, Ip Man) and it’s undeniably spectacular stuff, despite the obviously thrifty budget, including a sequence where Hideki Saijo is hanging from a helicopter’s ladder as he fires his machine gun into a McMansion’s worth of bad guys. (As an example of the budgetary limitations: expect liberal use of stunt dummies for some scenes). The final clash between Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima is brief—in fact, I don’t think it’s much longer than a minute or so—but the two combatants go at each other with such ferocity that their bout has rightly become the stuff of legend.

There’s a short list of the top Hong Kong action movies of the 1980’s, the ones that a casual viewer can sample to get a feel for the genre and witness the industry operating at its peak; no doubt well-known titles like Righting Wrongs and In the Line of Duty IV would have to be on there, but I could imagine making a case for Iron Angels as well. While it’s not quite as technically polished as what filmmakers like John Woo and Yuen Woo-ping were producing at this time, when it’s firing on all cylinders, the movie delivers some of the most electrifying action of its decade.

Z Ravas’ Rating: 9/10

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“Once Upon a Time in China V” Chinese Theatrical Poster

Director: Tsui Hark
Cast: Vincent Chiu, Rosamund Kwan, Jean Wong, Kent Cheng, Hung Yan Yan, Mok Siu Chung, Lau Shun, Elaine Lui, Gwok Chun On, Stephen Tung Wei
Running Time: 101 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Remember that time Tsui Hark decided to make his own version of Project A, but film it in the style of John Woo? If not, then it likely means you’ve never seen Once Upon a Time in China V, the penultimate instalment of the 90’s Wong Fei Hung series, and the final one to be helmed by its original director Tsui Hark. Both Once Upon a Time in China V and its predecessor have somewhat of a strained relationship with the bigger budgeted, genre reigniting trilogy that preceded them, and as a result the fifth instalment in the OUATIC (as I’ll refer to it from here on in) series is a frequently overlooked gem.

It’s easy to forget how fast Hong Kong cinema churned them out in the 90’s, and despite Hark’s series swansong in the director’s chair already being the 5th entry, it’s worth bearing in mind that the original OUATIC only came out 3 years prior. It was Jet Li that stepped into the iconic role of Wong Fei Hung for the original trilogy, and would round off the series by returning to the role for 1997’s Once Upon a Time in China and America. After 1993’s OUATIC III though, contractual problems resulted in Li stepping down, which led to Hark offering the iconic role of Fei Hung to Li’s villainous rival in Fong Sai Yuk, Vincent Zhao. Despite refusing to sign a 3-year contract with Hark, the pair would go on to work together as star and director not only on OUATIC V, but also Green Snake and The Blade, placing Zhao at the centre of the HK auteur’s best work from the 90’s.

Perhaps sensing Zhao’s hesitance around continuing to work in the film industry after his debut in Fong Sai Yuk (for which he’d been head hunted from the Beijing Sport University by Corey Yuen), Hark ushered OUATIC IV into production so fast, it ended up coming out during the same year as OUATIC III. Hark, who was also directing Green Snake at the same time, handed over the directorial reigns for the 4th instalment to OUATIC III’s action director, Yuen Bun, and stepped back into the role of writer and producer. So it was OUATIC V that really returned a sense of stability back to the series, with Hark returning to the director’s chair, Bun sticking to what he knows best with action directing, and the welcome return of Rosamund Kwan as 13th Aunt.

The stamp of Hark is evident from the get-go of OUATIC V, with the blue hues that were so prevalent in many of the early – mid 90’s HK new wave flicks used to light many of the night scenes, as we learn that pirates are pillaging the seas and terrorising a local portside town. Fei Hung and his crew, who are all present and accounted for – Xiong Xin-Xin as Club Foot, Kent Cheng as Butcher Wing, Roger Kwok as Buck Toothed So, Max Mok as Foon, and Lau Shun as Wong Kei Ying – are attempting to take a ship to Hong Kong, however it soon becomes evident that the townspeople could do with some help. Fei Hung and co.’s unwavering righteousness naturally means they can’t say no, so said help is soon being delivered via plentiful wire-work, and a surprising amount of gunplay.

Zhao is a good fit in the role of Wong Fei Hung. He spent most of the mid-90’s being referred to as the next Jet Li, and it’s easy to see why. Both had a wushu background, and much like Jet Li in his early outings, Zhao’s somewhat stern demeanour made him a good fit for role. However as fast as HK was churning out movies, so too were HK cinema goers known for how fast they could fall out of favour with certain cinematic trends. In 1994 audiences were likely beginning to suffer from Wong Fei Hung fatigue – Chin Kar Lok had given his take on the character with Martial Arts Master Wong Fei Hung in 1992, Jet Li himself parodied the genre in 1993’s Last Hero in China, while movies such as Kickboxer and Iron Monkey also took place in the Wong Fei Hung universe. 1994 alone gave us 3 Wong Fei Hung’s – in addition to Zhao we had Jackie Chan reprising the role in Drunken Master 2, and Willie Chi chiming in with Drunken Master 3.

In that way OUATIC V can also be viewed as one of the last examples of the early – mid 90’s kung fu revival. It would be Tsui Hark himself that would deconstruct the genre, once more with Zhao as his leading man, the following year with The Blade, exchanging the dynamic new wave aesthetics for a more earthy and dust coated realism. Knowing the historical context of OUATIC V’s place in the kung fu genre cannon only makes it a more interesting watch. Zhao’s introduction to the world of action cinema was somewhat of a trial by fire – during the filming of Green Snake, while suspended high in the air on a pair of steel wires, one of them snapped. Not exactly the best start to someone unfamiliar with making action movies. Then during the filming of OUATIC IV he injured his ankle, which would take several years to heal.

So in many ways you could say that OUATIC V is to Zhao what Thunderbolt is to Jackie Chan, both were filmed while its star was carrying an injury, and both subsequently have as many detractors as they do fans. Having Hark at the helm though is always a cause for celebration. He’s a director that’s able to use limitations as a reason to innovate rather than sacrifice, and that innovation is evident throughout OUATIC V. Indeed for a large amount of its runtime, Zhao takes a backseat to the fisticuffs, stepping in intermittently with a quick flourish here and there. Instead, the heavy lifting goes to his cohorts, with Xiong Xin-Xin letting loose with his formidable repertoire of kicks, delivered both with and without wire assistance (look out for a nice homage to the airborne bamboo pole fight from the original OUATIC). Even Kent Cheng gets in on the action, wielding everything from bamboo poles to folding screens as weapons.

More than any other OUATIC, the action in OUATIC V is best described as bombastic, an early indicator of the 3D collaborations Tsui Hark and Yuen Bun would work on together in the 2010’s. The biggest surprise of all, going back to my opening line, is the use of guns. The discovery of a chest full of armaments is utilised to arm everyone to the teeth, and it allows for some entertainingly acrobatic gunplay to go down once Fei Hung and co. descend on the pirate’s hideout. Even the traditional kung fu training montage is replaced with one of our heroes practicing their shooting skills. A real highlight is the villain’s weapon of choice – a Guandao that also doubles as a gun. Tong Gaai would be proud. Played by Stephen Tung Wai, when he faces off against Zhao it may not be as intricate as kung-fu fans may be hoping for, but it’s still a lot of fun.

That’s not to say that OUATIC V is perfect, as it comes with its fair share of flaws. The return of Rosamund Kwan as 13th Aunt may be a welcome one, but it also means we get an awkward love triangle between her, Jean Wang (who essentially replaced her as Cousin May in OUATIC IV), and Zhao, that arguably has far more screen time dedicated to it than it needs. Also for every comedic beat that hits, there’s at least a handful that don’t. Max Mok was never an ideal replacement for Yuen Biao, but here there’s times when his performance gets particularly grating, none more so than in a rooftop scene which involves him ‘meowing’ to Kent Cheng as a form of discreet communication. Thankfully though, neither the love triangle nor the misplaced comedy stick around long enough to derail proceedings beyond redemption.

If anything, the pulpy nature of 1997’s Once Upon a Time in China and America is foreshadowed in OUATIC V. The whole concept of a finger decapitating pirate, lost treasure, and intrigue on the high seas, harks back to the serial style of Kwan Tak-Hing’s adventures as Wong Fei Hung. We get a fight against a mummified pirate over 100 years old, a villainous femme fatale who’s as seductive as she is deadly (played by Elaine Lui, of Iron Angels and Red Wolf fame), and some hilariously OTT death scenes that can’t help but raise a smile. Sure, OUATIC V may not have as much to say as its predecessors, but there’s a distinct feeling that Hark knows this, and was more interested in creating an old fashioned high seas romp with Wong Fei Hung as its hero. Taken from this perspective, then OUATIC V is a success, even if it’s a slight one.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 6.5/10

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8f5aDmLw-o

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“Angels 2” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Teresa Woo San
Cast: Alex Fong Chung-Sun, Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, Gary Siu Yuk Lung, Sin Ho Ying, Jackson Ng Yuk Su, Yuen Tak, Thomas Sin Ho-Ying, Chan Man-Ching
Running Time: 90 min.

By Paul Bramhall

The ‘Girls with Guns’ genre is generally considered to have been kicked off by the 1985 Corey Yuen movie Yes, Madam!, which introduced us to the femme fatale coupling of Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. The rest of the 80s were spent introducing us to a bevy of dangerous ladies – in 1986 we were given the ferocious pairing of Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima in Iron Angels, and in 1987 we were given yet another deadly duo with Cynthia Khan and Michiko Nishiwaki in In the Line of Duty 3.

Despite the talent of these ladies, the genre arguably always remained a tier below the output from their male counterparts. As time went on the action seemed to increasingly move to countries which had cheaper production costs, such as the Philippines and Malaysia, and by the mid-90s the ‘Girls with Guns’ genre had all but disappeared. For the few glorious years that these movies were getting produced though, the sheer number that got cranked out pretty much guaranteed at least a few minor classics. Often filled with copious machine gun fire and cheap and cheerful pyrotechnics, interspersed with moments of intense fight action, it’s easy to see why these kick ass gals gained a sizable following.

The original Iron Angels delivered a strong cast, apart from the aforementioned Moon Lee and Yukari Oshima, they were ably backed up by Alex Fong, Elaine Lui, and Shaw Brothers legend David Chiang, who essentially filled the role of Charlie in a Hong Kong version of Charlie’s Angels. Throw in Japanese star Saijo Hideki and Korean boot master Hwang Jang-lee, and it would be difficult not to have a good time. The movie is considered a classic of the ‘Girls with Guns’ genre, and spawned two sequels, the second of which has frustratingly yet to be released on DVD in any English speaking country.

It’s a shame, as while Iron Angels 2 is hardly a contender for an Oscar, it is a worthy addition to the genre. The three principal members of the original return in the form of Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, and Alex Fong, who essentially make up the team of angels. Why one of the angels has to be played by a guy is anyone’s guess, but in the pantheon of questions that could be raised out of Hong Kong’s movie output from the 80’s, this is probably one of the lesser ones.

The story concerns the angels being distracted from their holiday in Kuala Lumpur, when the host with whom they’re staying turns out to be an insane revolutionary. This is revealed in a wonderful speech when he explains that he wants to make “an Asia for the Asians”, and we get to see him kick back in the evening with a whiskey on the rocks, while watching videos of Hitler parading through the streets of Germany. Of course in an effort to flesh out the plot a little bit more, Elaine Lui becomes romantically involved with him, unaware of his extreme ideals, and if that wasn’t enough to push the run-time to a suitable length, the rest is padded out by travelogue like shots of Kuala Lumpur city.

While Iron Angels was hardly a big budget affair, it did get by on the merits of having a pair of strong adversaries in the form of Yukari Oshima and Hwang Jang-lee. Oshima seemed to relish her role of the vicious gang boss, and the whole movie stayed true to its genre origins by having Moon Lee and Elaine Lui ultimately have to rescue the captured Fong from her lair.

The sequel loses points somewhat in the fact that if anything, the shift in focus seems to be away from the ladies, and instead Fong is now the image of the macho 80’s Hong Kong action hero, seemingly able to beat up anyone who crosses his path. After playing the deadly leading lady in the Shaw Brothers classic Come Drink With Me, Cheng Pei Pei suffered a similar fate in its sequel Golden Swallow, when she played second fiddle to Jimmy Wang Yu. The only problem here is Alex Fong is no Jimmy Wang Yu, and director Teresa Woo is no Chang Cheh.

While I’m sure a more academically minded critic would be happy to draw comparisons between the notions of feminism between the original Iron Angels and its sequel, let’s face it, at the end of the day we’re all here for the action. Moon Lee would go on to make several movies together with Yukari Oshima, so the real question is how does she fare here with no promise of a final throw down with the Japanese beauty. Thankfully the answer isn’t a disappointing one, in large part due to the showdown that she has with the movies action director Yuen Tak.

Tak is one of the more unsung heroes of Hong Kong action cinema. Originally cast as a kind of Jackie Chan clone in the 1980 Shaw Brothers movie The Master opposite Chen Kuan Tai, he went onto to have a successful career as an action director, working on such movies as Dragon from Russia, while still occasionally making onscreen appearances, most notably returning as the villain in the 1997 version of Hero. Here Tak serves as action director and plays the head henchman, who happens to face off against Lee in a munitions hut in the finale. While their fight is frustratingly brief, what’s there is gold, as the two exchange a lightening fast flurry of feet and fists.

The fight is so good that it makes you realize that she’s just spent the majority of the movie wasted in what for the most part is a non-action role, while it’s Fong who gets given the majority of the movies action beats. While Fong is a passable screen fighter, the fight between Lee and Tak makes his scenes look like rehearsals. This is made even more glaringly obvious when straight after the showdown he’s given the final confrontation of the movie, which while not particularly bad, simply doesn’t stand up compared to the few seconds of excellence we’ve just bore witness to.

There’s also a whole lot of obligatory but satisfying machine gun fire and explosions in the finale, but despite it all, Iron Angels 2 remains a notch under the original. Later that same year Lee would be seriously burnt when she was caught in an explosion, which detonated early while escaping from a building on the set of the movie Devil Hunters, but like the strong female characters she portrayed on screen, she didn’t stay down for long. Hopefully movies like both Devil Hunters and Iron Angels 2 will some day make it onto DVD, and everyone can enjoy watching the ladies of Hong Kong cinema kick just as much ass as the men.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

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“The Bride with White Hair” Japanese Theatrical Poster

Director: Ronnie Yu
Cast: Brigitte Lin, Leslie Cheung, Elaine Lui Siu-Ling, Yammie Nam Kit-Ying, Francis Ng, Law Lok-Lam, Pau Fong, Eddy Ko Hung, Joseph Cheng
Running Time: 90 min.

By Numskull

Hmmm…well, not quite as banal as I expected, but still annoying in several respects.

For starters, just about everything is blue.

Also, the villainess is one of those Saturday morning cartoon types who laughs manically at two things: 1) nothing, and 2) everything. The action is preposterous, and not in a good way; in addition to the typical wire stuff, people get decapitated and chopped into pieces by a whip. That’s right, a whip. Worst of all, the “wolf girl” falls in love with the golden-hearted hero for no reason at all. She tries to off him twice, then they start lip-wrestling. He did save her life, but if she’s supposed to be such a stone-cold killing machine, where does her sense of gratitude come from?

I won’t say it’s totally worthless, though. The script is OK in parts, the conjoined twins were an interesting touch, Brigette Lin has a regal on-screen presence even when she’s getting beaten down by a hundred people at once, and there’s more polish here than in many other HK flicks. It’s definitely over-rated, though. If you feel you MUST see it, do so for a change of pace, not because of its cult status.

Numskull’s Rating: 4/10

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