Let's cut to the chase: these "XX: Beautiful [ ]" films (I've seen 5 out of the total 6 now) are not as good as their covers. Their covers promise female action films, but in reality they are basically dramas with a dose of sex, kinkiness and violence. "Beautiful Killing Machine" is the best of the bunch for the simple reason that its heroine, Cheryl, is a bodyguard who does not rely exclusively on her gun, and does not become helpless without it. Her fight scenes are not great, but their mere existence is enough to lift this film above the other entries in the series. The problem is that the middle section wallows so much in psychodrama, conversations and "arty" images that the film becomes inert for long periods of time. In the end, it turns out to be more of a bizarre love story than an action flick. (**1/2)
