Huan le long hu bang

I don't know why it took me so long to discover this film, but I'm glad I finally did. "Book of Heroes" is a must-see for anyone who likes women doing martial arts. And we're talking three women here, all of whom are working at cross-purposes (or so it appears at first): Yukari Oshima (the most recognizable name, but the one with the least screen time) is a henchwoman working for gangster boss Yasuaki Kurata; another woman (whose name I wish I knew) wants to become a policewoman, so she goes around beating bad guys and even arresting them!; and my personal favorite, Elsa Yeung, is a con artist who loves mocking her opponents while she's kicking their a$$es; her cute, girlish smile and her beautiful, deadly legs make her the sexiest of the trio (she often fights in a skirt). The script is weak and the goofy slapstick comedy is a matter of taste (it's often funny in this one), but the fight scenes and the hard-hitting stuntwork are arguably even better than those of, say, "Police Assassins" with Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. Track this film down. *** out of 4.