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After a few selective but shrewd co-starring roles, Asia's No. 1 heroine, Michelle Yeoh, has finally found a vehicle in English. "The Touch" is a $20 million action-adventure played out like Ms. Indiana Jones in the Buddhist Temple of Doom. Besides starring, Yeoh co-produced and hired the filmmaking team. Sadly, creative control did not translate into a creative movie. While the picture doesn't completely fail, it does fall short. But in a summer lacking quality popcorn movies, "Touch" stands a good chance to tomb-raid the Asian boxoffice. (Miramax holds North American and European distribution rights.)

Set in China, the ever graceful and appealing Yeoh is Yin, a Cirque de Soleil-style acrobat working with her younger brother, Tong (newcomer Brandon Chang). Englishman Ben Chaplin ("The Truth About Cats & Dogs") plays Eric, an orphan whom Yin's father/trainer has quasi-adopted. How a white kid wound up homeless on the streets of Asia is unclear. Nevertheless, Eric and Yin grew up together, giving each other long glances during puberty. Now, he's a master thief working for a ruthless art collector. Richard Roxburgh ("Moulin Rouge") portrays the murderous villain who will do anything to get his hands on a precious Buddhist relic. In a nutshell, he kidnaps Yeoh's brother as they all race to uncover the sacred prize, which may or may not possess great mystical powers.

Helmed by Oscar-winning cinematographer Peter Pau ("Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), the truly exotic locations in Tibet, Qingtao and the Dunhuang desert in China are absolutely breathtaking.

As for Yeoh, one of life's pure pleasures is watching her kick butt. But there probably isn't enough foot-to-ass action to satisfy Yeoh's die-hard fans. In fact, one of the disappointments of "Touch" is the overuse of computer effects -- and rather obvious ones at that. Word is, the American release will be more polished. Right now, the climax in a remote underground cave of fake fires and crumbling CGI pillars holds little suspense or thrills for viewers used to seeing Yeoh dangle off real trains and buildings in her Hong Kong flicks.

Stuck with a formulaic plot with predictably stiff dialogue, it's a shame the cast members don't get to stretch their characters in more interesting directions. Chaplin's Eric, for one, could be full of fascinating shades of gray as a product of East and West, and good and bad.

There also is little chemistry in the Yeoh-Chaplin romance. She is all strength and dependability -- like an Asian Sigourney Weaver, more maternal protector than romantic bombshell. As a result, it's hard to accept the meeker Chaplin catching her eye. In contrast, you can believe Yeoh going to the end of the world to save her younger sibling.

Flawed as it is, "Touch" offers some dazzling Chinese scenery -- as spectacular as those in "Crouching Tiger" -- and snazzy kung-fu action.

THE TOUCH

Miramax

Han Entertainment and Tianjin Film Studio

Credits:

Director/director of photography: Peter Pau

Screenwriters: Laurent Courtiaud, Julien Carbon, J.D. Zeik

From a story by: Thomas Chung, Michelle Yeoh, Peter Pau

Producers: Michelle Yeoh, Thomas Chung, Gao Feng Jun

Executive producers: Michelle Yeoh, Helen Pao Yun Huang, Kazuo Okada

Action choreography: Philip Kwok Chun-fung

Production designer: Thomas Chong

Music: Basil Poledouris

Costume designer: Shirley Chan

Editor: Marshall Harvey

Cast:

Yin Fei: Michelle Yeoh

Eric: Ben Chaplin

Karl: Richard Roxburgh

Tong: Brandon Chang

Bob: Dane Cook

Lily: Margaret Wang

Ping: Ken Tsang

Monk: Long Sihung

Running time -- 103 minutes

No MPAA rating...