A HEROIC FIGHT (1990) is a rather unusual vehicle for Lin Hsiao Lan, the cute young female action star of Taiwan-produced costume fantasies (MAGIC OF SPELL, MAGIC WARRIORS, KUNG FU WONDER CHILD, all also reviewed on this site). Set amidst Hong Kong's then-hyperactive film industry, it features Lin in modern dress and gives her stunt work far more prosaic than the flying, wire fu and sorcery she engaged in in her other films. The actress always played male parts and this one is no exception, although, curiously, here she plays an actor who does female roles(!). The character also does stunts and special effects work as part of a "family" led by actor/fight choreographer Yuen Cheung-Yan (of the famed Yuen Clan) as HK's leading special effects genius. So basically, the magical settings and effects of Lin's other films are transformed into movie special effects and gadgets here. And her fighting uses weaponry and elaborate stunt work rather than magical powers. In one scene she thwarts the kidnapping of a triad leader's granddaughter by using her gadget-rigged bicycle against the kidnappers and their cars.
There's a rather tiresome plot about triad shenanigans grafted on to all of this. An aging triad leader, "Grandpa Duh," wants to retire and go straight and turn over his enterprises to a successor whom he must choose. One of his lieutenants (Dick Wei) feels slighted and joins Grandpa Duh's rivals and all hell breaks loose. Since Lin had rescued his granddaughter early in the film, Grandpa turns to her and her family to help out. The bike-vs.-kidnappers confrontation is the action highlight of the first half of the movie. Later, Lin launches an impressive solo commando raid on the bad guys' headquarters and uses kung fu and an assortment of different weapons and gadgets. In the final section, a big fight is staged at a movie studio in which Yuen and his team use special effects against the gangsters.
Dick Wei makes a good kung fu fighting villain as always and he is joined by two other kung fu regulars, Chen Shan (SHAOLIN VS. LAMA) and Yeung Hung (who's in all of Lin's movies, as well as numerous Shaw Bros. films, e.g. SUPER NINJAS). It's all a lot of fun, but something's missing. There really isn't a lot we haven't seen before--and better--in other Hong Kong films. It's just not as inspired as Lin's other films. Worse, since Lin plays a boy in short hair and modern dress (jackets and jeans), the cuteness factor (evident even in her male costume roles) is severely diminished. She does play an attractive lady singer--all too briefly--in a movie-within-the-movie that parodies John Woo's A BETTER TOMORROW.
The precocious little girl who plays Duh's granddaughter is amusing, although we really didn't need to see her dress like Madonna and go to McDonald's while "Material Girl" blasts on the soundtrack. Other American pop songs are used in the film, which may make it difficult for this film to get distributed properly in the United States, given the rights issues. If you've seen Lin Hsiao Lan's other films, then you've probably seen this one as well. It's worth seeing, but to really get a sampling of this performer's considerable martial arts and acrobatic skills you need to see her first starring vehicle, MAGIC OF SPELL (1986).
