Cleopatra Wong

This was my favorite movie when I was young (6 or 7 years). I don't really remember everything except for the fight scenes. All I remember of this movie is that the actress is beautiful and that she fights well! I try to find this movie for years.

"She purrs like a kitten, makes love like a siren. This side of the Pacific, she's the meanest, deadliest, and sexiest secret agent" That's the tagline for the movie, and it's Singapore's answer to the 70s female action powerhouses like Charlie's Angels. Cleopatra Wong (Doris Young aka Marrie Lee) is an international Interpol agent whose mission in this film is to crack an illegal counterfeiting group whose sole objective is to destabilize the currencies of ASEAN countries Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philppines.

Sounds diabolical, doesn't it? And it's a job only a cosmopolitan agent like Cleo Wong can handle, as she jet sets from Singapore to Hong Kong to the Philippines, hot on the trail of these crooks, manufacturing fake currencies in a convent. She even shows her leadership qualities in leading an all male group of agents on the attack of the crooks hideout against machine gun-totting fake nuns.

Shown as the "Female Big Boss", the montage at the beginning shows the abilities of Cleo Wong as top fighter and archer, whom even Robin Hood is no match for with her simultaneous firing of 3 arrows, blowing up a helicopter in the process (yes, they did blow up a helicopter, back in the 70s for this show!) With older films, what catches the eye is usually the environment and the state of development of Singapore at that time. Here, we viewed the Paya Lebar International Airport, an old 70s Mercedes Benz, and the city skyline which has many buildings noticeably absent. We go from the mainland to Sentosa via cable car, following Cleo's footsteps, and come across vastly different and sparse beaches that we're unfamiliar with today. Local actor/DJ Brian Richmond also had a role in this film as Cleo's Singapore boss.

I overheard the people around me laugh and shake their heads on the impossibility of some scenes - like Cleo Wong single-handedly taking on 3 wrestlers (one of whom is local famous wrestler Mehar Singh), and leaping (yes, leaping without aid) over tall walls in escape. Or the scenes in which the raid on the hideout using guns resulted in prolonged and painful (no pun intended) death scenes. I suppose one must take into context the sign of the times, where kung-fu action was punctuated with exaggerated sound effects, and where the slightest punch will effect in maximum flying damage.

All in all, it's a fun film which one shouldn't miss. This was the film that was produced for an international audience, and one which resulted in catching the eye of Quentin Tarantino! Cleopatra Wong definitely lived up to her tagline.

Those interested in catching this film, there will be additional screenings at The Arts House on 22 Aug 05 Mon 2130hrs and 23 Aug 05 Tue 1900hrs.

While I had indeed never even heard about this 1978 movie titled "Cleopatra Wong", as I stumbled upon it here in 2025, I still opted to give the movie a fair chance. I had no idea what I was in for, but from the movie's cover, I figured that it was most likely some sort of exploitation movie.

Writers Bobby A. Suarez and Romeo N. Galang put together a fair enough script and storyline. It was pretty simplistic, and doesn't really need much of audience participation in order to keep up with the events. But it proved to be entertaining enough for what it turned out to be. It was a nice surprise to find out that this was, thankfully, not an exploitation movie.

I was not familiar with a single actor or actress on the cast list. Not that it was a bad thing, as I do enjoy watching new and unfamiliar talents on the screen. The acting performances in the movie were fair. Marrie Lee was very well-casted for the role as Cleopatra Wong.

The sound effects in the movie during the fight scenes were wonderfully exaggerated, but it just added a certain charm to the movie. The fight scenes in the movie were fair.

Watchable for what it was, I will say that much.

My rating of director Bobby A. Suarez's 1978 movie "Cleopatra Wong" lands on a five out of ten stars.

Interpol Agent Cleopatra Wong (Doris Young aka Marrie Lee) travels between Manilla, Singapore, and Hong Kong trying to uncover and put a stop to an international counterfeiting ring.

Let me start this by saying that I really, really (and I mean REALLY) wanted to like They Call Her...Cleopatra Wong. It had a lot going for it and a lot that usually appeals to me. A badass female secret agent who can kick butt and take names; a funky disco-inspired soundtrack; exotic locations; and action set-pieces galore - what's not to like? While it sounds good on paper, the execution leaves a lot to be desired. The plot ends up being a bit silly. Why on Earth would you smuggle counterfeit bills inside jars of jelly? What a ridiculous idea. Second, while the fight scenes are numerous, they got horribly repetitive after a while. There were only so many times I could watch Cleo go through the same motions with yet more faceless, nameless baddies. And while Ms Young has a definite screen presence and is more than capable of carrying much of the movie, she suffers in the fight sequences. Her movements aren't overly natural and some of her fight scenes have an off-putting static quality to them.

In the end, the highly enjoyable opening montage and some of the more memorable action set-pieces (like the assault on the monastery) help save They Call Her...Cleopatra Wong from being a complete disaster. As much as I'd like to give it a higher rating, a 5/10 is the best I can do.

5/10

Cleopatra Wong is an agent for INTERPOL. Called off her vacation to track down a source that is flooding five Asian countries with near perfect money. The trail takes her from the Philippines, to Hong Kong, Singapore and then back to the Philippines where she ends up donning a nun's habit to enter a monastery that seems to be the source of the bogus cash.

This movie doesn't make a great deal of sense but it does move along at a great clip. I don't think during the first half of the film more than three minutes pass with out some one getting beaten up by Wong. Its amazing, and amazingly fun, so much fun you don't care about the lack of sense. Unfortunately once Wong has found the source of the bad bills the film slows down as we are taken inside the operation and shown whats really going on. Its a not a good thing since the film not only to start to think about how nothing is making sense the film never fully recovers the momentum lost, even with a 20 minute long shoot out that ends the film (its a great guilty pleasure).

I liked the film a great deal. I dislike the slow fifteen minutes in the middle, but as an action candy this is one heck of a guilty pleasure. Action junkies are advised to track this film down. I also can recommend it to anyone with a high tolerance for tongue in cheek action films.

7.5 out of 10.

(FYI: I've read, though I'm not sure its true that the final shoot out got the film in hot water in the Philippines since the Catholic Church objected to people in nuns habits firing shot guns and automatic weapons, and considering the number of people in habits, its not surprising)