Royal Warriors

'Royal Warriors (1986)' is absolutely wild. This exhilarating action movie pushes through high-octane set-piece after high-octane set-piece, rarely letting its foot of the gas as it presents a compelling mix of old-school Hong Kong Kung Fu and exquisitely eighties action excess. It's the kind of movie in which everyone wears either 'The Terminator (1984)'-esque leather, Vietnam-era combat gear or bold business blazers three sizes too big for them. It's filled to the brim with death-defying stunts, metal-crunching car chases, squib-triggering shootouts, bone-crunching brawls and dizzying amounts of collateral damage. It's incredibly exciting. Rather unusually for a film of its kind, it only features four baddies. There are no giant fights between our heroes and hoards of faceless goons, just personal battles between people seeking revenge in a nearly endless loop that threatens to make good on the promise that an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. It's actually a sequel to 'Yes, Madam! (1985)', and it's superior to that picture because it keeps its focus firmly on Michelle Yeoh and her co-stars, Hiroyuki Sanada and Michael Wong (playing someone called Michael Wong, for some reason), rather than cutting away to secondary characters who mostly engage in screwball comedy. It's a pretty dark and occasionally downright vicious picture, even if it does have moments of levity in the from of Wong's attempts to start a relationship with Yeoh. It's rather tragic overall and isn't afraid to show civilians getting caught in the crossfire that occurs as a result of the villains' vendetta against the heroes (a sequence set in a gloriously neon-soaked nightclub is particularly callous in its chaos). Thanks to its mixture of different types of set-piece, strong central performances (Yeoh is a total star) and consistently well-choreographed action, the well-paced piece remains really entertaining from its first frame to its last. It's one of the more sheerly thrilling examples of its genre, and it's genuinely great. Of course, it has some of the same flaws as many of its counterparts, but they're all fairly minor and aren't really worth mentioning. It's not perfect, but - for what it is - it's fantastic.

Michelle Yip (Michelle Yeoh) of the Hong Kong police is a mild-mannered Kung Fu expert; Michael Wong from air security is happy-go-lucky, stuck on himself, constantly talking, and smitten by her; Yamamoto (Hiroyuki Sanada)is quiet, hard-boiled, leaving the Tokyo police to spend time with his wife and daughter. They form an alliance when they foil a hijacking on a plane flying a mob prisoner from Tokyo to Hong Kong. The mobster and his would-be rescuer die; this sets off two avengers who were their blood brothers. Our three cops become the targets.

Michelle Yeoh and Hiroyuki Sanada star in this hard-hitting cop action film which has non stop action, and of the exhilarating kind. Frantic hand to hand combat, a high-speed chase, a car bomb, the destruction of a nightclub, a spectacular suicide, a fight in a plane, and a tense cliffhanger at the end, all executed with skill. The parts in between the mayhem is much lighter, which is due to Michael Wong who is smitten by Yeoh. It's pleasant, and a break from the mayhem. But ultimately it's the action set pieces and Yeoh's and Sanada's high kicking attitude that makes this a recommended watch for martial arts fans.

Fine follow up to Yes Madam. Not nearly as witty, but heavier on action (most of the scenes are very exciting with extremely tough baddies).

The last baddy is particularly good, with a silly mocking smile and grin. I loved the scene where he shoots the TV set.

The plot is by turns clever and cliched, and the "music" makes the whole thing feel much more cheesy than it otherwise would. Really, in some of these 80's Hong Kong films the DVD's should have an option of removable soundtracks. Alot of the films such as this would come across much stronger now without a synthesizer in the background banging away. Of course this would remove the campy bad guy forte chord which I know many viewers are endeared to.

Those who enjoy hard-edged action over wit might even prefer this to Yes Madam as the best of Michelle Yeoh's early action films.

It maybe Michelle Khan in the credits but it Michelle Yeoh.(Chinese Stars often have numerous names by which they are known.)

This is the first in a series of films about a group of police officers who end up on various action packed exploits. I have not watched them all, but I'm told that they are all pretty good with this one being the best.

This has a great deal of action and humor and if you like action films this is a good one to see whether you're a fan of Hong Kong Cinema or not since it all movies along nicely.

The films only real flaw is the fact that its dated some what. What was current back in 1986 when this was made now seems very of a period and almost annoying. Thankfully the stuff going on on screen makes you forget that and sucks you into the action.

7 out of 10

Within this HK genre of hard-hitting crime thrillers, "In The Line Of Duty" stands out for its gritty storytelling and brutal presentation of martial arts. A group of psychotic war veterans carry out a terrorist attempt which ends up being foiled by policewoman Michelle Yeoh. After their failed attempt the few remaining terrorists target Yeoh and her comrades in order to enact revenge for the death of their fellow war- hardened brothers. In a messy blood feud Michelle Yeoh struggles to stay alive while simultaneously trying to capture her terrorist foe. Things get out of hand quickly as the stakes are raised and the death toll manages to roll even higher. The side plot involving Yeoh begins to wander but luckily it's not long before you are quickly revived by another action sequence. One apparent detractor is that unlike the sequel cutesy moments don't fit within the story being told, and the comic relief serves as a distraction rather than an aid. The fast-paced flick that In The Line Of Duty tries to be is weighed down by just a bit too much filler. Regardless of this flaw the terrorist plans while ridiculous keep you genuinely interested, and you'll be curious to see where the plot goes. An action packed finale is the highlight of the movie, as the tension remains strong and the Kung-Fu is fierce. Personally this is my favorite out of the series. The entertainment value is very high if nothing else, and Yeoh fans will surely be pleased. -7/10