Starring: Sandy Chan, Roy Chiao, Fat Chung, Peter Cunningham, Siu-Wong Fan Average Rating: Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated) Binding: VHS Tape Format: Color, Dubbed, Letterboxed, Widescreen, NTSC Label: Tai Seng Number of Items: 1 Release Date: January 01, 1998 Running Time: 100 minutes Theatrical Release Date: 1986
Yuen Biao shows off his amazing athletic abilites in this high energy cops vs. bad guys movie Yuen Biao stars as a vigilante defense attorney. When all of his witnesses are killed, he looks to take matters into his own hands. Cynthia Rothrock stars a mahjong playing, kung fu fighting policewoman, and Melvin Wong stars as the dirty police chief. The story has many illogical things happening, but if you have seen a lot of Hong Kong films, you know they do whatever they have to do to move onto the next fight scene. Fan Siu Wong has a great role as a young punk. He doesn't get to do any action, but it is pretty hard to believe that this is the same kid who only 5 years later would attain a physique that even Bruce Lee would have marveled at. So to sum the movie up briefly, Biao and Rothrock finally figure out Melvin Wong is the bad guy, and it all leads to a spectacular finish.
The story is not bad, but the action is definitely the best thing about this movie. Yuen Biao gives one of his very best physical performances, and Rothrock has a few nice fights including one of the better woman on woman fights of all time against Karen Sheperd. I always love to see the chain rope in action, and Karen Sheperd seems to be very skilled using it. Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham plays an assassin and has my favorite fight of the movie against Biao. They don't pull any punches and it is very intense. The final fight is good, but then there is a thrilling chase sequence that I was not expecting at all. Don't give up on this movie half way through if you don't like it, the last 30 minutes are worth a watch for any fan of action cinema.
3.5/5
I recommend the Dragon Dynasty version under the title Above the Law. The picture quality is pretty much perfect and it has great interviews with Rothrock, Yuen Biao and Peter Cunningham.
The Best I have tried searching for this film, that is known as ABOVE THE LAW, not knowing it is under another name. It is a very good film and quite entertaining too. Go buy it
Yuen Biao's best movie period. This is hands down Yuen Biao's and Cynthia Rothrock's best movie! I'm not much of a fan of either of them, but this movie displays some of the best martial arts I have seen. The movie is extremely violent as well with a little gun-fu. Don't get me wrong tho, there is more hand to hand stuff here that'll get you pumped up. The story, Yuen Biao is a lawyer trying to prosecute 2 mobster-like individuals for arranging a hit on Biao's friend and his friend's family...without evidence, Biao decides to take matters in his own hands, but he is being trailed by a policewoman (Rothrock)...Biao will end up being at the wrong place at wrong time, and Rothrock will wrongfully accuse him...from then on its pretty much about finding the truth and RIGHTING WRONGS. Both Biao and Rothrock show their best stuff here and all of the fighting is clear and insanely brutal...Don't be fooled of the age of the film, a lot of classic martial arts flicks come from the 80's. Not only that, but the stunts are real here as well, and there are some crazy and awesome acrobatic moves in this film (although Rothrock doesnt really do hers). As for which version to get, I got the dual sided Universe version and Im assuming this is the original since this is a major HK dvd distributor. Either way, this movie is simply one of the best...it's definitely somewhere in my top 10 best martial arts flick...think of this movie as Michelle Yeoh's Royal Warriors with a lot more fighting and violence. The ending is quite unusual and it'll probably make you think, "Oh, it's one of those movies". Enough praise, I could go on forever...all martial arts fans should at least view this movie if not own it...check it out!!!!!!
The UNIVERSE version is the only one you should buy-5 stars Why? Because it is a double-sided disk, with two different endings, and other scenes which are found in one version, are not in the other. No, I'm not giving anything away here.
This is an incredible film! The martial arts of Yuen Biao are unsurpassed. This film was nominated for a Hong Kong Film Award for Best Action Choreography. Wu Ma's heartbreaking performance was also nominated in the the Best Supporting Actor category...
Above The Law (in Chinese) WOW. OK, this movie is a classic hardcore awesome martial arts movie. I love this film. I first saw the English dubbed version when I was young and it blew my mind away. I had seen a few Van Damme movies before I was enlightened by Yuen Biao and all the Hong Kong martial artists that followed. The speed, the viciousness, the martial arts, everything. Later on (many years of searching for this film - thank you Amazon.com) I saw the Chinese one (original version) with subtitles to help me out and was blown away again. This `is' the movie that inspired me to do martial arts, Kung-fu.
The action is great and all the fighters duke it out without being the average flippy flashy ninja people. Yuen Biao is great. Fast and flexible, not a bad actor either. Biao is a friend of Jackie Chan, and has been a goof in Dragons Forever, but this movie is hardcore and serious. Cynthia Rothrock, I have lots of respect for her. She is one of the best female martial artists that I have seen. I admire that woman a lot (only in her good films though, so beware of the bad ones). This movie was made in the mid 80s, so it has a neat look and score to it. I like the song in the credits. The plot is actually not that bad. A lawyer who has seen many criminals get away and put in jail for a long time or short time, gets fed up with the law system and goes out to enforce it by hand (Yuen Biao). Cynthia plays a cop who follows the law to strike down the lawbreakers. They both fight to serve the law, but both on different terms. Sooner or later, it gets time to get down and dirty, better to say, down and bloody. There are more one on one fight sequences than one versus many.
If you want to see this movie, I recommend that you get the Chinese one with English subtitles. In the Dubbed one, they said that it was all in Tokyo. Come on, Tokyo? It's Hong Kong! Personally I feel the dubbed one is a sell out in some of the lines. The Chinese one contains a few more scenes (I think - if memory serves me) and the dialog is much better. The ending in the Chinese one is very different from the ending in the Dubbed version that I saw some years ago (memory serves me on that). I like the Chinese ending better. If you have the time and money then get both, then you can make the decision for yourself, I won't tell you either endings.
Anything Goes Trivia
Megaton Man
Tony's Online Tips
Trevor
