Zhi fa xian feng (1986)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Corey Yuen

Writers:

Chuek-Hon Szeto (screenplay)
Barry Wong (writer)

Release Date:

27 November 1986 (Hong Kong)

Genre:

Action

Plot:

Yuen Biao plays Jason Chan a lawyer, angry at the way the law seems to protect the bad guys, he decides...

Plot Keywords:

Witness | Policewoman Killing | Martial Arts | Murder | Gangster

Awards:

2 nominations

Cast

Biao Yuen	...	Hsia Ling-Cheng
Cynthia Rothrock	...	Cindy Si
Roy Chiao	...	Magistrate
Siu-Wong Fan	...	Yu Chi-Wen
Melvin Wong	...	Sergeant Wong Jing-Wai
Corey Yuen	...	Bad Egg
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Sandy Chan
Fat Chung	...	Driver of red porsche
Peter Cunningham	...	Black Assassin
Siu-Ming Lau	...	Yu's Grandfather
Karen Sheperd	...	Karen
Po Tai	...	Cop
James Tien	...	Chow Ting-Kwong
Ma Wu	...	Uncle Tsai

Also Known As:

Above the Law (UK) (video title)
Righting Wrongs (Hong Kong: English title)

Runtime:

USA:85 min

Country:

Hong Kong

Language:

Cantonese

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:18 (cut) | USA:Not Rated | West Germany:18 | Iceland:16 | Germany:BPjM Restricted

Company:

Bo Ho Film Company Ltd.

Trivia:

Karen Shepard didn't want her character to die in her fight against Cynthia Rothrock as was planned, claiming it would be harmful to her career. To appease her, Corey Yuen pretended to film her running away after the fight, but later filmed her death via a stunt double.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: During Cindy Si's first fight in the mohjong school, an obvious (male with brown hair) stunt double is used.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Best of the Martial Arts Films (1990)

Serious kicking of tail

This movie kicks serious butt. Like the majority of Hong Kong flicks, the script is rushed and uneven, the acting is secondary, and the "plot" is occasionally laughable as it lurches awkwardly from set-piece to set-piece. But none of this matters -- Yuen Biao is completely insane, and brings a vitality to his action scenes that a "big star" like Jet Li can't hope to match. The chase and demolition derby in the parking garage is alone worth the price of admission. Cynthia Rothrock holds her own, for the most part, showing energy and interest that will fade rapidly in the coming years as she "graduates" to low-budget American fare. (But check out the obvious stuntman on the railing leap!) Great goofball fun. If it's playing at a Chinese festival, see it in the theatre with a crowd of like-minded fans.