A Book of Heroes
I challenge anyone to find a movie in which
more people get knocked through windows, walls or doors. The stuntmen
more than earn their pay in this Taiwanese action/comedy as they are used
continuously as punching bags by the three femme fatales. This film
is a delightful little gem that is full of nonsensical comedy and some very
enjoyable acrobatic martial arts action. The three women are all terrific,
but the only one that I am familiar with is Yukari Oshima. This film was made
soon after her memorable part in Millionaires Express, but before her breakthrough
film, Angel. Though she has a much smaller part than the other two women,
her fights are astonishingly acrobatic. She reminded me of a female version
of Yuen Biao. The other two women are excellent as well – though perhaps
they had some doubling assistance.
The film is about some stolen gold that everyone is trying to get their hands
on. A cop is trying to prove his worth by tracking it down and he has
the very able help of his girlfriend. Another pair in on the chase are two
card sharks who come into possession of the map showing where the gold is
hidden. In an early scene they are caught cheating, but the woman takes on
all comers and cleans out the room without mussing up her makeup –
breaking numerous windows, doors etc in the process. It turns out that she
also has a pretty good iron shot, but keeps forgetting to shout out "fore"!
Finally the Japanese villain (Shoji Kurata) and his right hand man are also
doing everything they can to locate the gold. As insurance, Kurata
hires Yukari to help him out, but not before he tests her. He points out
five members of another gang and says if she can kill them with her bare
hands the job is hers. As Yukari kills one after the other, her salary continues
to go up. It’s a splendid scene for Yukari.
In the end there is the obligatory scene
when all these forces come together for one last fight. Along with all this
action, there has been a large dose of totally silly but good-natured humor.
This film is in no way to be taken seriously. It is just a fun unpretentious
romp and an opportunity to see Yukari at the peak of her physical abilities.
Rating: 7.5
