I am a big fan of HK films, particularly the more gritty and realistic ones of the 80's and 90's. Realistic action where the laws of physics still apply provides more entertainment for me than the fake stunts where the villains always swing high or miss and get trashed.
A 90 pound girl simply cannot kick a person nearly twice her weight across the room. It simply cannot be done, no matter how fast the kick. Normal people cannot see behind their heads. Modern criminals use firearms, not swords or sticks.
This is the basis of my personal apathy about this film. To be sure, the lead actress, Yanin, is very impressive. She is acrobatic and fluid in her kicks. That alone, though, is insufficient evidence that she could do the things she does.
I believe this film was created for those who enjoy the flying feet of Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee, action heroines of the 80's. To be sure the settings and choreography are certainly competitive with the HK films of that era.
Where the film falls down is that the characters are simply not sympathetic. The father is a gang member from Japan and the mother is a gang member from Thailand. The money that Jeeja collects (in a very violent manner) is dirty money from extortion and drugs and should not be available for use by Mama, regardless of her condition. The fact that Jeeja actually kills people in the pursuit of this money makes her just a step above them.
The ending is particularly disappointing, but I will not reveal that.
My version of the film had very poor subtitles. I simply could not understand some of the dialog, though I got the gist of it through the action. And action there is in abundance.
If action is all you want and you like seeing a 90 lb girl beat up a hundred (severely inept) bad guys, then this is the movie for you.
A 90 pound girl simply cannot kick a person nearly twice her weight across the room. It simply cannot be done, no matter how fast the kick. Normal people cannot see behind their heads. Modern criminals use firearms, not swords or sticks.
This is the basis of my personal apathy about this film. To be sure, the lead actress, Yanin, is very impressive. She is acrobatic and fluid in her kicks. That alone, though, is insufficient evidence that she could do the things she does.
I believe this film was created for those who enjoy the flying feet of Michelle Yeoh and Moon Lee, action heroines of the 80's. To be sure the settings and choreography are certainly competitive with the HK films of that era.
Where the film falls down is that the characters are simply not sympathetic. The father is a gang member from Japan and the mother is a gang member from Thailand. The money that Jeeja collects (in a very violent manner) is dirty money from extortion and drugs and should not be available for use by Mama, regardless of her condition. The fact that Jeeja actually kills people in the pursuit of this money makes her just a step above them.
The ending is particularly disappointing, but I will not reveal that.
My version of the film had very poor subtitles. I simply could not understand some of the dialog, though I got the gist of it through the action. And action there is in abundance.
If action is all you want and you like seeing a 90 lb girl beat up a hundred (severely inept) bad guys, then this is the movie for you.