Very much in the line of hard-hitting late '80s Hong Kong cop flicks like POLICE ASSASSINS and POLICE STORY 2 comes IN THE LINE OF DUTY, actually the fourth in a series of films but retitled for the purpose of simplicity for UK release. It's the film that propelled Donnie Yen into stardom and is probably the most action-packed of all kung fu flicks that I've watched so far. Director Yuen Woo-ping knows what the audience wants and he gives it to them, offering one superlative action sequence after another, building up to a fight-filled climax that will please any martial arts fan.
Of course, in the face of so much action, something has to suffer and, as is so often the case, here it's the plot. This time around there's something about a stolen negative (a perennial favourite in the '80s - see it also POLICE ASSASSINS) which quickly turns into a good-guys-versus-bad-guys kick-ass action fest. Really, this film is all about the action and it's top-notch. Free of obvious wire work and packed with stunts, car chases (an ambulance in this instance), motorbike duels, shoot-outs, and, of course, kung fu, IN THE LINE OF DUTY is an action lover's dream that is rarely surpassed. The two heroes of the film are equally good, with Cynthia Khan playing the Michelle Yeoh-type role of indestructible female cop, and Donnie Yen as her hot headed partner, who gets into trouble with his unorthodox methods but who nevertheless proves unbeatable when it comes to tackling the bad guys.
And what villains! This film has plenty - from the computer-game style street thugs (headed by muscle man Michael Woods) to the slimy corrupt "friend", this time played by the suave Michael Wong. On top of that there are motorbike assassins, huge muscle guys, a guy who I swore was the deaf baddie from POLICE STORY 2 (except it's not, he was played by Benny Lai and this guy isn't him), street gangs, and a female Caucasian who fights Khan in a lift shaft in one of the best bits. Okay, so the Chinese version of Seattle is hardly convincing, and the routine set gags (this time, a handcuffed guy trying to hide his cuffs from his mother) pass the time without being appealing. But in the face of the action, who cares? There's a guy with a lethal needle sticking out of his boot and a battle in an office with an electric fence. There's a rooftop duel between Yen and Woods, the latter proving to be near-unbeatable himself, and there's a fun motorbike chase through some back alleys. Lethal violence and hard-hitting kicks and punches are what this film is all about, and action fans will not be disappointed. It's a classic, pure and simple, up there as one of my favourite Hong Kong flicks of the late '80s.
Of course, in the face of so much action, something has to suffer and, as is so often the case, here it's the plot. This time around there's something about a stolen negative (a perennial favourite in the '80s - see it also POLICE ASSASSINS) which quickly turns into a good-guys-versus-bad-guys kick-ass action fest. Really, this film is all about the action and it's top-notch. Free of obvious wire work and packed with stunts, car chases (an ambulance in this instance), motorbike duels, shoot-outs, and, of course, kung fu, IN THE LINE OF DUTY is an action lover's dream that is rarely surpassed. The two heroes of the film are equally good, with Cynthia Khan playing the Michelle Yeoh-type role of indestructible female cop, and Donnie Yen as her hot headed partner, who gets into trouble with his unorthodox methods but who nevertheless proves unbeatable when it comes to tackling the bad guys.
And what villains! This film has plenty - from the computer-game style street thugs (headed by muscle man Michael Woods) to the slimy corrupt "friend", this time played by the suave Michael Wong. On top of that there are motorbike assassins, huge muscle guys, a guy who I swore was the deaf baddie from POLICE STORY 2 (except it's not, he was played by Benny Lai and this guy isn't him), street gangs, and a female Caucasian who fights Khan in a lift shaft in one of the best bits. Okay, so the Chinese version of Seattle is hardly convincing, and the routine set gags (this time, a handcuffed guy trying to hide his cuffs from his mother) pass the time without being appealing. But in the face of the action, who cares? There's a guy with a lethal needle sticking out of his boot and a battle in an office with an electric fence. There's a rooftop duel between Yen and Woods, the latter proving to be near-unbeatable himself, and there's a fun motorbike chase through some back alleys. Lethal violence and hard-hitting kicks and punches are what this film is all about, and action fans will not be disappointed. It's a classic, pure and simple, up there as one of my favourite Hong Kong flicks of the late '80s.