I'll grant that I may be a bit overly generous, yet in all honestly, there's no aspect of this that stands out to me as being so severely flawed as to detract from the viewing experience. It's not especially clear what's happening in the opening scene, and I could do with more clarity as such. While the final sequence is very well done, it somewhat breaks with the tone established in the rest of the film, and the ending comes rather abruptly. But to my absolute delight, these are the only criticisms that particularly come to mind about 'The inspector wears skirts,' and they're quite minor at that. I think this is outstanding fun, and I'm tempted to immediately rewatch it!
This is a title that should feel very familiar to anyone who has watched (Hollywood) comedies from the 1980s, and more specifically, comedies like 'Stripes' or 'Police Academy' that focus on the shenanigans of trainees in a strictly regimented setting like the military, or ... well, police. An indisputable through-line can be drawn - yet rather than feel derivative, the combination of action and humor is so very well done here that it feels fresh and inviting. Focusing primarily on women instead of men offers another slight variation. Add a tertiary romantic subplot to taste, stir well, and presto! - this is a blast! For all the silliness, the comedy is genuinely funny. Not all the jokes translate (literally), and the English subtitles are imperfect, but the humor is less linguistic than it is situational, and physical. I laughed more than a few times while watching, and that's not always easy to do.
While the comedic element is more prominent for much of the duration, the action is even stronger. Every fight scene and stunt we see is utterly terrific, with superb choreography and orchestration of each instance. There's a lot of intelligence and imagination that went into both elements of 'The inspector wears skirts,' and of course this particularly comes out during the climactic sequence, where the most vibrant displays of martial arts and otherwise action are allowed to flourish. All due commendations to director Wellson Chin, and all the hard-working stunt performers and crew who made even training sequences so unexpectedly exciting, let alone the even more robust moments!
Even putting aside these crucial two facets, however, I really think everything in this movie was done very well. Frankly everything in the production demonstrates a level of care and attentiveness I didn't anticipate, from costume design to props and weapons; from music and lighting, to effects. Though not exactly world class, I think the acting is actually pretty swell; the cast embody their roles with just enough nuance and personality to really help both action and comedy shine. And naturally none of this would be possible without the sharp writing of Kam Fu Cheng, whose screenplay illustrates noteworthy, welcome wit in every regard. I began watching with middling assumptions about the quality of the feature, yet I'm so wonderfully pleased at just how entertaining and well-made this turned out to be!
Sure, there's a lot of sexism in the writing - but only as a major component of the narrative that the female commandos must overcome. Necessarily noting this, otherwise I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't recommend 'The inspector wears skirts' to just about anyone. It's a surprisingly dexterous swirl of action and comedy that's highly enjoyable from start to finish, and whether you specifically like 80s comedies - or martial arts - or are just looking for a good time, I can think of few other pictures I'd so unreservedly suggest!
Two thumbs up from me!
This is a title that should feel very familiar to anyone who has watched (Hollywood) comedies from the 1980s, and more specifically, comedies like 'Stripes' or 'Police Academy' that focus on the shenanigans of trainees in a strictly regimented setting like the military, or ... well, police. An indisputable through-line can be drawn - yet rather than feel derivative, the combination of action and humor is so very well done here that it feels fresh and inviting. Focusing primarily on women instead of men offers another slight variation. Add a tertiary romantic subplot to taste, stir well, and presto! - this is a blast! For all the silliness, the comedy is genuinely funny. Not all the jokes translate (literally), and the English subtitles are imperfect, but the humor is less linguistic than it is situational, and physical. I laughed more than a few times while watching, and that's not always easy to do.
While the comedic element is more prominent for much of the duration, the action is even stronger. Every fight scene and stunt we see is utterly terrific, with superb choreography and orchestration of each instance. There's a lot of intelligence and imagination that went into both elements of 'The inspector wears skirts,' and of course this particularly comes out during the climactic sequence, where the most vibrant displays of martial arts and otherwise action are allowed to flourish. All due commendations to director Wellson Chin, and all the hard-working stunt performers and crew who made even training sequences so unexpectedly exciting, let alone the even more robust moments!
Even putting aside these crucial two facets, however, I really think everything in this movie was done very well. Frankly everything in the production demonstrates a level of care and attentiveness I didn't anticipate, from costume design to props and weapons; from music and lighting, to effects. Though not exactly world class, I think the acting is actually pretty swell; the cast embody their roles with just enough nuance and personality to really help both action and comedy shine. And naturally none of this would be possible without the sharp writing of Kam Fu Cheng, whose screenplay illustrates noteworthy, welcome wit in every regard. I began watching with middling assumptions about the quality of the feature, yet I'm so wonderfully pleased at just how entertaining and well-made this turned out to be!
Sure, there's a lot of sexism in the writing - but only as a major component of the narrative that the female commandos must overcome. Necessarily noting this, otherwise I can't think of any reason why I wouldn't recommend 'The inspector wears skirts' to just about anyone. It's a surprisingly dexterous swirl of action and comedy that's highly enjoyable from start to finish, and whether you specifically like 80s comedies - or martial arts - or are just looking for a good time, I can think of few other pictures I'd so unreservedly suggest!
Two thumbs up from me!