Yes, Madam (Huang gu shi jie, 1985)

Corey Yuen

Hong Kong

93 mins, color, Cantonese (English subtitles)

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Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock comprise the deadly duo in this top of the line HK action flick that's unleaded script-wise but quite harmful to the environment in terms of adrenaline pumping whoop-ass. In the post-Gen-X person, the cheesy feel of the film may induce uncontrollable yearning for all things disco, probably mainly because of the hairdos and the clothes. The inept acting, especially egregious in the case of the permanently laughing moron who was supposedly the corrupt and evil mafia boss, is a distraction which, in combination with the ultra-groovy English (??) subtitles, is irresistible. Spice that up with a healthy dose of Tsui Hark slapstick humor (he's unbelievable) plus some minuscule amount of annoyance generated by the two bumbling thieves, and you get the comedic relief.

Make no mistake about this film, it's all in the fights. There aren't too many of them, but the ones we get are excellent. The last one in particular was absolutely amazing. The stunts are pretty involved (although perhaps not quite as Jackie Chan's) and the two divas kick ass with dedication that brought tears of joy to this jaded viewer. The ending is a complete surprise but in retrospect makes some sense.

Don't miss it for the world. Although not the best, even in its own intended niche, YES, MADAM is one of the better ones. If you are a Michelle or Cynthia fan, you should most definitely see it (although in this case the chances are that you have already done so).

April 10, 2001. BLS