Customer Reviews

Beautiful Killing Machine

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Cheryl is the latest protagonist in the seemingly endless series of "Girls with Guns" imports from Japan. Cheryl is a bodyguard rather than an assassin, although she usually gets to fight lots of other folks who are assassins. Her support network includes Mark, a one-armed bartender and former soldier of fortune; Lucky Ear, a wheelchair-bound techno-geek who's in love with Cheryl; and a female doctor who seems to know many secrets about Cheryl. The doctor provides therapy to Cheryl in the form of sensuous nude massages, during which Cheryl fantasizes, rather incongruously--or so it seems--about men in kickboxing tournaments.

Cheryl's latest assignment is to protect a jewel thief from Hong Kong, who's come to Japan to recover a cache of hidden gems. The bad guys (whoever they are, and it doesn't really matter) have put out a contract on the thief, so Cheryl kicks, punches, and shoots her way through several bloody encounters with various assassins. Naturally, she beats them all, so the opposition ups the ante by calling in the Owl, an allegedly unstoppable killer. It turns out that Cheryl and the Owl have a past history, but it's definitely not what you would expect. Their final encounter is both erotic and sanguinary, in the approved tradition of this intensely formulaic genre.

Better than average, due to the interesting, if improbable, plot twist that drives the final part of the movie.

I had no expectations for this film. I just wanted a no brainer action flick with some good looking women in it. (WARNING - spoilers ahead) The story which was the strongest part of the film dissapointed me in the end when you find out the main heroine used to be a man who was deeply in love with main villain (also a man). Once this was revealed I began to lose interest in the female lead actress. The action was slow, boring and when the end of the movie finally came I breathed a sigh of relief and gave the dvd away and I have certainly not missed it.

I have to say this though, if you want to see something different and are not just in it for the girls and violence this might be and intersting movie for you. Like I stated the story is the strong point its the acting, pace and action which just doesn't hold up.

I bought this film as it appeared to be an Asian version of la femme Nikita, that compelling story of a beautiful Euro model-type woman forced to work for a security service, doing rather questionable tasks because they had "the goods" on her. This movie, or series of movies, is like that. The star is beautiful but also believable in her role. Movies ignore the laws of physics, such as a falling person being saved by someone's weak grip, or other anomalies. In fights, technique is given far too much credit; it is very hard for a tiny person to overcome a larger one. So, we must suspend our disbelief and believe that this slender beautiful woman can overcome assassins of far greater girth with the martial arts. I say, OK, poetic license. If you accept this premise, then the movie is a wonderful spy caper...remember, I said if...

I bought this one for the beautiful cover artwork. And in that it was satsfying, but the film itself is definitely Japanese B movie all over !