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Ghost Canyon

The Inspector Wears Skirts [Blu-ray]
(Sibelle Hu, Cynthia Rothrock, Kara Wai, et al / 2-Disc Blu-ray / NR / (1988) 2023 / 88 Films - MVD Collection)

Overview: A team of high-kicking female super cops prove themselves a match for any man alive as they tackle foes from terrorists to jewel thieves. Action icon Jackie Chan put together a supreme team of lethal ladies including Shaw Brothers icon Wai Yin-hung (‘My Young Auntie’) and American martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock (‘China O’Brien’).

The action scenes for these beauties on the beat are delivered by Jackie’s own stunt team, who also co-star in the film. ‘Inspector Wears Skirts’ blends slapstick comedy with high impact action to deliver more fun than should be lawful!

Blu-ray Verdict: Actress Sibelle Hu stars as Madam Wu, a character that is spun-off from the Five Lucky Stars movie series. Here, she is in charge of training a group of female Banshee Squad Members of the Hong Kong Police Force. Next door to their academy is the male Tiger Squad Members, led by Inspector Kan (Shui-Fan Fung).

Full of good and bad, as most movies of this ilk/era most assuredly are, what started out as some rigorous training action quickly was reduced to a prolonged scene set at a roller-skating rink towards the middle of the movie! One where the Tiger Squad members try to court the Banshee Squad members, if I was viewing it correctly.

For me, this scene really dragged with an unnecessary smothering of slapstick humor that distracts from the movie’s main plot, but each to their own, I guess. Indeed, the subplot’s of the members courting one another and the rivalry of Madam Wu and Inspector Kan are not interwoven into the story too seamlessly, making you wonder what the main objective of the movie’s story is.

But, again, every tale told like this has those pockets of I’d have done that differently. Some butt-kicking and gut-totting action do not take place until the end of the film, but luckily by then the film has ramped up nicely and we have pulled through that aforementioned section.

While the movie could have used at least one more big action set piece in the middle, the cast is hugely appealing and it kind of makes you forget about the actionless lull in the center. Rothrock’s prowess is fully on display in the scenes that she’s in, and all the other ladies get to show off as well.

And not just in the realm of Martial Arts - check out Ann Bridgewater’s amazing dance moves in the time-honored disco sequence! I would have been happy with just this, as we always watch out for the disco scene in any movie, but the movie tops itself with a show-stopping sequence in a roller rink. I won’t give anything away, but it’s hard to put into words just how much I personally loved this scene!

So, in conclusion, there’s a ton of training, minimal but high-quality Rothrock, and a nice cast, but the movie could have used a strong, central villain to pull everything together. That said, it’s filled with that Hong Kong ’80s style we all know and love. Fans of said style should enjoy this, unless they are cynical and lame, of course. For the rest of us, The Inspector Wears Skirts remains a fun outing.

Special Features:
2K Remaster from the Original Camera Negative
High Definition (1080p) Blu-ray Presentation
2.0 Cantonese Dual Mono with English Subtitles
2.0 English Dual Mono
Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng
Shooting Her Shot - An Interview With Cynthia Rothrock
The Director Wears Pants - An Interview With Director Wellson Chin
”Top Squad” English Opening and Closing Titles
Hong Kong Trailer
English Trailer
Stills Gallery
Slipcase with brand-new artwork from Sean Longmore (Limited Edition Exclusive)

www.88-films.myshopify.com





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