Rating: **
Alternate Title: Kung Fu Girl
Review Date: 6/1/19
Director: Lo Wei
Cast: Cheng Pei Pei, Ou Wei, James Tien, Lo Wei, Joe Shishido,
cameo by Jackie Chan
A plodding and tiresome tale of Chinese patriotism. Chen Xiaoying (Cheng Pei Pei) is a Southern Revolutionary who poses as a corrupt official's long-lost sister. She spends the entire film trying to free a political prisoner who's vital to the cause, which has her fighting misguided Chinese officers and challenging the Japanese embassy. Given the nationalistic tone of the film, it's only fitting that she goes out in a hail of bullets, just like Bruce Lee.
The adorable Cheng Pei Pei is delightful throughout, although her fight scenes are inconsistent and vary from good to mediocre. Her spinning kicks are dazzling to watch, but many scenes suffer from stiff execution, pulled punches, and poorly timed reactions. Ou Wei gives an excellent performance as the devious and shifty Captain Lei Tienpao, and Joe Shishido (known for his bizarre cheek implants) makes an excellent Japanese villain. Jackie Chan also shows up briefly as a Japanese thug. Unfortunately, the film is two hours long and moves at a glacial pace, which makes it difficult to watch. For Cheng Pei Pei fans only.