Rating: ***
Review Date: 7/16/00
Cast: Judy Lee (Chia Ling), cameo by Philip Ko
I have conflicting release dates on this film, but I'm more tempted to go with 1978, since 1981 appears to be an Ocean Shores re-issue date. Really, the title says it all. Judy Lee has been learning kung fu so that she can avenge her father's murder. Her master confesses to the murder, attempting to goad Judy into killing him, but he's instead killed by a wandering swordsman who takes a liking to Judy. But her revenge doesn't end there. She's also been framed for the slaughter of someone's family and goes to investigate the claim, killing anyone who dares to stop her. When she finally gets to the bottom of the conspiracy, she's in over her head, but miraculously her old teacher shows up to help her. Pretty nifty trick, considering he was burned and buried at the beginning of the film...
A good kung fu film that's a non-stop string of action pieces for Ms. Lee. She looks great and her fighting is superb. Unfortunately, the film is a complete pan-and-scan disaster, making me want to pull out my hair in frustration. Apart from a long and pointless brothel set piece and the confusing climactic showdown, this film offers a great helping of intense girl fu. Lots of fun!