The Film
With Cynthia Rothrock having only done Yes Madam, and Michelle Khan [Yeoh] departing the loose franchise following Royal Warriors, this third entry (the title of which also translates as Royal Madam III: Male and Female Thieves) had to turn to new talent. Billing then 20 year-old Taiwanese actress Yang Li-tsing as Cynthia Khan was a cynical move on par with introducing a new action star to US movies today, and giving her the screen name Kate Theron. Like the alternate title fusing those of the two previous films, it’s not something that screams of inspiration, but like Cynthia Khan herself, this film is a dark horse that deserves more credit, and to be looked at on its own terms rather than based on what its name is ripping off.
The story, as ever, is largely a framework to hang the action on, but this time it sees Khan as a relatively inexperienced cop who impresses her superiors by taking down a robber and is sent to the serious crimes squad, commanded by her uncle (Paul Chun), who doesn’t want her to be a cop. Meanwhile, in Tokyo, a team of thieves led by by a couple (Stuart Ong as Nakamura and Michiko Nishiwaki who simply uses her real name for the character) takes down a jewellery show by a famous designer, killing many people in the process, including the partner of Policeman Hiroshi Fujioka (also using his real name in character). He comes to Hong Kong on their trail, and ends up teaming up with Khan to take the male and female thieves down.
Directors Arthur Wong and Brandy Yuen (also one of five credited action directors) raise the amount of action from the first two movies. As is traditional for the series, they launch right into action with the opening sequence, which also serves as an opening bow for Khan. From the second she faces down her first bad guy, tears her skirt so she can kick more freely, and smacks him down before launching into a great chase and fight sequence, we can see that she’s a more than worthy substitute for her predecessors in the franchise. On her own terms, she’s a teriffic heroine; charming and with an aptitude for the light comedy of the Police station sequences, but also more than willing to mix it up in the action.
From there, it’s straight to Tokyo for the attack on the jewellery fashion show, and Wong, Yuen and their team demonstrate a viciousness to their action that will run right through the film. That viciousness is most notably personified in Michiko Nishiwaki. Nishiwaki is the film’s great find. She has a very particular look: a death stare that could freeze you from 50 feet away, a strikingly beautiful face and a bodybuilder’s physique. She’s also incredibly fast, and her moves look brutal and painful. On top of all this, she creates a memorable character for her villainous namesake. Charming as I find – for instance – Maggie Cheung in the Police Story films, I can’t say I either believe or am invested in her character’s romance with Jackie. Here, we absolutely buy the relationship between Nishiwaki and Stuart Ong. It’s defined early on, with a rare for this genre sex scene, and both within and beyond that scene there is a genuine charge between the characters.
The whole film builds the rivalry between the loose team of Fujioka and Khan and her fellow cops and the male and female thieves (honestly, you’d think they could come up with a catchier nickname) and the anticipation of a finale throwdown between them and Nishiwaki and Dick Wei, who joins the bad guy team for the third act. Wei is one of the all time great Hong Kong movie heavies, and heavy is the word for the way his action plays out. Whether he’s fighting Jackie in Project A or Cynthia Khan here, he never seems to pull a single punch. Khan is perhaps a little more heavily doubled than Yeoh or Rothrock were, with some flying moves and heavy falls taken for her, but they are well disguised, and she does an impressive job with the choreography which, as long as it’s on the ground, she looks to be doing the great bulk of herself.
The final showdown is one for the books, with both Khan and Nishiwaki impressing in terms of their power and their agility. Let’s just say I wish it ended differently so we could have had another go round with the two of them for the sequel. Fujioka, Stuart Ong and especially the always great Dick Wei all contribute some great moments to the action, but these films are built around their female characters, so it’s fitting that, especially in the bad guy role, that’s where our attention is focused.
In the Line of Duty III is barely a franchise entry, but for me it betters its two predecessors. Yes Madam’s action is better overall, but the pacing and tonal balance is much stronger here, and Michiko Nishiwaki just pushes this entry to the top of the pile for me.
★★★★
I’m running out of ways to say that Eureka continue to deliver the goods in their presentation of their line of martial arts classics. The mono sound is solid if unspectacular, but the restoration of the image makes these movies look better than they likely ever have in the UK. It’s another impressive job.
Disappointingly, the extras this time are somewhat limited, though that still means that we get the two commentaries that Eureka usually supplies. Again, there is overlap in the information that Frank Djeng and the team of Mike Leeder and Arne Venema supply, but each has their usual style: motormouthed for Djeng and informative and chummy from Leeder and Venema. You know by now whose style you prefer. It’s a shame some trailed video extras didn’t emerge, but the film is great and the commentaries provide plenty of context both on it and on where to go next if you want to see more from these filmmakers.
