original
Hong Kong/Filipino Chinese title DIE XUE ROU QING [Only Strong
Survive]
also known as ANGEL OF FURY
director:
Phillip Ko
starring: Cynthia Khan · Sharon Yeung [Yeung Pan Pan] · Waise Lee · Ronnie
Rickett · Melanie Marquez
Cynthia
Khan plays Mai Lei, an Interpol agent on the trail of Natasia, a supermodel
who has stolen a precious artifact from the Shaolin Temple and is trying
to sell it t gangsters in Manila. At least, that's the premise behind
Mai Lei's transfer to the Philippines. But, soon enough, she discovers
lots of ugliness brewing under the surface and tons of bad guys with guns
and explosives. A bit later, she's joined by Hong Kong cop Wong Li (Sharon
Yeung) for the climatic gun battle and martial arts action.
While
Cynthia Khan is always a treat for the eyes - both in physical appearance
and fighting skills - and while Sharon Yeung is also welcome in any film,
regardless of the length of her performance [little more than a cameo
here], the real surprise in this actioner is Melanie Marquez. She is a
remarkable and complicated villain. Miss Marquez was a top model in the
Philippines and generally considered an International Beauty-title holders,
but she made few films that saw distribution outside the Filipino market.
A few years earlier, she starred [as herself] in the quirky melodrama
The Untold Story of Melanie Marquez (1988)
which served as a sleazy roadmap through her bad relationships and deprived
childhood.
Cynthia
Khan (born Yan Li-Tsing in 1968, Taiwan) had a minor career (e.g.,GINSENG
KING) before jumping into Diva Actioners in 1993 with this film.
Over the next ten years, she would star in 25+ films including YES
MADAM: SERIOUS SHOCK, AVENGING
QUARTET , SUPER
COPS and TIGER
ANGELS. She is still active today, working mostly with Beijing
television for numerous series like Hua Mu Lan Chuan Qi
[the Hua Mulan Legend]. Co-star Sharon Yeung is perhaps the most
underrated female action star in Hong Kong, fans celebrate her for ANGEL
TERMINATORS and ANGEL
ENFORCERS.
A
Hong Kong/Filipino Film with English and Chinese subtitles; widescreen
uncut (82 min.),
for ALL REGIONS, playable on any American DVD machine.
Extras include selected trailers.
Sexual
Situations/Graphic Violence
for Mature Audiences
