Al borde de la ley

action, fights, stunts all are very good and there s plenty of high quality, the scenario (script) will really amaze any watcher, it s totally different from the usual good guys win and bad guy looses, it s really incredible. a must see and trust me i have seen many many movies and i wont forget that one. yuen biao is as usual astonishing.

Famed martial arts choreographer Cory Yuen (THE TRANSPORTER 1 & 2, X-MEN and ROMEO MUST DIE) directed a Hong Kong film, loaded with bone-crushing stunts and masterful fight scenes with an assembled cast of martial arts masters from the East and West to cross paths.

ABOVE THE LAW (aka RIGHTING WRONGS) obtained a vigilante story with dark toned aspects that relies on police corruption and the righteous bending the law to seek their own justice. The stunning martial arts choreography by Cory Yuen kicks into high gear to help make this underrated cop-fu classic a fan favorite.

Acrobatic kung-fu genius Yuen Biao (ONCE UPON A TIME IN CHINA, SHANGHAI EXPRESS (aka MILLIONAIRE'S EXPRESS), THE PRODIGAL SON) plays a court prosecutor whose relentless determination to do away with an untouchable gangster (James Tien- Bruce Lee's THE BIG BOSS, FIST OF FURY) has led him to employ a series of unethical tactics. His investigation becomes complicated by the arrival of a female inspector (played by 5-Time World Karate champion and weapons expert Cynthia Rothrock).

Out of all the '80s era fight flicks I have seen Yuen Biao perform in, ABOVE THE LAW was one of his better efforts as an actor and screen fight performer. He exchanges blows with undefeated kickboxing legend Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham in a (POLICE STORY-style) glass-shattering fight, he also battles Cynthia Rothrock in an engagement of traditional kung-fu, acrobatic fight moves and handcuffs. He has a Jackie Chan stunt moment where he uses his speed and flexibility to dodge speeding cars.

Cory Yuen staged these sequences wonderfully and the legendary fight between Cynthia and Biao shows their similarities in timing and skill, which makes their battle an all-time favorite. Karen Shepard, who is another skilled fighter from America and an expert in the mixed art form of Wun Hop Kuen Do kung fu, faces off against Cynthia with the lethal chain whip. Actor Melvin Wong (EASTERN CONDORS and DESCENDANT OF WING CHUN- the film referred in BULLETPROOF MONK-) also gets screen time to execute some martial arts against Yuen Biao. The results of the screen fights earned the film a nomination for Best Action Choreography at the 1987 Hong Kong Film Awards.

Of course, fans already know that Cynthia Rothrock is kung-fu's queen of action and a master in various forms of combat like Tae Kwon Do, Wushu, Northern Shaolin kung-fu and Tang Soo Do. Her skills made her a celebrated icon in the sport but unfortunately, she remains highly underrated and overshadowed by the mainstream success of Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Her roles in countless American movies suffer from bad plots and choreography but her presence in Hong Kong films shine like Jackie Chan, and Jet Li does internationally. Her capabilities give her the advantage over many of today's mainstream martial art stars and it is disappointing that her films in the East do not get the proper recognition.

For a film made in the '80s, ABOVE THE LAW was a great actioner in martial arts cinema, and all the skilled experts did a great job with their performance.

I hope the overshadowing of this classic in the West will end with the new Dragon Dynasty release and capture a wider audience to gain her the type of recognition she deserves as a star.

This film was also one of Cynthia and Biao's best performances in screen combat during that era but the praise goes to Cory Yuen because of his skillful direction and casting of martial arts action figures from both worlds to pull the strings. This film will remain a classic in the cinema of martial arts and an unforgettable clashing of two legends in martial arts that deserve the proper recognition.

Despite having a thin plot, silly dubbing, disturbing brutality, and unnecessary humour, this film stands as an excellent showcase of Yuen Biao's talents. The plot deals with a lawyer becoming a vigilante while running afoul of Cynthia Rothrock. The action scenes are incredible. Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock are placed in some set pieces that are among HK's finest. My favourite was Yuen Biao facing off against Melvin Wong. It's the kind of fight that makes one wonder why he wasn't as popular as Jackie Chan.

After 20 some odd years of watching HK action films, I have come to idolize the work of Jackie Chan, Yuen Biao and Sammo Hung. Since all three emerged from the Peking Opera, they have turned out some GREAT films. Keep in mind that HK action films are all about the ACTION, with little or no regard to plot, dubbing, etc...always have been, always will be (in my humble opinion). Yuen Biao turns in a solid performance as always, but if you want a Yuen Biao "showcase", it's got to be "Dragons Forever" (1987, similar story, except Jackie is the lawyer). The real show here is Karen Shepard and Cyndy Rothrock in a GREAT action sequence...every bit as good as Michelle Yeoh (Khan) vs. Zhang Ziyi in the opening fight sequence of Crouching Tiger, HD. Karen and Cyndy have made some mediocre films (Terminator Woman, Tiger Claws, China O'Brien, etc.) but NONE of those were even close to the performance turned in by both women in Righting Wrongs...a direct result of HK choreography. You will need to turn off your "believability" switch for some of it, but all in all, a fun time.

This Corey Yuen Kuei-directed actioner stars Yuen Biao as a gifted young prosecution lawyer. Disillusioned with a system that allows crime lords to buy their way out of trouble, Yuen becomes a vigilante and starts to hunt down the bad guys. On his trail is tough Gweilo cop Cynthia Rothrock, determined that nobody should take the law into their own hands.

The plot for this movie is fairly formulaic, but it remains one of the best HK action films of the 80s. The reasons for this are some strong performances from the leads (Yuen has often been unfairly dismissed as a poor relation of Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung, while Rothrock must have been sick of playing the same part over and over) and some electric action sequences. The most memorable scenes are; an attempt on Yuen's life by black American karate expert Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham; a bout between Cynthia Rothrock and her fellow US Forms champion Karen Shepherd; the inevitable showdown between Yuen and Rothrock; and the final confrontation between Yuen, Rothrock and the mysterious villain.