24 Hours to Midnight

OK, I needed a job in 1991 (or thereabouts, I really can't remember)...and I was friends with Leo Fong...a very nice guy and hopeful film-maker. He enlisted my help to resurrect a film that had been started a few years earlier, and then quickly abandoned, after a dispute between Cynthia and her boyfriend, and the producer(s) of the film. My job was to retrieve the printed work-print and sound rolls from a storage vault in Hollywood (during which I seriously injured by back, which I suffer from to this very day), and piece together the measly amount of actual footage shot with Rothrock during a two or three day period. Then I incorporated new footage that was shot, and helped suggest new scenes to make the "story" work...It was a complete mess, but I did the best I could...(at the same time I was cutting this at director's sound in Burbank, I ran into Charlie Napier who was there looping for "rocketman", and asked him to appear in Don Jackson's "Return to Frogtown"...another story all together...) Should I write an autobiography of my life in the low budget film world??? Would anybody read it??? I guess not...

I hadn't watched this infamously bad flick since I bought it way back when, and upon viewing it over 20 years later, can remember why!

24 Hours To Midnight is definitely one of those so-bad-its-good movies that just keeps you laughing the whole way through. I get that its an independent film (although with a budget), and very early on in the fantastic Rothrock's career - who incidently was dating the producer at this time. She had made her debut in HK the same year with the incredible Yes Madam (aka Police Assassins 2), but I'm not sure what came first. I'd like to say this one...

In fact, only because of her fame as an action star soon after, I firmly believe that she became the main lead on promotion for 24 Hours To Midnight to help sales. Cyndy gets a couple of brief scuffles in the early part of the film which hardly match her HK action standards but let us see that she can move. She goes on the run after her husband is killed and starts dressing as a ninja to exact revenge on the bad guys that did it! But only, the ninja assassin is very clearly not Cynthia Rothrock!!

With recognisably different eyes and voice, fake Cyndy ninja keeps thinking back to her (dreadful) crying scene in the car before picking a weapon off her bed and going out to kill. Once she (or the ninja) gets a bit of action going, she grows a couple of foot and turns into a man.

The film has two storylines going on that would make Godfrey Ho proud. One with Cyndy ninja getting her revenge, and another with two cops (who reminded me of an early Rothrock and Norton team-up) who dress bad and like kicking ass. They kind of pull themselves together at the end, but by that stage you don't care...

While the acting isn't terrible from everyone involved, at times you can see a tiny wee bit of potential trying to creep through - and a times, it plays like a poor mans China O'Brien due to its mid-west setting, ridiculously costumed gangs and dialogue, but honestly, there isn't much that could put this 80's flick down as a classic. I would quicker grab for Rothrock and Fong's second outing - Fight To Win - before going back to this.

Overall: For Rothrock completists only - or anyone who loves bad movies! (I'm still laughing)

Because I know the filmmakers and how this film came to be...Well,I survived. Stock footage of Cyntia Rothrock,voice over by BRINKE STEVENS and some very kewl walkons...Leo Fong and Stack Pierce. Tulare ,California was supposed to be what BIG city...Anybody know ? Wait a second was PHIL CABLE even listed in credits ???

24 HRS TO MIDNIGHT is a good title for an action film, but not this one.

I saw this film last year and I was very disappointed that I spent money renting this..

The movie was badly made as well as the script which I beleive is written by a four year old.

We didn't see much of Cynthia is this one except I'm asking "is she the female ninja that keeps bumping off White Powder Chan's men throughout the whole film"? I guess not.

And "White Powder Chan"! I can't believe a black guy is portraying a chinese character.. This is totally unbelievable.

Well, if anyone is reading this, avoid this one at all costs..! I got my refund from this.. I didn't like it at all!

What a load of crap!

Cynthia Rothrock, whose first film this is, appears on the video cover and has a couple of fight scenes in the opening 5 minutes. Then her character is dressed up as a ninja for the rest of the running time, except that the woman inside the ninja suit is NOT Cynthia. It's easy to see that from the close-ups of her eyes, and the ending credits confirm it. But even if you ignore this fraud, "24 Hours to Midnight" is not a good movie. The script, full of irrelevant and recycled scenes, is strictly amateur hour, the direction is inept and the "action" scenes are uninspired. The criminal organization that "Cynthia" goes after is supposedly making billion dollar deals, yet its headquarters seem to be a small cheap room. The only bright spot in this movie is a sexy female cop (Myra) - without her I would have given it a "Zero" rating for sure.