Iron Angels - Les Anges de fer

The plot and acting may be campy, but the action is on a higher level just below that of John Woo. The few action scenes really surprised me, and the fight choreography with both martial arts and gun play turned out to be above average. The ending is some of the best when it comes to female martial arts action, it's brutal yet believable, and for its age keeps you on the edge of your seat. For example, most female action heroes don't bleed from the face when kicked or punched, but here they do, and this adds further tension towards the protagonists' plight. To watch I would first be a fan of Asian action movies from this period, as some moments are so cheesy you'll roll your eyes. Comedy, drama, and action don't blend appropriately at times, but once again this is only expected for a Hong Kong feature of the late 80's. With a mild tolerance for cheese and martial arts, you'll no doubt love this one. Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, and Yakuri Oshima perform with deadly swiftness! - 8/10

This was one of the first movies I ever saw women playing a major role in a modern day action movie! At the time not realizing that this genre was called "Girls with guns" or femme fatale"! Since then I have seen many and just have to say that I love this genre! The women in "Iron Angels" are beautiful but very dangerous! The plot is simple but effective! A special unit ("Angels") is hired to stop a drug syndicate from killing agents who are responsible for destroying opium fields 30 million dollars worth! You get to see the team in action! (For people thinking about Charlie's Angels! It is nothing like that! These men and women are very clever and capable!) The main characters are very likable! Most of them are convincing as martial artists! "Moon Lee" who is not a martial artist shows some moves that let you believe that she is trained! The bad guy in this movie is a very bad woman (Yukari Oshima)! Very attractive,very dangerous and a real martial artist! And it shows! Her kicks are lethal! As with a lot of movies from this genre it is very difficult to get a copy of "Iron Angels" This movie deserves to be seen because it is one of the best in this genre! An overlooked gem!

i'd have given this movie a higher rating, but i prefer subtitles to dubbing. that said, the action scenes were aces and the subplots were, as usual for HK flicks, cringe-inducing enough that you were ecstatic when they got back to the martial arts. a neat trick with concrete stands out.

also, i found myself mooning for moon lee - don't want to mess with that angel. the set-up did seem like a take-off on that old fave charlie's angels, but with a co-ed cast. it was nice to see that the women could handle themselves as well or better than the men.

"Iron Angels 1": After a lot of Thailand's opium production is destroyed, the gangsters want vengeance on the police forces, and Madam Sue (Yukari Oshima) is the most merciless at that. She loves to torture guys in a cellar and kick the s**t out of everybody who doesn't successfully follow her orders. After a lot of agents were killed, members of a special branch called the "Angels" must try and stop Madam Sue's latest plan: a gold robbery.

Highly enjoyable action flick with memorable scenes like the violent fight between Mona (Moon Lee) and Sue at the factory, the trigger-happy Helen (Elaine Lui) wearing two bullet-belts while blasting her way through the enemies' headquarters like there's no tomorrow, their fellow agent Ken trusting his meditation technique to survive being buried alive, and last not least one of the most evil performances of Yukari Oshima ever. Oh, and then it's all for the gold bunnies!

This is a stunning, epic action film with choreography and direction that is as close to perfection as anything I've ever seen.

It is a hard, mean, brutal work that also features some of the best girl-on-girl fighting ever burned to celluloid.

It's hard to know where to start praising it. Everything works. The basic plot line is a little CHARLIE'S ANGELS-like, but don't be fooled into thinking there's anything frivolous within these film cans.

The opening gun battle in Burma's Golden Triangle sets the grim, nihilistic tone. As heroin poppies burn, we are whisked to Hong Kong where our "angels" and the chief villain, Oshima Yukari, are introduced.

Directors Raymond Leung and Teresa Woo captain this project with great assuredness, style and a freshness in the staging that is staggering. The camera moves, cutting and choreography are of the highest order, as is the terrific synth score and the sharp sound design.

Oshima, a sexy, vicious villain, demonstrates a penchant for torture that contrasts with the more girlish, soft personalities of the "angels". One angel, Moon Lee, is absolutely amazing in her demanding role, coming across as both sexy and totally insane.

More noteworthy scenes: an ultra-violent fight between two "friends" in a parking garage; a raid on a country hideout; Oshima's final duel with an able male opponent.

In the Eighties they spent big bucks on material like this. What a golden age it was.