Top Squad

If you're looking for HK-style girl action thrills you won't find very much here. Practically all of it is confined to the beginning and the end of the movie with lots of light comic filler in between. There is a goofy musical production number in a roller rink and Cynthia Rothrock is great but there's very little of what most viewers want from a movie like this..namely watching Chinese girls fight and shoot better than any guy can.

First, I feel I should mention that I LOVE Hong Kong films. I like Hong Kong action movies, and I've found funny Hong Kong comedies. This movie mixes action and comedy together, but this mix doesn't work this time around. Pretty much all of the female characters in the movie are wimpy whiners and act in other ways that are pretty stereotypical. (Maybe Hong Kong audiences might find this funny, but I didn't.) The men are a bunch of sexist pigs for the most part. Again, this behavior may be funny to a foreign audience, but I don't think it will go well for many westerners. Another big weakness of the movie is that there is really no plot, just a bunch of vignettes stitched together with the flimsiest of excuses. On the plus side, the opening and closing parts of the movie do have some acceptable action. And while this movie may be flawed, it is certainly better than all the awful movies Cynthia Rothrock has made in the U.S.

This film is more than great.I love it.the scenario is equally good for a comedy and for an action.The jokes are original and really funny, the fight is an art.The actors fit their roles perfectly.Cynthia Rothrock's presence improves the quality , the adventure that she created on the abandoned ship was a professional performance, its ashame that she didn't take place in the other 3 parts of the movie.Sibelle Hu amazed me...she combines charm , character , fighting skills she is sexy and tough ,elegant and disciplined , she got sens of humor and she is sever when needed.I love her :) And May ,Amy , Aylene they are so much fun :)) , the love stories - Karen and Peter that showed us what an angry women can do , and also Jean and her lover ...but Amy oh this Amy , it is only worthy to watch the movie because of her she always gets into the biggest messes and always turns them into a huge fun well i can tell you more and more and more but why let me when you can see with your eyes this treasure , do not hesitate ,you will not sorry ...

Following pretty much the same structure as the highly popular at the time "Lucky Stars" films, "The Inspector Wears Skirts" has action mostly in the first and last 10 minutes, and comedy, romance and a bit of drama in the middle. This causes the film to lag at times, but still, the action sequences are awesome and there ARE some legitimately funny moments as well, courtesy mostly of Sandra Ng. The cast offers a mind-boggling collection of beautiful women, but if I had to pick just one as my favorite, it would probably be the STUNNINGLY GORGEOUS Ellen Chan. However, it should be noted that the girls weren't picked just for their looks, but for their skills as well: they don't seem to be intimidated at all by any physicality required, they throw themselves into their roles with abandon and take quite a few "ouch" bumps (the action was choreographed by Jackie Chan's Stunt Team; IMDb says that Jackie also directed the film, but I'm not so sure this info is accurate). Overall, "The Inspector Wears Skirts" is uneven, but a definite must-see for Girls With Guns fans. (**1/2)

I had the opportunity to sit down and watch the 1988 Hong Kong action comedy "Ba Wong Fa" (aka "The Inspector Wears Skirts") for the first time here in 2023. Oddly enough, with my interest and fascination with the Hong Kong cinema, then I had actually never heard about the movie prior to getting to watch it.

Writer Kam Fu Cheng put together a fair enough script and storyline here. However, while the movie certainly was watchable, then it was also at the same time not a particularly outstanding movie. So I hadn't really been missing out on a gem in the Hong Kong cinema.

There were a few moments here and there throughout the course of the movie that brought a smile to my lips. But for a comedy, then "Ba Wong Fa" wasn't really all that funny. I wasn't brought to laughter once throughout the course of the movie.

They had a good cast ensemble in the movie, and it was definitely nice to see Sandra Kwan Yue Ng on the screen. And the movie also had Dennis Chan, Ken Lo and Fui-On Shing on the cast list, though in smaller roles. So there were some familiar faces. Oh, and the movie also had Cynthia Rothrock on the cast list, though it wasn't something I found a particular joy in, as I have never been a fan of hers.

I can check this movie off the 'watched-movies-list' now. But I doubt I will ever return to watch director Wellson Chin's movie a second time.

My rating of "Ba Wong Fa" lands on a very bland five out of ten stars.