Police action

Within this HK genre of hard-hitting crime thrillers, "In The Line Of Duty" stands out for its gritty storytelling and brutal presentation of martial arts. A group of psychotic war veterans carry out a terrorist attempt which ends up being foiled by policewoman Michelle Yeoh. After their failed attempt the few remaining terrorists target Yeoh and her comrades in order to enact revenge for the death of their fellow war- hardened brothers. In a messy blood feud Michelle Yeoh struggles to stay alive while simultaneously trying to capture her terrorist foe. Things get out of hand quickly as the stakes are raised and the death toll manages to roll even higher. The side plot involving Yeoh begins to wander but luckily it's not long before you are quickly revived by another action sequence. One apparent detractor is that unlike the sequel cutesy moments don't fit within the story being told, and the comic relief serves as a distraction rather than an aid. The fast-paced flick that In The Line Of Duty tries to be is weighed down by just a bit too much filler. Regardless of this flaw the terrorist plans while ridiculous keep you genuinely interested, and you'll be curious to see where the plot goes. An action packed finale is the highlight of the movie, as the tension remains strong and the Kung-Fu is fierce. Personally this is my favorite out of the series. The entertainment value is very high if nothing else, and Yeoh fans will surely be pleased. -7/10

Michelle Yeoh is very cool. That could be the review; that's enough to make Royal Warriors worth watching.

It's a bit of an oddity as a film, starting out with a dance number and then becoming surprisingly dark, not to mention jarringly violent. It's that kind of hard-edged martial arts movie where the punches and collisions look genuinely painful, and some of the stunts look remarkably dangerous. There are certain parts that aren't entirely believable (an overuse of sped-up footage at the end, and a mat poorly disguised as pavement early on), but most of the action's done really well.

I think it's a movie that hits the ground running to the point where it runs out of steam a little by the final act. It flounders a bit to get to the final action sequence, but once it gets there, it does work.

Some of the melodramatic elements didn't always work for me either, but the core of what's needed for a Hong Kong action movie to shine is intact here, and so I mostly liked Royal Warriors. Michelle Yeoh is very good, and it's interesting seeing a young Hiroyuki Sanada here too, given both he and Yeoh have seen their popularity reach new heights (at least internationally) during the early 2010s. They're both very good here, too.

Michelle Yip (Michelle Yeoh) of the Hong Kong police is a mild-mannered Kung Fu expert; Michael Wong from air security is happy-go-lucky, stuck on himself, constantly talking, and smitten by her; Yamamoto (Hiroyuki Sanada)is quiet, hard-boiled, leaving the Tokyo police to spend time with his wife and daughter. They form an alliance when they foil a hijacking on a plane flying a mob prisoner from Tokyo to Hong Kong. The mobster and his would-be rescuer die; this sets off two avengers who were their blood brothers. Our three cops become the targets.

Michelle Yeoh and Hiroyuki Sanada star in this hard-hitting cop action film which has non stop action, and of the exhilarating kind. Frantic hand to hand combat, a high-speed chase, a car bomb, the destruction of a nightclub, a spectacular suicide, a fight in a plane, and a tense cliffhanger at the end, all executed with skill. The parts in between the mayhem is much lighter, which is due to Michael Wong who is smitten by Yeoh. It's pleasant, and a break from the mayhem. But ultimately it's the action set pieces and Yeoh's and Sanada's high kicking attitude that makes this a recommended watch for martial arts fans.

This cops vs. terrorists chase flick featured a pretty familiar plot line - Yeoh stops a terrorist on board a plane, and the terrorist chief targets her and two male confederates for a rub-out.

But this is a must-see for Yeoh fans. The former (1983) Miss Malaysia first introduced her unsmiling, no-nonsense cop persona here and comes off as a kick-boxing female Charles Bronson. Yeoh's fabulous fight scenes (which, typically for any Hong Kong action star, she performed herself) and on-screen charisma made her a star in this role and it needs to be seen by her fans. It helps that the movie had a decent budget, with good looking production design and elaborate stunts to go with the martial arts. This is a first rate movie of its type.

This is some of Michelle Yeoh's best work, alongside Magnificent Warriors and Yes Madam (A.K.A. In The Line of Duty or Police Assassins). This movie has a mix of drama, hard-hitting action, and comedy (little less on comedy though).

In my opinion, this movie could've done without Michael Wong. He tries to create a lovable character but he just seemed to get in the way of the movie. Well, I guess the movie needed some comedy. I appreciate the casting of Henry Sanada (Hiroyuki Sanada) in the film. After Ninja in the Dragon's Den, I was hoping he would continue to pursue action flicks. His martial arts skills always seems to impress me. His character in the film is portrayed as cool and slick, but if provoked, can be aggressive. Michelle Yeoh's character is very dedicated to her work as a police officer. She will enforce the law by any means.

The action in this film was very excellent and brutal. The club scene was the best. I'm pretty sure the actors and actresses had to use some ointment to take care of the bruises after some of the scenes. Groundwork dominated this film. I really didn't notice wirework.

Overall, this a great film. The replay value is very high. Besides the action, drama and a little comedy gave the film a good mix. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!

Final Judgement: ****/****