Rena Riffel gained some notice in the mid-90s, one of the results being her central role in "Scandalous Behavior". This movie could be viewed as an attempt to pass the torch from erotica queen Shannon Tweed to Riffel. It was a relief to see RR in a more fleshed-out (pun intended) character, demonstrating both her singular attractiveness and solid acting. However, as much as I got that warm feeling from watching Rena as the tough yet sympathetic victim, I was just as quickly disillusioned by James Hong's outrageous antics as a scheming foreign businessman.
For those like myself, you probably instantly identify James Hong as the chief villain in "Big Trouble in Little China". 'Lo Pan' was cool, sinister and mysterious, the last guy on earth you'd want to mess with. Not so in this movie. Apparently, being your own director gives one artistic license to put on a culture-clashing cowboy outfit and make a complete fool of yourself on screen. I cringed as Hong cut loose on a dance floor with a group of Texans, interspersed with him laughing like a madman and doing a terrible hillbilly impersonation.
The rest of the movie is about what you expect from the genre. Dumb characters (what was the point of the two henchmen, anyway?), clumsy plot twists (the brother who suddenly cares more for Rena than her own fiancé does), and bad bad acting. Shannon Tweed is looking a bit ragged at this point and doesn't seem to put in as much effort here. Advice: shut the movie off after Shannon and Rena drive off in the car. Trust me you don't want or need to see the last 10 minutes. Not since "Howling: New Moon Rising" have I seen a more contrived use of line-dancing as a plot device.
