Guardian Angel

I was a big fan of martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock during the '80s (In the Line of Duty 2, Above The Law, Shanghai Express), but stopped following her career soon after she left the Hong Kong movie scene to make films in the States. Guardian Angel makes me think that I didn't miss much.

In this mediocre martial arts action flick from director Richard W. Munchkin, Rothrock plays tough policewoman Christine McKay, who gives up law enforcement to become a bodyguard after her fiancé is fatally shot in the line of duty. When millionaire playboy Lawton Hobbs (Daniel McVicar) calls McKay looking for protection from an obsessive ex-girlfriend, little does she realise that the woman in question is Nina (Lydie Denier), the psychotic counterfeiter who killed her lover in cold blood.

This weak plot offers little in the way of ingenuity, meaning that the film is only as good as its action scenes. As usual, Rothrock's agility compensates for her wooden acting, but Munchkin's uninspired direction does the star few favours; the same can be said of her awful wardrobe, which includes a really nasty pair of baggy denim jeans with stone washed areas on the seat that are far from flattering.

After lots of so-so bouts of kicking and punching (plus plenty more fashion disasters from all concerned), the film wraps matters up with a mediocre chase scene involving a jet-ski, a helicopter, and a pair of speedboats.

I knew that the movie existed, but I never got around to watching it, as I were never much of a fan of Cynthia Rothrock. But I finally got around to watching it here in 2025, better late than never.

I didn't harbor the biggest of expectations to the movie, as Cynthia Rothrock movies tend to be cut from the same stone. But perhaps writer Jacobsen Hart and director Richard W. Munchkin had something of a surprise in wait for me here.

Writer Jacobsen Hart put together a rather bland and monotonous script for the movie. I have to admit that my attention on the narrative was fast waning as the movie trotted on and on. There wasn't much of anything overly interesting going on, aside from the occasional fight scene.

The only familiar faces on the cast list for me was Cynthia Rothrock, Daniel McVicar and Robert Miano. The acting performances in the movie were okay, despite the fact that the script was subpar.

Luckily there was a fair amount of fighting and action throughout the course of the movie, which helped keep the movie afloat and semi-watchable.

This was, however, hardly a movie that warrants more than a single viewing.

My rating of "Guardian Angel" lands on a generous four out of ten stars.

"Guardian Angel" could possibly be the best of Cynthia Rothrock's early 90's low-budget American martial arts flicks, IF the whole movie was as good as its first half hour: during that time we get some dynamic fights, gunplay, a car chase, two car crashes, bad girls with guns, a tight plot, etc. But after Cynthia quits the police force and becomes a bodyguard, the film becomes repetitive and starts to drag. The absolutely gorgeous Lydie Denier (who really caught my eye in a couple of "Acapulco H.E.A.T" episodes I happened to watch) playing a truly evil bi*ch is a definite plus, but the lack of a proper showdown between her and Rothrock is a disappointment. The climax is a relatively large-scale speedboats-and-helicopter chase, but most of it appears to have been done by stunt doubles and is not very exciting. (**1/2)

For the life of me I can't understand why this has been received so poorly, Does no one understand what's really going on here?

I have a strong appreciation for movies that in no uncertain terms inform us straightaway, and with no apologies, that they are over the top and blunt, with little to no care for authenticity. This isn't the first of Cynthia Rothrock's films that I've watched, and whether among her credits or otherwise it's also not the first that has carried these cheeky, direct flavors. These are movies that are all about having a blast and telling an action-packed story, whatever it might look like from an outside perspective. And with an attitude like that, how can you not just relax and have a good time? 'Guardian angel,' also known as 'Beyond justice,' will do nothing to change the minds of anyone who isn't already on board with the type of picture it represents. For anyone open to the ridiculousness, though, this is thoroughly entertaining!

The wild original score of unexpectedly accomplished composer Bruce Hanifan occasionally dallies with pointedly overt cues (drama! Thrills! Sadness!) rendered on a synthesizer. Mostly he seems to have been inspired by heavy metal of the 80s or early 90s, but with a mainstream sensibility of someone trying to make the genre palatable to wide audiences. The action varies between highfalutin gunfights and demonstrations of martial arts, and to the credit of all involved it looks great, even if the most robust instances are a step down in intensity from Rothrock's earlier starring vehicles. However, the sheer spontaneity with which such violence arises in any given scene is kind of surprising. Sure, a lot of the sequences play out with the logic and genuineness of Pure Movie Magic - but again, importantly, it's all in the name of a grandiose romp. The cast illustrates suitable acting skills as a scene may require - Rothrock, costar Lydie Denier, and others - but are also unmistakably hamming it up for the sake of a movie that's all about ridiculous fun. And I am so glad for every last bit of it.

The core concept of Joe Hart's screenplay has plenty of potential, but I am truly delighted that it was fashioned into a feature of such forthright, deadpan bluster. Characters have personality, but each and every one is exaggerated to the point of being all but a caricature or stereotype (not least of all man-child Hobbs). At the same time, some show an astounding lack of intelligence or fundamental "street smarts" wisdom, making one wonder in the moment how they could be so short-sighted. There's painfully gauche sexism in a substantial amount of the dialogue, seeming to mostly highlight by contrast the burgeoning new sense of feminism that the 90s would claim. Where that isn't true, it's filled with a great deal of one-liners, hard-nosed quips, or cheesy repartee characteristic of big-budget blockbusters burdened with an excess of testosterone and a dearth of brains. So it is with the scene writing, effectively ensuring that we get a plethora of tropes, and that a certain quota of Action Flick Convention is fulfilled. And the narrative that all these many elements build is duly engaging, and compelling, as a carefree lark consciously aping the better known titles of the genre - while still solid enough to come across as a complete, cohesive whole.

Director Richard W. Munchkin does his utmost to ensure that every last aspect of the production is faithful to the predominant preposterous, playful slant. There's almost nothing that escapes the giddy vortex of that bombast: hair and makeup, costume design (What is our "police detective" heroine wearing? What is her department superior wearing?!), camerawork, lighting, editing and transitions, gratuitous shots of women's bodies, and more. If there's anything here given earnest consideration, it's the stunts, and to that end I must congratulate all the performers on hand for some really great (proverbial) fireworks. And still, every flip, fall, or soar through the air only lends to the tone that 'Guardian Angel' adopts from the very start.

Once more: anyone who isn't already receptive to features of such indifferently irreverent candor may be best served by pointing their browsers elsewhere in the first place. This 'Guardian Angel' isn't here to change minds, only to spark joy in the lives of those most apt to appreciate the style. And that it most certainly does: I sat down anticipating a goofy, unserious good time, and that's exactly what I got. There are no pretensions here of operating on a more artistically relevant, cultured scale - the movie wants only to entertain, without regard for any naysayers. And that's exactly what I like to see in an action flick. For my money, 'Guardian Angel' is a terrific 95 minutes that's well worth checking out if you have the chance, provided you're simply willing to leave your Film Criticism 101 report card at the door and indulge every whim.

Cheers!

Look, Rothrock is a great martial artist, but she can't act and movies like this how why she never made it mainstream. She's fine in the fights, but the rest of the time she has a goofy smirk on her face and ruins the scenes. And this is coming from a fan, she's just not good... sorry Cynthia. The movie is so by the numbers it hurts to watch with poor direction, choreography, sets, the works. Just skip this dreck.