Zhang men ren

This 1983 martial arts comedy from Shaw Brothers doesn't deliver much in the way of laughs, and takes a long time to get to the serious kung fu, but once the feet and fists really start flying, it proves to be a whole lot of fun. The first hour or so comprises of dreadfully unfunny situation comedy in which the teacher and students of a Hong Kong martial arts school discover that their new boss is the grandmaster's daughter, Chen Mei Ling (Kara Hui), who uses Western marketing techniques to bring in fresh business. When some of their new students, working girls from a local 'gentlemen's club', use their newfound fighting skills to keep the clients' wandering hands at bay, the owner of the establishment declares war on the martial arts school. Best moment within the first hour: a big breasted woman gets hit in the tits.

Fortunately things get much, much better at the 1 hour 6 minute mark, with a great scene in which the good guys use BMX bikes (so '80s) to beat up the baddies, with excellent stunts and creative use of their 2-wheeled vehicles that almost rivals Jackie Chan's bike fu in Project A. There's also a fun set-piece in which cameras flashes are used during a fight in a nightclub, but the best is definitely saved for last with a wonderfully choreographed showdown in a gymnasium, actor/director Liu Chia-liang finally giving kung fu fans something to get excited about, the cast using the exercise equipment (trampoline, rings, weights and balancing beam) in innovative ways to kick ass. Liu Chia-liang performs some great moves, but being a sucker for some monkey style kung fu, I particularly enjoyed Hou Hsiao acrobatic moves (even though he is clearly doubled for some of the work on the parallel bars).

6/10. Not an essential '80s kung fu flick, the first hour neither funny nor exciting, but the last half hour ends things on a high note.

If you're looking for martial arts action look elsewhere, it's all confined to the last half hour and it isn't even all that memorable. I've been going through female-led kung fu movies and this is probably the worst one so far. The director forgot that he was making a "kung fu comedy" and instead just made a plain old comedy with a little bit of kung fu in it. Kara Hui is lovely and talented but she can't do nothing with this thankless role as the irritating westernized woman cliche.

I would strongly recommend anyone watch "My Young Auntie" instead, a far superior take on a similar concept. Lady is the Boss is a dud.

Essentially a reworking of Liu Chia Liang's earlier comedy "My Young Auntie".

The setting is Hong Kong of the early 1980's and revolves around a failing traditional Hung Ga kung fu school. This time Kara Hui is playing the daughter of the school's ailing grandmaster who is living in the United States. She arrives in Hong Kong to represent her father for the opening of the new school building. Unfortunately she is "Americanized", dresses like an aerobics instructor and causes a lot of trouble when she tries to modernize the training. Liu Chia Liang plays the head Sifu of the Hong Kong school, playing essentially the same part he did in "My Young Auntie". The trouble starts when Kara Hui teaches the "wrong people".

Liang seems out of his element here as his film style doesn't fit well with contemporary settings. The comedy comes off as just stupid instead of stupid fun. Like "MYA" most of the fights are compressed to the end with lots of "comedy" padding the whole thing out. Some of the bits are not PC at all. Scenes with interesting stuff like "disco kung fu" are too short and the "plot" doesn't get going until about an hour into the film.

On the plus side, the cast looks like they are having fun. There are good scenes (check out the "bike kung fu") and the final confrontation is up to Liang's usual high standard. There is a strange self- consciousness at the end I won't describe here but it works since we get to see Liu-Chia Hui and Hou Hsiao in good form.

Worth a look but "My Young Auntie" is a better film.

"The Lady Is The Boss" is kind of a transitional film between the old-school and the contemporary kung fu flicks. The basic theme is tradition, represented by the strict, discipline-demanding martial arts teacher Liu Chia Liang, versus change, represented by the American-raised, headstrong new boss of the school Kara Hui. To the film's credit, neither side is portrayed as entirely good or entirely bad; they both have their pluses and minuses. Like it often happens in this genre, the script is weak and can barely even fill the 90-minute running time. But the comedy is sometimes amusing and the action is often creative (disco dancing, bicycles, photo camera flashes, weights, etc. are used as fighting weapons; they may not all be so practical, but they've rarely - if ever - been used on the screen before). Kara Hui proves once again that she is one of the very best female action stars, and also looks pretty sexy. Everyone in the cast does his or her job well, but that guy who performs the "mad monkey" style at the end (Hsiao Hou, I think) is utterly spectacular! A mostly satisfying film. (**1/2)

now, with most martial arts films before the mid 90's i suspend all deep criticism of plot, acting, and all that other stuff. for what it is i feel this is a highly entertaining film. but you can't go wrong with this director for some great action choreography. it is such a creative piece that is always surprising the viewer with different styles / props / situations for martial arts. also, if you're an avid martial arts fan you'll recognize a lot of faces from a number of interesting shaw brother films (sorry, bad with the names...the disciple from "mad monkey kung fu", the disciple from "36th chamber of shaolin", the disciple from the "masters of shaolin").