Angel Terminators 2

Angel Terminators 2 (1993) (Chinese Action).

Moon Lee, Yukari Oshima, and Sibelle Hu smash some bad guys in this violent action flick that is one of the best "girls with guns" films on the planet. The opening minutes are loaded with action, including one awesome gymnasium sparring sequence involving Moon. It's a rarity to see both Lee and Oshima as protagonists in the same film, but that is indeed the case here. The characters and conflicts are actually quite good and they do add some dramatic intensity. All of this leads to one of the most satisfying, exciting finales in Moon's career.

I think "Angel Terminators 2" is even better than "Iron Angels", which is considered a landmark in this sub-genre. I strongly recommend this to viewers who want to see girls kick some serious butt.

Opening with a mental shoot-out in a restaurant between robbers and the police, super-cop Sibelle Hu makes a move to take them down, aided by Jason Pai Paio in a ballet of bullets, acrobatics and martial arts. We instantly move to a police academy, were the incredible Moon Lee is beating the hell out of her opponents in a sparring match!

And this is only the opening 5 minutes...

Immediately offering a more comedy based storyline than its predecessor, the action-packed Angel Terminators 2 is only connected by title, producer George Lai, and the fact that it offers more insane femme-fatal action, this time with the amazing trio of Moon, Sibelle, and Yukari Oshima.

Honestly, any chance to see these girls side-by-side and kicking ass is a blessing. If there is one thing I miss from the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, its these two and the girls-with-guns sub-genre. While Sibelle Hu has never truly been the best screen fighter, she is always artfully doubled and does the job well, often delivering more of a comedic role to make up for what she lacks in the action department. But when Moon and the Osh (who looks as cool as hell in this) are dealing moves, you see the power and feel the pain. And in Angel Terminators 2, they don't disappoint!

Director Tony Liu, who brought some classics like Tiger Over Wall, Killer Angels and Holy Virgin Vs The Evil Dead, brings a more polished production than part one. His co-director is veteran actor Chan Lau of classics such as Shaolin Drunk Fighter, and Kung Fu Zombie, with the two having worked together many times over the years...

Peking Opera student and brother to Jackie, Sammo and Yuen Biao, fight choreographer Yuen Bo handles the action. While not as popular as his schoolmates, Bo has worked on films such as Mission Of Justice, Fist Power and Looking For Jackie, as well as the odd acting role here and there. This is probably some of his best work as a fight director, and makes the action hard-hitting and exciting, obviously putting the talents of his stars to use. While avoiding the more, violent, wire-enhanced and hard hitting style of Jacky Chen in the first film, Yuen Bo's choreography is cleaner and more grounded, but with just as much impact as the latter.

While the storyline is average, and nothing new for this era, it doesn't lag too much and keeps you watching. Its all about gangsters, prostitution, kidnapping, revenge, and the troubled relationship between a cop (Jason Pai Paio) and his angry teen daughter (Yukari Oshima). The great Lo Lieh co-stars as uncle to the troubled teens and an ex-triad who must step back into the dark side to help rescue the girls friends, albeit with deadly results.

As things take a dark turn after the one hour mark, they lead to a blistering 10 minute finale of hard hitting action in typical 90's girls-with-guns Hong Kong style...

Overall: Not as dark as the first but just as action-packed and entertaining, Angel Terminators 2 is one of Moon Lee and Yurkari Oshima's best!

Bullet, a female triad member (Yukari Oshima), is recently released from prison. Bullet hooks up with her old gang rather quickly, although she is being closely watched by her policeman father and his gritty female partner Big Aunt . Bullet steals some jewels belonging to triad gangster Chin Bo while helping her friend May, who has been forced into prostitution. Chin Bo, also known as Brother Mad, kidnaps May and another of Bullet's friends to secure the return of his fortune, but the exchange goes wrong and a furious gun battle erupts. ×

The chemistry between Yukari and Moon Lee is really good, and works in making this fairly watchable. You get sucked into Bullet's adaptation into the real world, out of prison, getting back into the swing of things with her friends. Also relatable is her strained relationship with her father which adds some drama. But Bullet finds herself getting back into trouble. There's a neat balance between action, drama and humour. There's a funny performance by Sibelle Hu, who just cracks me up with her face expressions. She's a rather foul-mouthed cop. A familiar tale, which has fair share violence, but it's decent enough.