No hoi wai lung

TOUGH BEAUTY AND SLOPPY SLOP (1995) is a Hong Kong action movie trying desperately to succeed with minimal resources. While the film starts and ends with some very enjoyable action scenes (high body count, tons of squibs, very stylized), the middle is almost entirely devoid of anything memorable. There are even action scenes in the middle but they lack so much punch and end so quickly that they are almost not even worth mentioning.

There is a big twist in the film that is discernible almost immediately even though the film continues along as if the viewer doesn't know. There are few almost effective, cloak and dagger scenes as the undercover cops attempt to hide their true identities but none of it is executed well enough to be very thrilling. The plot also goes all over the place in a style reminiscent of Godfrey Ho and the other geniuses at IFD. Sadly, TOUGH BEAUTY AND SLOPPY SLOP doesn't have the psychotronic vibe that Ho's better work has.

You could definitely do worse when it comes to low budget, Honk Kong action but there's so much out there that is better I'm not sure I'd really suggest this to anyone who isn't a die hard fan of some kind.

The English title for this 1995 Hong Kong obscurity is TOUGH BEAUTY AND THE SLOPPY SLOP – a unique name, to be sure, but one without a particularly noteworthy movie behind it. Be assured, this one does do more than the bare minimum and is unique for a couple of reasons, but to look at its promising cast makes me certain that I am not the only one who would expect more from this.

The story: Police officers Tang (Yuen Biao) and Yiang (Cynthia Khan) go undercover in the Philippines to investigate the deeds of an ambitious drug smuggler (Waise Lee).

The film was released just a couple of years prior to Hong Kong's Gen-X movement and the revamping of the action genre's visual style, and yet there are very few indicators that this was not filmed in 1986. The filmmakers do manage to make the Philippine setting appear much more interesting than the countless American productions filmed there, but it's disappointing that, generally, this isn't a very intriguing feature. It teases some thrills and there are hints at inspired humor (i.e. the fight in bed), but the character dynamics are dry and almost all of the storyline twists are obvious from a mile away. The dramatic segments are not exactly boring, but do not expect to be particularly engaged.

Among the handful of unconventional things the movie does is being one of the few non-Filipino films to give Olympian martial artist Monsour Del Rosario a sizable role throughout the feature. Rosario looks good in fight scenes, and so do his on screen partners Biao and Cynthia, but these scenes suffer from a lack of substance until close to the film's end. There are moments so absurd in the choreography that you may feel disengaged – like when Khan kicks an opponent (Lung Chan) so hard between the legs that he flies several feet into the air – but all is forgiven when the finale begins. The three heroes take on Billy Chow in a killer fight that's only slightly diminished by undercranking and singlehandedly saves the film from a lower rating.

Nevertheless, it's hard to recommend this one based on one fight scene, so I'll advise you not to go very far out of your way to check it out. It's okay.

wow was this movie a big let down .it stars two of the best martial arts fighters i have ever seen and it doesn't do anything with them.cynthia Hahn is one sexy hot Asian goddess but she barely fights at all in this movie.yuen biao is also wasted in this movie and i don't know why since he is an incredible fighter.now any movie starring yuen biao and the lovely cynthia Hahn should have lots of martial arts fighting in wouldn't you think.but not this movie.they each have a few quick really brief fight scenes and that is all you get from them.unless you are a huge yuen biao and cynthia Hahn fan avoid this movie.the movie gets a 4 because cynthia is so hot looking.

When a movie pairs up the beautiful and graceful Cynthia Khan with the athletic and charismatic Yuen Biao, you expect something better than what "Tough Beauty and the Sloppy Slop" turns out to be. This movie is a frantic, disjointed mess, way over-the-top for a "modern" action flick (people jump off tall buildings, get thrown 30 feet away and sometimes even float in the air). What's worse, the subtitles are not only grammatically awful but also often unreadable (against white backgrounds), which makes the viewing experience painful. Thankfully, we at least get an action-packed climax, with some very entertaining fight sequences which FINALLY remind us what made HK cinema so popular in the first place. The last 15 minutes almost make up for the rest of the movie. (**)

I enjoyed this movie a lot more than the other reviewers here. But then I'm a big Yuen Biao fan and he's pretty entertaining in this one. He plays an easygoing, flirtatious cop to an extent that I haven't seen him do too often. I really don't think there is a role that he can't play well. Cynthia Khan is excellent and lovely and I agree that she should have been given more to do. She's more or less his sidekick. But their chemistry is great, with touches of sarcastic humor, and that could have been taken a little further. Monsour Del Rosario is also very good as the head cop and has some sweet martial arts moves of his own.

I agree with the other reviews that there could have been a lot more fighting given the level of talent assembled. The real fighting is focused in the final scene, which is pretty extensive and brutal. There were certain things I just found flat out funny, like the ridiculously large "Hans and Franz" boys. If you're a fan of any of the main actors, you'll enjoy this movie as they all do a great job. The editor must have fallen asleep though because there's an ambulance scene that appears twice, each time different, which means they re-shot it and kept both shoots in. Oops!