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The Heroic Trio

The Heroic Trio

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Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Maybe I saw a different movie...
Review: I bought this DVD based on some good recommendations listed, and I was a little disappointed. I kept in mind that this is a HK martial arts movie, and it played out like a comic book, but I just lost interest about halfway through. When the movie started and we're treated to an extremely 'wacky' real estate agent showing a couple a house, I knew I was in trouble. The thing is, I've noticed in a few of these types of movies, when a character is given to comic exaggeration, it comes off pretty poorly. There is an inherent comedy to some of these characters already, and to try and amplify that, it just becomes difficult to sit through. Watch for the part where he steps on a board and it gets stuck to his shoe. And then he tries to use his other foot to remove the board, and it gets stuck on his other foot. Oh, the comedy never ends. And then the dubbing on this character was also greatly exaggerated for comedic effect but came off as really annoying. But I digress....

The movie was all right, but some of the special effects were pretty bad. A few scenes where a character throws a weapon and we get to see it fly through the air, we can obviously see it's mounted on plastic by the visible edges on the plastic. Pretty poor. Some of the effects were really good, so I didn't understand why some should be shoddy and some should be good. Michelle Yeoh is one of the stars of this movie, and I really like her, but I felt like they didn't utilize her martial arts skills as they could have. The fight scenes are pretty short, and didn't seem to have a lot of heart to them. Maggie Chung is a really beautiful woman, but in this movie, she looks pretty goofy. And the dubbing for her voice was really annoying. Maybe I should have stuck to the original language with subtitles.

Anyway, as the movie goes, there's an old guy who lives in a realm only accessible through the sewers that's kidnapping babies for some reason or other. Anita Mui is married to a policeman and she decides to try and solve the case and actually accomplishes more in this fashion than her inept husband and his fellow officers. Maggie Chung plays a sort of mercenary for hire, only out for making money by selling information and so on, while Michelle Yeoh plays a woman trapping into doing the old guys bidding in stealing babies. The three characters have encounters with each other, and eventually learn that they have something in common, band together and fight the old guy who turns out to be an evil sewer spirit or something. The all have superpowers, and there is a cloak of invisibility in there somewhere, too. About halfway through, I stopped paying attention to the story as it was making my brain hurt. Maybe I am being too critical, but this was more or less eye candy than a good martial arts movie.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: One of the funniest movies I've seen
Review: I first sat down to watch this film as the late, late movie one night. It was such a bad film that I was cracking up the whole time. I love any film that makes me laugh. It's one of my favorites. From the lines that jumped straight from comic books to the wires holding people in the air, The Herioc Trio had me laughing all the way. I really enjoyed it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Make sure to buy the letterbox version
Review: I have a copy of the letterbox/widescreen yellow subtitle version and for that alone I will not be complaining about Tai Sengs normally horrible video transfer. I see that the cover of this video is different than mine which could mean nothing and could mean that it is the old version before Supercop was released and Tai Seng sought to market Michelle Yoeh to an American audience that likes to watch a movie that looks like it HASN'T been filmed in a cave.

If you haven't seen a Hong Kong movie before you must be warned that Hong Kong movies are characterized by impossible martial arts, flying people, cackling villains, inappropriately placed musical montages (this movie has one after they accidently kill a baby), evil eunuchs, guns that never run out of bullets and laughable characterization. If you are not expecting any of those elements in your movie, please keep your Ed Wood comments to yourself. Hong Kong fans know that these movies are silly, but they have an unique energy that wins out over American garbage movies.

This movie combines the flying people/evil eunuch trying to take over China genre with the John Woo loaded these guns when you weren't looking genre. It's futuristic Hong Kong. A eunuch is kidnapping babies born on a certain date in order to put one on the throne. It is up to Wonder Woman to stop him, but in her fights she encounters a motorcycle chick (whose name is just as silly but I forgot it) who might be working for the eunuch. Meanwhile Michelle Yoeh is working for the eunuch but having a crisis of faith because she's spying on her boyfriend and his Invisibility formula.

Of course this all leads up to the final fight scene in the Phantom of the Opera sewer system. The enthusiasm the director had with both flying fighting and large guns doesn't quite work as you wonder about the wisdom of doing high kicks and flying around WHILE shooting off a machine gun.

This is one of the best Hong Kong movies that you can buy from Tai Seng. There might be better Hong Kong movies out there but Tai Seng has probably dubbed them or lost half the picture.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: High Kickin' Funfest Galore!
Review: I realize that this may be an acquired taste which only means that even if you have not acquired this taste then you are still required to admit that this film is absolutely, positively, hands down funtastic.

Duh, I'm not even sure which page I'm on; if this is the Americanized version or not. I own the true blue Hong Kong edition which is supposed to contain some flippin' freaky scenes edited out of the American version. I've seen both but cannot remember because, oh, blar!, never mind.....

Back to the movie: "Heroic Trio" stars three of Hong Kong's mightiest screen queens as superheroes. Michelle Yeoh plays Invisible Girl who can become, well, invisible and really kick some bad man fanny, Anita Mui plays Wonder Woman who is quite different from the Amazonian Wonder Woman but just as effective, and Maggie Cheung is the streetwise little Thief Catcher who drives a mean motorcycle and carries an arsenal of nasty toys. Despite some personal differences the three gang together to track down the rotten evil doer who is 'napping poor little innocent babes to fulfill his fiendish scheme. The special effects and action scenes are psycho-silly wild yet the atmosphere is dark and moody with just enough bitter-sweetness to snap a heartstring or two.

A note on Michelle Yeoh: I don't understand Hollywood for seemingly tossing her aside after sticking her in one James Bond flick. Miss Yeoh is the best female action star around; we see Jackie here and there and Jet everywhere, but where oh where is Michelle? This woman has got the goods (my martial arts instructor Saul-Yu Lingstein will back me on this 100%), yet Hollywood stupidly persists in casting flashy young starlets who don't know kung-fu from King Kong from Donkey Kong from a horse's patootie.

Anyway, this movie is one kickin' good time and is REQUIRED viewing for all human beings. So don't just sit there - get watching!

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: HAM AND CHEESE
Review: I won't try explaining the plot of this film except to say that even for Hong Kong Cinema, "The Heroic Trio" is utterly out of control. Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, and the very talented Maggie Cheung pose and posture their way through this bizzare and utterly silly comic book of a movie. Anthony Wong shows once again that there's no role he won't turn down, playing in this movie the villians henchman and one who's not above eating his own fingers. To sum it up, you just have to see it to believe it. I can't say I truly liked it, but obviously when looking at the other reviews, I'm in the minority, so decide for yourself. However you might end up feeling about it, one thing's for certain, and that is you'll probably come away feeling that you've never seen anything like it. Good luck with it.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Complete waste of 3 great actresses' talent !
Review: I'm a big fan of Chinese action movies, but this is by far the worst. most amateurish film I've seen this year. What are Muchelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung doing in this disaster of a superheroin movie? Ridiculous plot, cheap production values, weak effects.The incoherent direction does not help either. And please don't tell me it's supposed to be campy. It's not, just plain bad. Avoid at all costs!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Hilarious, Hokey Chop-Socky Fun
Review: In Hong Kong, someone is stealing babies from local hospitals. Out of nowhere to help save them are a masked avenger who runs along buildings and telephone wires (Anita Mui) and a brash, but beautiful bounty hunter (Maggie Cheung). They soon find out that the culprit is a woman with the power of invisibility (Michelle Yeoh) and that they all share a link in their past. THE HEROIC TRIO is unusual in that it is the women who are the action-heroes, thus predating characters like Xena and Buffy. However, like most martial arts films, this film is very over-the-top and pretty hokey. The fighting scenes are eye-catching and both Mui and Yoeh take their roles fairly seriously. Maggie Cheung's bounty hunter, however, seems in on the joke and hams it up big-time. This ain't a great film, by any means, and there have been better super-hero type flicks. However, for a couple of hours it provides its share of laughs and thrills. Recommended if you like this sort of film.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: An action packed comedic fun ride
Review: It is nice to find 3 strong woman who can kick butt! This movie is a fast paced action movie with comedy abound. Move over X-Men, Spawn and Batman here come The Heroic Trio. Comic book elements, mysticism, adventure, friendship, love,loyalty and great martial arts sequences make this light hearted martial arts romp a cinematic treat. Treat yourself, you will not be dissapointed.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hey, its entertainment, not science
Review: Its a fun film, lots of wild action scenes, sort of a spin on superheroes, female ones who are after a ruthless cult that is stealing babies to sacrifice most revealing one as the next Emperor.
I bought it because it seemed like a fun buy.
Is it the best buy, no?
Have I even finished watching it, no!
But it is fun.
I just tend to watch films in pieces.
Some movies and books are bubblegum and just for fun. Also don't expect incredible special effects with this one. To make up for lack of budget there seems to be a focus more on mood and lighting. Which works.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: WORTH WATCHING, BUT NOT FANTASTIC
Review: Its not a bad kung fu movie, but its sequel, EXECUTIONERS, is better. TRIO has all the normal kung fu plot, comic book goofiness, and it has some decent preformances and entertaining fight sequences. Its nice to see the three actresses together, and thier characters suit them well. It has its moments where it drags, but not enough to hinder it too much. I would have given it a higher review if EXECUTIONERS hadnt been just a little smoother than TRIO. Still, they are both fine kung fu fantasies.


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