Hong Kong cinema had many martial arts heroines beyond Michelle Yeoh, and some were bigger stars locally. Here, we look at some lesser-seen films featuring three of the city’s top female fighters.
1. Righting Wrongs (1986) – Cynthia Rothrock
American martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock, who had debuted with Yeoh in the cop hit Yes, Madam!, was on a roll when she starred in Righting Wrongs – also known as Above the Law.
Directed by Corey Yuen Kwai, who had discovered Rothrock while scouting for talent in the US and brought her to Hong Kong, this was the closest she had come to a fully fleshed-out starring role.
Although she shares top billing with Yuen Biao, Rothrock steals the show and delivers her best performance in a Hong Kong film.
Righting Wrongs was as much a drama as an action film, and Rothrock was called upon to deliver dramatic acting and martial arts.
Although she had no formal acting training, she proved surprisingly adept at drama, and even engaged in a convincing, metaphor-laden debate with Yuen about how his vigilante practices related to the operations of his giant toy train set.
