Above The Law
Filed Under: Film, Reviews | Article Tags : DVD review
By: Denis Blot
May 2007
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Films with a renegade cop or district attorney embracing vigilante justice were a dime a dozen in the 1980s (even now one can still manage to find quite a few), but few were put together with the brilliant stunt choreography that is found in “Above the Law” (AKA “Righting Wrongs”). The film hits hard, hits fast, and manages a cohesive storyline with a surprising ending. When you have a film where martial arts legend Yuen Biao plays a dual role as stunt team producer and as the lead actor, and notable action director Cory Yuen making sure everything coming into frame is high impact, you just might end up hurting yourself trying to emulate a high flying kick off the couch.
While the film lacks the glossy polished look of Yuen’s more recently directed films, it not only holds together well considering its just over twenty years old but also captures some of the best aspects of 1980s martial arts films. There is something so clichéd yet endearing about seeing a kung fu fighter take pause to slowly wipe the blood off his lip or take off his jacket to let you know a serious beat down is about to take place.
Perhaps one of the most interesting aspects about 1980s Hong Kong cinema was how progressive it was in terms of having women as powerful action heroes. Years before the term “girl power” was ever mentioned in the USA, American martial arts expert Cynthia Rothrock was acting in Hong Kong films. She is exceptional in “Above the Law” as a cop in pursuit of the vigilante Biao. The fight sequence between the two of them is simply astounding; at no point do you ever see a kick or a punch held back. Rothrock even has a moment of comedy in a mah jung parlor as she manages to handcuff four criminals with only one set of cuffs.
The DVD has a fair amount of good extras, from alternate endings to interviews with Biao, Rothrock, and co-star Peter Cunningham, all of which will please fans of the genre. The only disappointment is the lack of a feature length commentary with Cory Yuen. While Biao discusses some of the stunt work production in his interview, it still does not cover how Yuen plotted the overall action of the film, information that certainly fans of his would love to learn. There is however a feature length commentary with Bey Logan who probably knows more about Hong Kong cinema than the Chinese themselves. He goes in depth about the careers of the actors and director covering so much information that at times you may need to rewind and listen again to keep up with his comments.
“Above the Law” is a martial arts classic, for anyone interested in the genre it’s a must own. For those who are fans of “The Transporter” movies that Yuen directed and action films in general the film is definitely worth a rental.
Reviewer’s Opinion: RENT IT!!
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