THE HEROIC TRIO (1992)
Chinese title: Tong fong sam hop

Move over Batman and Robin. Here come the ultimate super-heroes....or, to be more precise, super-heroines. Meet Wonder Woman (Anita Mu), Thief Catcher (Maggie Cheung), and Invisible Woman (Michelle Yeoh). Together they make up The Heroic Trio. Their quest? To prevent the Lord of the Underworld from kidnapping babies and raising them to be assassins for his new empire. Never mind that the evil genius is feeding the babies a steady diet of human flesh. Never mind that anybody who gets in the way is likely to lose his head to a flying guillotine. These are just minor inconveniences to our heroines as they strut their stuff in a wild, extravagant fantasy that pays homage to The Terminator in it's blazing climax.

One of the key fantasy-action thrillers of the Hong Kong film renaissance, The Heroic Trio enjoys an international cult following and Guido Henkel in DVD Review explains why: "Tired of those big budget Hollywood movies that rely more on heavy-duty special and computer-generated effects than overall content and actual acting? Try this one. The Heroic Trio is a perfect example of how modern Hong Kong cinema can easily outdo major American motion pictures. This is a super hero movie the way it should be done; instead of relying solely on special effects to deliver the goods, it mixes in solid choreography, acting and superb human stunts.

"It features a cast of Hong Kong superstars, all of whom have many talents besides acting and Kung Fu chops. Anita Mui was a legendary singer in the Hong Kong music scene a long time before she started acting, and her performance on the movie's title song ³Nui Yan Sam² earned The Heroic Trio the prestigious Hong Kong Award for the Best Original Film Song. She has been working with many international movie stars, most notably however she made appearances in many of Jackie Chan's pictures. Michelle Yeoh, former Miss Malaysia, was voted one of People Magazine's 50 Most Beautiful People; she is presently Asia's top female action star, playing opposite of Jackie Chan in Supercop. She also plays opposite Pierce Brosnan in the latest James Bond movie Tomorrow Never Dies.

Finally, Maggie Cheung starred opposite Jackie Chan in Police Story, and won several Best Actress awards internationally. What is absolutely stunning about The Heroic Trio, however, is action director Ching Siu-Tung's artful choreography and director Johnny To's visual presentation of the material. Never have Kung Fu fights been more entertaining and downright heart-stopping. Those women are kicking, flying, jumping, walking on powerlines, and climbing walls like no one else has. Despite its urban setting, the movie masterfully captures all of Asia's tasteful and rich cinematography found in other, more traditional fantasy movies and unlike American action movies, it also accentuates the soft, human and romantic side of the heroes. It creates a stark contrast between its violent, surreal and sad moments, especially visible in the scene after Wonder Woman recovers one of the stolen babies."

Rating: TV-14-V.