SpecialsTarget Disturbing yet enthralling

Livestonth I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

Gurlyndrobb While it doesn't offer any answers, it both thrills and makes you think.

Ezmae Chang This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Leofwine_draca I'm a big fan of the kind of action film that came out of Hong Kong in the 1980s: this was the decade where Jackie Chan was at his very best, in terms of stunts, action and directing, and Sammo Hung made all of his best films as director. Mention must also be made of Yuen Biao, though, who often joined up with both Chan and Hung to contribute some very good action to these kung fu flicks. Occasionally, Biao got the chance to go it alone, as he does here playing a Charles Bronson-style prosecutor who, tired of seeing criminals getting away scot free time after time, decides to take the law into his own hands. The resultant film is an action-packed spectacle, very much along the lines of the IN THE LINE OF DUTY films and just as enjoyable.Of course, the story is slim and very predictable, and there are plenty of unbelievable things going on. There's a huge sub-plot involving a cop named Bad Egg, who's played by choreographer Corey Yuen. This is played entirely for laughs, focusing on the cop's slobbish nature, and the humour is definitely for those with acquired tastes. Nevertheless ABOVE THE LAW, as a whole, is good entertainment. There's the usual mix of GREAT martial arts sequences, along with a nifty set-piece involving crashing cars in a multi-storey car park.Yuen Biao adopts the heroic mantle very well indeed, proving himself more than a match for the likes of Jackie and Sammo. He's ably supported by a fantastic cast of Hong Kong greats, too. Cynthia Rothrock's on hand as a tough imported cop, kicking ass with the best of them. Melvin Wong pops up in a rare villainous role and doesn't he do well! I'm used to see him in straight, non-martial arts roles like his turn in BEWITCHED, but he gets to play a tough bad guy here and his fighting's excellent – he really convinces. Roy Chiao pops up as a lenient judge, much like he did in DRAGONS FOREVER, and an almost unrecognisable teenage Fan Siu-Wong is a young innocent caught up in the crimes – Fan later bulked up to tackle the lead role in infamous gore flick THE STORY OF RICKY! Great action is dotted throughout the movie. There's a memorable showdown between Biao and US kickboxing champion Peter Cunningham, and he really puts our hero through his paces. Rothrock gets to tackle another female fighter in a great, extended fight, as well as tackling Biao himself in another good bit. The best, though, is inevitably saved for the climax, an extended bout in a warehouse which doesn't disappoint, and then there's a James Bond-style bit on an aeroplane which makes for a nice change (I haven't seen anything like this in any other Hong Kong film of the 1980s). Weirdly, the film has two alternate endings. One's the original, downbeat version which takes nihilism to a new level, while the other is a lighter, more predictable conclusion. I have to say I prefer the original! Either way, this film's got a harder edge than most, and there are some really vicious murders going on – it's definitely not for kids, despite the bumbling comedy found elsewhere.

Comeuppance Reviews The great Yuen Biao plays Hsia, a prosecutor who is tired of seeing the bad guys go free and the justice system constantly protecting villains and ignoring the victims of their crimes. Some seriously bad dudes are out there annihilating entire families to keep them quiet. So Hsia decides to go after the baddies in his off time, which works out well because this lawyer is also an incredibly skilled martial artist. Cynthia Rothrock plays Cindy, a CID agent who is constantly on Hsia's tail. Their conflict is about the nature of justice and law in society. Her partner is Bad Egg, a slovenly cop played by the director, Corey Yuen. But will Hsia or Cindy triumph in the final battle with the super-evil bad guy (who I can't reveal because it is too close to a spoiler)? Above the law is simply awesome. It delivers the goods to the audience in spades with slam-bang action right from the first minute. The pedigree of the film is impressive, with not just familiar names such as the amazing Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock (who also delivers one of the better performances we've seen from her), but the producers got some American fighters to fly to Hong Kong such as Peter "Sugarfoot" Cunningham and Karen Sheperd, who have both gone on to good careers since.As you may know, Yuen Biao came from the same Opera School that produced Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung. His skills in fighting and stunts are at least equal to his classmates. But for some reason, outside of action circles, he never reached their level of fame. Notably, an uncredited Sammo choreographed the final fight. Siu-Wong Fan, who plays the character of Wen, a teenage witness, went on to play the title role in Story of Ricky. The reason Melvin Wong looks so muscular and pumped up here is because he trained under Bolo Yeung.Above the Law features, on top of the ace fighting and stunt work, the same crowd-pleasing wacky comedy and lovable characters known in Hong Kong productions. (Interestingly, some scenes were shot in Auckland, New Zealand). Also featuring some killer music, the movie is just a blast, an incredibly fun rush of fast-paced action setpieces.For an over-the-top 80's HK action film, it's hard to top the first-rate Above the Law.For more insanity, please visit: comeuppancereviews.com

Tony Ryan (tpr007) Cynthia Rothrock turned down a part opposite Jackie Chan to play a larger role in this Yuen Biao action thriller. Biao plays a lawyer who takes the law into his own hands when the bad guys shoot a good friend of his outside the courthouse (hence the UK title 'Above The Law'). Rothrock plays an almost identical role to that of the earlier genre classic 'Yes, Madam'. Corey Yuen Kwai takes the action a step further than that in 'Yes, Madam', making Biao and Rothrock look better than ever in a number of impressive action sequences.Biao's acrobatic talents are showcased magnificently as he flips, kicks, abseils and uses all available weapons (vases, axes and dead bodies!) in an attempt to punish the crimes of others.This is the definitive Hong Kong action flick of the 80's, easily on a par with 'Police Story' and should take pride of place in any fan's collection.Also, if possible, get the 'Universe' DVD as this contains both versions of the film and the original language.

gridoon Cynthia Rothrock is a phenomenal martial-arts dynamo (although in some scenes she is stupidly replaced by a male stunt man), and Yuen Biao is....well, Yuen Biao, if you've seen him in even one Jackie Chan movie you already know what he can do. The sheer action involving these two almost redeems the rest of the movie. ALMOST. As film-making, it's sloppy and confusing and just plain bad. Plus, the downbeat ending leaves a bad taste in your mouth and kills any fun the viewer might have had until then. (**)