Released: May 2017
Director: Chris Nahon
Rated R
Run Time: 100 Minutes
Distributor: Vertical Entertainment
Genre: Action
Cast:
Amy Johnston: Jane
Muriel Hofmann: Shu
Jenny Wu: Ling
Kathy Wu: Wai
Jet Tranter: Cassidy
Mayling Ng: Svietta
As far as I’m concerned, there’s not enough focus on female-led action films. It’s not that they don’t exist, they do, but they don’t really get to share the spotlight with films that are led by men. Now, we’re starting to see a change of sorts. This year we got Tomb Raider, headlined by Alicia Vikander as well as last year’s Wonder Woman, which was led by Gal Gadot. You’ve also got ladies like Milla Jovovich, who led films like Resident Evil. Back in the day, women like Cynthia Rothrock, Karen Sheperd and Michelle Yeoh who led the way for women in action movies. Now, folks like Jeeja Yanin and Gina Carano are taking it to another level. The one gal that I’m paying attention to right now, though is Amy Johnston. Why? Look at movies like Lady Bloodfight and Accident Man. Not only can she act, but she can kick some serious ass and go toe to toe with the boys.
Lady Bloodfight follows Jane, an American waitress who heads to Hong Kong to find out what happened to her father, who disappeared years before. Hoping to find answers by participating in the brutal underground tournament known as the Kumite, Jane has the odds stacked against her as she takes on a large number of other fighters in a fight to the finish. If you look at the plot summary of this film and what comes to mind is Bloodsport with Jean-Claude Van Damme, you really aren’t far off the mark. The difference being is that all the fighters in this film are women. What sets this film apart from Bloodsport, though, is in the way it handles its story and character development. The story is as simple as it gets, but it’s handled in a way that I was completely engaged by it. Even in the best fight movies, they are still driven by a story, regardless of how simple it may be. There are plenty of interesting things that happen on Jane’s journey and none of them seem really out of place. It’s a pretty solid story.
While I would say that the acting across the board in Lady Bloodfight is fairly average, there are a few standouts in the film that really make it worth watching. First is Muriel Hofmann as Jane’s teacher Shu. She plays a fairly quiet and unassuming martial arts master, who had participated in the Kumite only for it to end in a draw. As a result, she’s resigned to the fact that she’s had to take on Jane as a student. She gives the role a very quiet, yet somewhat humorous flair that really works. Kathy Wu plays Shu’s rival, Wai, who was expecting to win that last fight. Like Shu, Wai has had to take on a student of her own in order to win. Mayling Ng is positively intimidating as the brutal Svietta. She has this incredible Amazonian physique that would give Bolo Yeung’s Chong Li pause. The real standout of the film though is Amy Johnston. A stunt-woman, actress and martial artist herself, Amy Johnston just powers her way through the film. Yeah, her character’s a serious bad-ass, but she’s also given moments of vulnerability which Amy just nails. She’s as good an actress as she is a martial artist and after seeing her in this and Accident Man, I can’t wait to see what she’s got coming down the line. She’s got the potential to be one of the top female action stars of the 21st century and I don’t say that lightly.
The fight sequences in Lady Bloodfight are something that the film somewhat struggles with. It’s not that the choreography is bad. Far from it. These are some pretty brutal fight scenes. The problem is the way in which the director chose to shoot the action. I’ve always been of the mind that shaky-cam has absolutely no place in a movie like this, and I meant it. I hate having to bring it up every time I see it in a fight movie. I have to, because some people seem to think that it’s really a good idea to get right in there all up in the fighters’ business. Normally, this would used to hide some pretty bad choreography, but that’s not the problem. The problem is the constant shaking and close-ups that get in the way. Other-wise the fights are just fine. Thankfully, the action scenes with Amy Johnston are shot fairly well, but some of the other sequences are a little hard to follow. Some of the editing could use a little work too.
One of the other things I like about this movie is that except for Svietta, there really isn’t a fully defined villain. Yeah, you’ve got your typical corrupt business scumbag who wants to win big bucks, but that’s just a matter of greed. Svietta is a cold-hearted lady through-and-through. Shu’s rival Wai is also given a pretty decent arc and the film does have a fairly satisfying conclusion. Overall, I would say that Lady Bloodfight is a pretty decent fight movie with a pretty strong story and even stronger performance by Amy Johnston. I could see this lady headlining a big budget action film if Hollywood ever decides that it’s changed its mind about women headlining action movies. That being said, Lady Bloodfight is surprisingly worth your time. Just be aware of some of the issues regarding camera-work.
My Final Recommendation: Hell hath no fury like women that can kick some serious ass. 8/10