Overview: 88 Films proudly presents the first four films in the In The Line of Duty series of Girls With Guns films produced by Hong Kong movie studio D&B Films in this collectible 4-Disc Blu-ray Box-Set!

The package includes stunning new 2K restorations of all 4 films in 1:85:1 aspect ratio, a 100-page book by Matthew Edwards with archive stills, production imagery, posters & more, reversible sleeves featuring original artwork and a double-sided foldout poster and more!

Blu-ray Verdict: First up is the series opener, YES, MADAM! (1985), where when gangsters murder her friend, Inspector Ng (Michelle Yeoh, Tomorrow Never Dies) is drawn into a deadly search for the men who did it. Just as well she’s got backup from British supercop Carrie Morris (the legendary Cynthia Rothrock, China O’Brien).

Two hapless thieves Aspirin (Mang Hoi) and Strepsil (John Shum) break into a freshly murdered man’s hotel room and steal his passport. Unknown to them, the occupant was just stylishly murdered by an assassin and that wallet includes the microfilm of a forged contract that crooked businessman Mr Tin will kill for.

It soon falls to Senior Inspector NG (Michelle Yeoh) and Inspector Carrie Morris (Cynthia Rothrock) to track down the microfilm and solve the murder.

A fast-paced concoction of well-executed humor and action with Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock lighting up the screen as two kick-behind inspectors with differing personalities and methods, yet they make a great pair. But a funny yet bumbling crime caper scenes with Aspirin, Strepsil, and their passport forging friend Panadol (Tsui Hark) makes this excellently choreographed actioner thoroughly entertaining. The finale features some nifty fight sequences by the leading ladies.

Next up is ROYAL WARRIORS (1986), where upon returning from her holiday in Japan, Inspector Yip (Michelle Yeoh, Everything Everywhere All At Once) foils a daring mid-air rescue of a gangster being returned to Hong Kong for trial. But Inspector Yip needs to watch her back: that gangster has friends.

Yeoh, credited as Michelle Kahn, plays a policewoman who prevents a major incident on a airliner, ably assisted by secret agent Henry Sanada. Kahn and Sanada’s actions infuriate the mob and revenge comes quickly in the form of an explosion that kills the Japanese agent’s wife and daughter. Michael Wong, another cop, assists the Chinese-Japanese duo in their quest for justice, but he only gets in the way, as does his bad acting!

This film has car stunts, explosions, rafts of grievous bodily harm and lots of woman-to-woman, man-on-man and man-on-woman fighting! John Chung, who directed the excellent Web of Deception and the delightful I Love Maria, stages his action with tremendous energy and works hard to make us feel the pain the characters are feeling.

The parts in between the mayhem is much lighter, which is due to Michael Wong who is smitten by Yeoh. It’s pleasant, and a break from the mayhem, but ultimately it’s the action set pieces and Yeoh’s and Sanada’s high kicking attitude that makes this a recommended watch for martial arts fans!

Then we get IN THE LINE OF DUTY III (1988) and the big question asked was: How do you top the first two In The Line of Duty films? Easy. Bigger explosions, wilder fights and even crazier stunts! This time, two Japanese thieves have fled to Hong Kong with a tough J-cop (Cynthia Khan, Blade of Fury) hot on their heels. It’s up to Hong Kong’s finest to stop the villains before too much damage is done!

In a bloody beginning, a pair of stylish Japanese thieves steal some valuable gems. In a harrowing scene, during their escape, they kill the partner of a ruffled detective (think Columbo with a Chuck Barris hairdo). The detective swears revenge, and the thieves played by the athletic and lovely Michiko Nishiwaki and her terminally ill partner/lover played by Stuart Ong plan on going to Hong Kong, sell the loot, and buy weapons for the Red Army!

All the while Cynthia, a rookie cop in Hong Kong, tries to get in on the action of the task force she has been assigned to, but unfortunately her superior is her uncle who wants to keep her out of harms way. The Japanese thieves and the detective trailing them, all make their way to Hong Kong, and Cynthia ends up entangled in the same mess with the detective, trying to bring the cold blooded and desperate thieves to justice. People on both sides are killed, leading to crossed paths of personal revenge, everyone out for each others blood.

The action, typical of the genre, is fast, bloody, and brutal, both Cynthia and Michicko are firecrackers and, in addition to being very easy on the eyes, display some great kicks and punches. The fight scenes, particularly the finale, are directed in a rapid paced, blink and you’ll miss it fashion, with shots edited so that someone will be falling down from a punch, then in the next shot they are already up and spinning a kick against the opponent (any kind of reaction or recovery shot is gone, it’s just kick, punch, kick). Thus, this is yet another highly entertaining film!

Lastly comes IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV (1989), the fourth (and for some fans, the best) of the In the Line of Duty series, which sees the return of Cynthia Kahn (The Avenging Quartet) as Inspector Yeung. This time, she’s on the trail of some ruthless international drug dealers, ably assisted by Donnie Yen (John Wick: Chapter 4, Ip Man) and Michael Wong (Royal Warriors).

Here Yuan Ho-Ping uses his strict rhythmic parameters so the action is clear and we can enjoy every movement. Some classical moves are dropped in just to make the action a little prettier. Long shots and close ups are used when appropriate and to give variety - all typical Yuan Ho-Ping trademarks and this is what sets him apart from inferior filmmakers in the genre.

He also introduces some great novelty fighters - the female foreign fighter who looks like an English teacher with a heroin habit, the crazy eyed foreigner in the alley with the eccentric fighting style and of course Michael Woods.

The synchronization of the action and sound effects is SO crisp here and the sound effects have never sounded better - deep body blows and crisp pak sounds - music to my ears!

Furthermore, you enter into a world of claustrophobic and relentless brutality - which slips in and out of a cartoon universe where people take beatings with tire-irons and walk away intact one minute, and end up bleeding and lifeless in lift shafts in another.

Yet in this icy universe of remorseless violence there are moments of compassion - for example when the witness is allowed to visit his mother - but this touching scene is, once again, abruptly terminated and violence resumes!

Special Features:
ROYAL WARRIORS:
2.0 Cantonese Mono Theatrical & Alternate Mixes
2.0 Classic English Dub + 5.1 New English Dub
Newly translated English subtitles
Audio Commentary by Hong Kong Film Expert Frank Djeng
Missing Aeroplane Inserts
Cantonese & English Trailers and more!

YES, MADAM!:
Hong Kong Cut featuring: Cantonese Original Theatrical Mix Mono & Cantonese (Home Video Mix) Mono Original Effects
5.1 New English Dub + Export Version with classic English Dub
Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng (HK Version)
Interview with Cynthia Rothrock
Select Scene Commentary with Cynthia Rothrock and Frank Djeng
Interview with Men Hoi
Archive Interview with Michelle Yeoh
Archive Battling Babes Featurette
Hong Kong Trailer

IN THE LINE OF DUTY III:
2.0 Cantonese Mono with English Subtitles + 2.0 English Mono
Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng and Michael Worth
Interview with John Sham by Frederic Ambroisine
Hong Kong & English Trailers and more!

IN THE LINE OF DUTY IV:
Hong Kong cut, featuring: 2.0 Cantonese Mono with English Subtitles + 2.0 English Mono
Export Version of the film featuring the Classic English Dub
Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng and F.J. DeSanto (HK Cut)
Archive Interview with Donnie Yen
Hong Kong & English Trailers

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