Yes, Madam! (1985)

Great Film overall

good back-story, and good acting

Film Perfection

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

This was one of those 1980's Hong Kong action flicks that had been on my list for some time. I'm glad I saw it, but it's nowhere near as good as some of the sequels, especially the excellent In the Line of Duty IV.The opening action scene is pretty brutal and sharply edited, but truth be told, it's about as good as the flick has to offer. I mean, it would have been better if it had built up to something truly extraordinary. Never happens.Flick's notable for being Michelle Yeoh's first lead role and she's pretty good, as is the always athletic Cynthia Rothrock, again looking like the female half of some British synthpop duo from the '80's. Gotta love her.Tsui Hark and his two stupid buddies create some funny slapstick scenes which, in true Hong Kong fashion, are at odds with the gritty violence. I love how these Hong Kong flicks switch tone every few seconds.If you're a completist like me, take a look. If you're new to the genre I suggest skip this and watch part IV in stead. If you want a better Yeoh flick, watch Tai Chi Master or Wing Chun in stead. They are freakin' awesome.

Moments of slapstick comedy are nothing but expected when Sammmo Hung makes an appearance, however it may be a touch overdone here in this sub-genre defining "femme-fatale" flick. Two female officers of the law present themselves as hard-hitting women which should be shown absolute respect, but another group of protagonists weighs them down and the overall result is more comedic than dramatic. There simply wasn't enough Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock on-screen to provide sufficient character development, but even at a basic level it works to support the crime investigation story (which is also very simple). A reel of film ends up being passed around Hong Kong as a triad corporation tries to obtain and destroy it in order to avoid the legal consequences attached. Meanwhile, a group of idiotic underdogs inadvertently become mixed up with the triad affair, as well as our two female hero cops Yeoh and Rothrock. The adventure is goofy yet fun, and the finale will take your breath away in terms of martial arts prowess. This is an iconic movie of both Hong Kong action cinema and the femme- fatale sub genre, and if your mildly interested in either you'll have a great time with this one. - 7/10

Michelle Yeoh plays a fast moving cop in Hong Kong who is exposed to Dirty Harry type situations in this film which is part of the "In The Line Of Duty" film series. The film is mostly at accelerated speed, and it is the action that carries the scene. The constant fighting and attempted escapes make you forget what is a simple plot about microfilm. Cynthia Rothrock is also in this, so you have two butt kicking cops. The movie loses some steam due to the silliness of some of its characters, but you'll still like the action. It plays in high definition on the Kung Fu Channel, so if you have access this is the way to see it. Michelle Yeoh has, of course, done more compelling work after this, but I think you'll enjoy it, even the violent scenes.

Hong Kong Cinema has to be the best to happen to action film history. Well, I'll say Asian Cinema has had a tremendous impact period. Hollywood just can't stop duplicating their style (Matrix for example). Hong Kong action films in the 80's should be given a lot of praise because of what has been accomplished. I'm very happy to say that I'm a martial arts FANATIC!!! Yes Madam! (A.K.A. Police Assassins) kicked A**!!! I loved the way Michelle and Cynthia connected with each other. I have a lot of respect for those 2 ladies along with Cynthia Khan (another female heroine). The last fight says enough, it doesn't need to be explained. When I saw this movie for the first time, I rewinded that same scene at least 12 times to get that rush again. This is the type of action that action films are missing today. There are too many digital effects and wire work in today's line of work. I wish Hong Kong action films would repeat this formula again along with other movies.About the content of the movie: Well, the movie is kind of on and off with action scenes. At times, I think the movie didn't know whether to be serious or be comedic. The scene with Sammo Hung, David Chiang, and Richard Ng should've been omitted. I liked the fact that Tsui Hark was in this movie. This is the only movie where I've seen him acting. He did a good job though. He interaction between aspirin and strepsil was funny enough. The first 5 minutes of the movie was off da hook!! Michelle shows off her bad a** cop skills. Cynthia shows off some moves at the airport. And then..... THE FINAL SCENE!!!! To tell the truth, I bought the movie because of the final scene. Those 2 ladies were so graceful with the fight scenes at the end. I enjoyed every punch and kick. Its amazing how Michelle's dancing skills helped so much with her martial arts training. IMPRESSIVE!!!My Overall Judegement: 3.5/4 stars