It
was the start of something big, in many ways. It was Michelle Yeoh’s first film
as a lead and Cynthia Rothrock’s very first acting gig. It was only the second
feature directed by Corey Yuen and launched the loosely connected In the Line of Duty franchise. Some even
credit it as the first of the so-called “girls with guns” action movie
subgenre, but the basic elements in question seem like perennial fan favorites
that have always been with us. Regardless, there is a special place in many
fans’ hearts for Yuen’s Yes, Madam,
which screens during this year’s Old School Kung Fu Fest at the Metrograph.
When
Senior Inspector Ng is your superior officer, you darn well better say “Yes,
Madam.” To resolve any doubts, we will watch her handily handle a gang of
armored car in the prologue. Unfortunately, Richard Nornen, a friend and colleague
from Scotland Yard is murdered to recover a piece of microfilm (remember that
Macguffin?) that could incriminate Hong Kong’s biggest Triad boss.
Inadvertently, two of the city’s dimmest criminals take possession of it when
they swipe the dead man’s passport for their forger crony, embroiling
themselves in a world of trouble.
Inspector
Carrie Morris arrives from England just in time to land a few blows on the unfortunate
punk trying to leave HK using Nornen’s doctored passport. She is the
rule-breaking Oscar Madison to Ng’s straight-laced Felix Unger, but they both
have mad martial arts chops.
Yes, Madam is just awesomely
eighties. Yeoh (than billed as Michelle Khan) looks totally fab in Miami Vice whites and pastels, while
Rothrock rocks the Michael Jackson jacket. Technically, it harkens back to
1978, but the cues “borrowed” from Carpenter’s Halloween also reinforce the 80s nostalgia.
Frankly,
the screenplay is nothing special, but the morally ambiguous ending still packs
a kick. Regardless, the climatic fight sequence entirely justifies the price of
admission on its own. Set in the villain’s luxury condo (which is decked out
with an unusual amount of glass furnishings and partitions), it features Yeoh’s
athleticism and Rothrock’s chops to dazzling, star-making effect.