I don't know why it took me so long to discover this film, but I'm glad I finally did. "Book of Heroes" is a must-see for anyone who likes women doing martial arts. And we're talking three women here, all of whom are working at cross-purposes (or so it appears at first): Yukari Oshima (the most recognizable name, but the one with the least screen time) is a henchwoman working for gangster boss Yasuaki Kurata; another woman (whose name I wish I knew) wants to become a policewoman, so she goes around beating bad guys and even arresting them!; and my personal favorite, Elsa Yeung, is a con artist who loves mocking her opponents while she's kicking their a$$es; her cute, girlish smile and her beautiful, deadly legs make her the sexiest of the trio (she often fights in a skirt). The script is weak and the goofy slapstick comedy is a matter of taste (it's often funny in this one), but the fight scenes and the hard-hitting stuntwork are arguably even better than those of, say, "Police Assassins" with Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock. Track this film down. *** out of 4.
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gridoon202412 June 2009
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tarbosh220008 February 2015When a nefarious Japanese crime lord named Yamashita (Kurata) moves in on Hong Kong territory, it sets off a chain of events which lead to a lot of conflicts and confusion. When a shipment of gold bars disappears, Yamashita wants to get his hands on it, but so do a lot of other people. Hu Pai (Kua Hu) is a cop attempting to take down Yamashita and his gang, and along the way he must take Miss Yang (???), who isn't a licensed police officer, but she wants to be, so she uses her considerable Martial Arts skill to take down the baddies on her own! Meanwhile a woman named Shanshan (Hui San Yang) and a mustachioed man named David are also in search of the gold, but that's secondary to Shanshan's true goal of getting revenge by trying to kill Yamashita. But Yamashita has an ace in the hole in the form of a talented bodyguard (played by Yukari Oshima). Naturally it all comes to a head in a big final blowout fight. Who will end up in the BOOK OF HEROES? We were happy to finally track down and see Book of Heroes, because, at least in America, it's a tough one to get a hold of, making this an under-the-radar Martial Arts extravaganza. Indeed, the fights are amazingly well-choreographed, and a pure pleasure to watch. They have that outrageously fast, kinetic, acrobatic style that the late 80's-early 90's HK action films are known for. And if that's what you're looking for, you won't be disappointed. Of course, the stunts and fights are the main highlights of the movie, but that wacky humor seen in most films from this time and place is here too. Presumably it's all part of the entertainment package.
The minions of the main baddie are all called "Rats" (as some sort of gang name?), and of course there is the time-honored map to the missing gold, but if there's one standout scene in the movie, it's the one with Bin Bin. You might remember Bin Bin as the kid from the previous year's Magic Crystal (1986), and sadly Book of Heroes is his last credited movie role to date. This young tot plays "Little Fighter" who helps out in his own way during a fight scene, and is never seen again. However, the filmmakers didn't make much effort to conceal his adult-sized stunt double, which leads to hilarious results. What was it like to have a grown man walking around in knee socks and dressed exactly like Bin Bin in every way (including a colorful cap that just says "1986") on the set? We may never know...
Some American hit songs can be heard during the movie, such as Cyndi Lauper's "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" and Heart's "These Dreams". Did they get permission to use these? The rules were so much more lax in the old days. Now they would have to pay a bundle for them. In Book of Heroes, they're just kinda there. In the end, Book of Heroes is worth seeing. If you're a fan of this type of movie, it does indeed deliver the goods. -
Movie-Misfit28 December 2019From the get-go, opening with a gang of 5 or 6 masked men riding a forklift truck to a robbery before getting chased by a Jackie Chan-esque cop on a bicycle - who then goes on to win a bike race that just happens to be going on in the area; you know what kind of film you are in for!
Of course, that is quickly followed by the introduction of our lead girl who, after challenging some men in a drinking game, takes part in an wonderfully choreographed bar fight before facing off against the awesome Yukari Oshima...
And this is only the first 10 minutes!!
But what else would you expect with director (Kevin) Chu Yen Ping at the helm? The same guy who brought you the insane Fantasy Mission Force, the crazy Shaolin Popeye movies, Island Of Fire, and in recent years the likes of Kung Fu Dunk, and Treasure Hunter. In fact, his filmography is just ridiculous with some crazy films as well as some crackers, but either way, I have to say that I am a fan.
A Book Of Heroes reminds me of one of my childhood favourites - Lucky Seven. The fights are incredibly similar making me think some of the same choreographers and stunt team were on board - and that's a great thing. The fighting is fast and furious, with some incredible moves and some painful looking stunt work. And there is plenty of it too! I also noticed a number of actors from Lucky Seven also including one of the female leads, and the wonderful Eugene Thomas - also a regular in super ninja Alexander Lou's films!
A few faces from Fantasy Mission Force as well as other Kevin Chu films also pop up throughout, all in all making for a fun who's-who of Taiwanese martial arts cinema... The super cute child actor, Siu Ban Ban (from Magic Crystal) gets a few fun moments, and the awesome Yasuaki Kurata gets to kick some ass as the bad guy! And I'm not 100%, but his house looks like the same set as the Gentleman's Club from Project A (with the double staircase and chandelier)...
Of course, the story and script is so OTT and crazy that you must remember to switch your brain off before settling down to this one. A Book Of Heroes is a lot of fun - just mental at times, but with some of the best martial arts fights and stunts committed to screen, and a great cast to support it!
The end battle is so well done and one of my favourite fight scenes - think the Lucky Stars movies on crack. I don't think I could ever get bored of it to be honest..!!
Overall: Crazy fun with awesome fight scenes and mad stunts makes this a must for fans that miss the golden years of Hong Kong cinema!! -
A BOOK OF HEROES is a lively action comedy from Hong Kong which uses the excellent POLICE ASSASSINS as its source of inspiration; many of the big fight scenes (particularly at the climax) utilise an extensive set with balconies and a big staircase which looks exactly the same as in the Michelle Yeoh film. Who knows, maybe it was the same set. The story is about a trio of ass-kicking femme fatales who come together to tackle Yasuaki Kurata's drug lord boss.
There's plenty of comedy in the story which makes this an easy watch, and the action is out of this world: incredibly fast-paced, hard-hitting, full of athletic and agile stunts and the kind of glass-breaking killer blows that Jackie Chan popularised in POLICE STORY. Yukari Oshima, the Japanese actress and fighter, features heavily in the opening and closing sequences and battles with aplomb; Hui San Yang mixes feminine beauty with skilled fighting in her mission of revenge; another actress (whose name I haven't figured out) wants to be a police officer but isn't, but helps out anyway. Kurata's crime overlord is reliably tough, and child actor Bin Bin (from THE MAGIC CRYSTAL) has some hilarious fight scenes. It's brisk, efficient, and offers pretty much wall-to-wall action; what more could you want? -
coltras3521 December 2022When a consignment of gold disappears from a harbour, a number of parties set out to find it. Firstly there is a disgraced police officer who is helped (and hindered) by a feisty wannabe policewoman who has a crush on him. Then there is a trio of con-artists who see this as the perfect opportunity to end their careers with a massive scoop. Finally there is the considerably more intimidating presence of a Japanese gangster and his varied cohorts who are willing to use any means to find the gold. Clashes between the three groups of treasure hunters are inevitable, but those on the side of the law must team up with the tricky threesome in order to defeat the formidable ranks of the Japanese underworld.
Fairly entertaining comedy-Kung fu actioner that benefits from its three heroines who act well and fight skilfully, however the story can be confusing and tedious at times. It's the comedy and Kung fu that makes this one watchable. -
Hey, this film is directed by Chu Yen-Ping and presented by Cinema City Films. You know what that means. You're in for a lame comedy that's more trying than funny, but is still incredibly entertaining and has a catchy theme song. A Book of Heroes is no exception. It may have a clever joke on occasion, but overall isn't generally funny. Most actors do a good job, but Woo Gwa and Laam Sam-Mei have standout performances.
Though the comedy doesn't amaze, the fight scenes do. Woo Gwa and Laam Sam-Mei are great and definitely had potential. It's a shame their film careers were relatively short. There's also Japanese actors Kurata Yasuaki and Yukari Oshima (in her film debut) who are quite impressive, but not as impressive as their future contributions to cinema. If only the writing was as good as the fight scenes. Also I heard that one of the main reasons why people like this movie is because of it's pretty female leads who beat people up, but if that's all you want, then Inspector Wears Skirts is more for you.
This movie is strange, but it's not "Chu Yen-Ping" strange. There aren't any Chinese Scotsmen or kung fu bowling, like what you may see in his other movies. It's just a silly movie. This movie is a hidden gem in Hong Kong cinema, but it is a dirt-covered gem. Like most-all Chu Yen- Ping films, the comedy is lame and the action is terrific, but my rating will easily rise once I watch a half decent print of this film. With that said, the movie is still entertaining and a movie to watch if you have nothing else to do. By the way, if you can't stand jump-cuts, this film is not for you. -
jddog13020 February 2015But... I actually liked it a little bit more than I thought I would, a tiny little bit more. At least it was better than Midnite Angels 3.
OK.. What I don't get is the rating on here is as good as "King Boxer" and Bruce Lee's "The Chinese Connection"... Really? Its also rated better than "The Five Venoms", "The Way of the Dragon" and "The Magnificent Ruffians".
Maybe that's not fair because these are not female lead role movies. Well then... This has a higher rating than "The Lady Hermit", "Wing Chun" and "Moonlight Sword and Jade Lion". I would rather watch "Lady Whirlwind" any day of the week before this. If you want to see good female fu, then watch "No One Can Touch Her"...
I made it through all of the movie. I give it 3 stars at best. Although I don't I would have any reason to ever watch it again. -
TD-1124 October 2000This is one of the greatest Hong Kong films ever. Three totally kick ass females destroy their male opposition in countless fights. This one has a great story, great humor, and great looking femme fatales. What else do you want from a movie?
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hormoz_nasiri17 May 2019I saw this movie when I was child..I hate it that time after 30 years I saw it again and I hate it as well๐๐๐๐ Worse movie ever