Lady Dragon (1992) Movie Review

Let's continue our Cynthia Rothrock series with Lady Dragon, an action martial arts film from 1992 starring Rothrock, Richard Norton, Robert Ginty and Bella Esperance. Directed by David Worth and produced by Imperial Entertainment, the film was so successful that a sequel titled Lady Dragon 2 (1993) was released the following year.

Kathy (Cynthia Rothrock) is a tough martial artist who frequents an underground fight ring as she gets close to the mob boss (Richard Norton) that murdered her husband the day of their wedding for revenge. After a close encounter with death, she is found by a martial artist who teaches her new techniques so she can defeat the criminal boss.

Lady Dragon starts things up with a bang, with intense action right from the beginning. It's a very good idea to set everything up (setting, characterization, tone and style of action) in the first scene of the film, not only do you get a taste of our heroine's skill level and strength but you also get to see the way the underworld works and its rigid but savage way of functioning, which becomes integral by the end.

Rothrock's usual decent acting skills flourish here to good effect and her martial arts prowess is still notable (even if the film never takes full advantage of them). Her character is handled in a more intimate way than in the typical vehicle of hers, which gives a bit more of an emotional resonance to the storyline. I also like the side-characters and villains, the script delves more deeper into their personalities and motivations than in the average flick of its kind which makes it more effective overall. Norton and Ginty are also good in it but perhaps a bit wooden at point.

The cinematography is quite polished and the direction is also solid enough, with a great grasp of cinematic compositions while also making everything dynamic with its moderately rapid editing. The choreographies also shine because of it.

A real blast from the early nineties, Lady Dragon is definitely the B movie classic that will satisfy fans of the martial arts genre and casual moviegoers as well.

The Heroic Trio (1993) Movie Review

The Heroic Trio (Three Heroines of the East, Ángeles Vengadores) is an action fantasy film directed by Johnnie To and written by Sandy Shaw. It stars Michelle Yeoh, Anita Mui, Maggie Cheung, Damian Lau, Anthony Wong and Paul Chun. The film became a pretty big hit and is one of the Hong Kong films that managed to reach a wider audience while being a cult favorite for genre enthusiasts. It is now considered to be one of Michelle Yeoh’s classic films.

The plot is set in motion as an invisible entity snatches babies around town. The wife of a police inspector (secretly a superheroine known as Wonder Woman), a tough and badass bounty hunter (known in the field as Thief Catcher) and the responsible for the baby kidnappings (a powerful warrior with supernatural techniques) unite their forces to fight the evil master behind the crimes.

An insane fantasy martial arts film that really delivers some hardcore action. The kooky plotline is actually simple and clear enough that you can properly follow it all throughout. The main characters have very distinct and likable personalities. The characterizations are fun, while the actresses are very good. I think a lot of the heavy lifting is done by the lavish costumes, props and simple writing in just 80 minutes. I wasn't expecting it to have such dynamic acrobatic action choreography, people don't just move or leap, they glide and hover through the air, but it is truly a very entertaining spectacle with people flying around and achieving impossible jumps and convoluted moves.

At first, you kind of have to put the puzzle of the storyline and the character relations and identities together because things are very slowly and eclectically established, they don't bombard you with information but everything comes together by the end of the first act. I think the tone is pretty perfect for the most part, being able to handle comedy, fantastical wonder and serious action quite well. I will also add that they had the balls to do something very shocking with a baby and that never actually hurts the established tone. I will leave it at that.

The wardrobe, art direction, production design and special effects are all expertly crafted and taken full advantage of by the meticulous and skilled direction. Johnnie To was able to take this somewhat disjointed and easy to mess up story and executed it perfectly and clearly, delivering a high caliber action classic from Hong Kong that fluidly tells its story with a variety of moods, tones, places and sensitivities.

A must watch for any martial arts fanatic. Quick and swift, The Heroic Trio is bound to thrill and amuse with its impressive filmmaking and imagination.

The film was followed by a sequel titled Heroic Trio 2: Executioners (1993).

Supergirl (2025) Comic Review

A new Supergirl ongoing series has arrived via DC Comics, this time written and illustrated by Sophie Campbell, with Tamra Bonvillain as a colorist and Becca Carey as a letterer. It began to be published on May 14 2025. 

This story takes place in the summer of 2025, after the fall of the Kryptonite asteroid from Superman Unlimited #1.

Supergirl returns to her hometown, Midvale, to visit her parents but finds out that another Supergirl has taken her place, taking Kara's place as a saviour of the locals. The impostor turns out to be a girl she saved previously at Kandor, Lesla-Lar (a genius inventor), who envies Kara's life and powers, so she uses her technological skills to travel to Midvale after becoming obsessed with Supergirl. She then weaponizes her knowledge of the girl of tomorrow to supplant her faithfully, earth's sunlight also gives her powers as well. Kara must now prove to the people that she is the real Supergirl and fight the impostor.

A good mix of giggles, emotion and action, this new Supergirl ongoing series starts out quite great. We are very adequately introduced to the world and the continuity is established organically as we are never truly lost even if we have never read the comics it's picking up from. 

Now, Kara has to deal with issues such as defining herself as a person, revisiting her old home and trying to get away from Superman's shadow. Some of these conflicts are dealt with by becoming a sort of guide to other characters like Lena Luthor and the antagonist of the story. While a lot of this is done through dialogue and internal speech it's all very effective and we are also given very well written and inventive set pieces with monster fights (we even see Titano) and battles between the superwomen.

At one point, we also see the effects of black kryptonite on Kara, turning her into Satan Girl. She doesn't do anything truly violent or disturbing, it boils down to mild edgy phrases, throwing trash, pulling people's pants down, ruining birthdays and writing on walls with her laser-vision. It's all hilarious and fun, keeping things lighthearted and playful.

A very enjoyable beginning to a highly referential and entertaining series with heart and emotional resonance. A good start so far. 

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