(2004)
Reviewed BY-David Zuzelo Media Asia Region 3 DVD Directed by Jingle Ma Starring Michelle Yeoh, Luke Goss, Brandon Chang, Michael Jai White
Michelle Yeoh in Superhero gear? I’m there! Yes, even after the cinematic disaster area that was marked off and called The Touch, I’m down with Michelle and her high kicking ways. You couldn’t possibly drop my expectations lower than they are now for current HK cinema, and Silver Hawk isn’t a revelation that things are getting better. Certainly not great movie making, but any comic book fan who loves to see women kicking ass and riding motorcycles will be well served. Michelle barnstorms right into the film in full heroic regalia, and gets out to ride her bike, jump the Great Wall, kick a lot of ass and rescue a cute Panda bear. Hey, she even hugs Mr. Panda and sends him on his way. Very cute. Arguably, this opening is the best part of the film… at least it doesn’t have you waiting for something to happen. Silver Hawk is better known as the rich girl Lulu in her non-garbed day hours… and she is also a kung fu specialist, which we learn in flashback. An old friend, now a goofy cop, blows into town. Some evil industrialist mind control plot ensues. Nice cop wants to capture the super heroine… but fails of course. More fighting… Mind control…fight (huh, I’m awake now!)… slightly romantic turn appears… fight (WAKE UP!)…FIGHT AGAIN! The End.
It ain’t deep friends, but I would neither want nor need it to be. Silver Hawk is a bit of an anomaly in super hero films these days. As comics become more mainstreamed as film fodder, it seems that the characters need to be very high drama or downbeat to relate to the audience. Jeez, somehow the Punisher swigs Wild Turkey all day and then can steadily aim and blow away the baddies. Not Silver Hawk! This is no Dark Knight, but a white clad kung fu fighting lady with heels and a smile pasted on her face. It’s campy excess with the plusses and minuses inherent in trying to make it "comic booky." That sadly means that the style is slathered on, and the fight scenes look great, but the characters remain one-dimensional and exist only to get to the next fight sequence. It’s a shame, as Michelle Yeoh is a fun actress to watch…she wastes herself here, especially as she is an executive producer. I’d love to see someone actually write a sequel to this film, because it has potential to be a great franchise. But what we have here is really just a live action cartoon Hong Kong adventure film, and that isn’t a slam… it’s what you would expect. Harmless entertainment at it’s best, though lifeless in too many spots to be a film you would watch over and over.
The cast is fine, and it’s interesting to see Michael Jai White (so THIS is where his fight from Kill Bill must have landed…kidding). White plays a crazy hitman/enforcer type (with a beautiful girl sidekick)…but neither of them is named nor do they say a single word. Nothing…In place of these cool and colorful characters we get to see Richie Jen as the goofy cop run about in drag. Not a fair trade off. Jingle Ma has some mediocre action films such as Hot War and Tokyo Raiders in his resume, and at the least the action sequences are better staged and executed in this film. Don’t expect fist and foot mayhem, as the editing is done in a very modern style, but it’s well delivered at worst. I don’t think the "extreme sport" baddies really do it though. I don’t want to watch rollerblading hockey players fight ever again. Ever.
Overall, another slightly off target film from Hong Kong and the big budget bangeroos, but it’s got a lot of plus sides to it, and these days with the price of Hong Kong DVDs, you’ll get your dollars worth. Besides…look it the Silver Hawk costume, that is worth the price of admission! I felt like I was trapped in Tokyo Decadence… I AM A HORNY FANBOY! The Region 3 DVD from Mega Star is a really nice single disc package. A sharp transfer is boosted up with some LOUD DTS and Dolby Digital action audio and it’s got the standard "making of" and concept drawing galleries that you would expect. Loaded down? Nope, but I certainly wouldn’t have wanted to pay for a second disc either. Summer is almost here, and if you need a smiling super heroine who beats up baddies and chuckles a lot, then Silver Hawk is your cup of Lemonade.
STORY: 1 Bitch Slap PICTURE: 4 Bitch Slaps AUDIO: 4 Bitch Slaps EXTRAS: 3 Bitch Slaps OVERALL: 2.5 Bitch Slaps
