Opening with a mental shoot-out in a restaurant between robbers and the police, super-cop Sibelle Hu makes a move to take them down, aided by Jason Pai Paio in a ballet of bullets, acrobatics and martial arts. We instantly move to a police academy, were the incredible Moon Lee is beating the hell out of her opponents in a sparring match!
And this is only the opening 5 minutes...
Immediately offering a more comedy based storyline than its predecessor, the action-packed Angel Terminators 2 is only connected by title, producer George Lai, and the fact that it offers more insane femme-fatal action, this time with the amazing trio of Moon, Sibelle, and Yukari Oshima.
Honestly, any chance to see these girls side-by-side and kicking ass is a blessing. If there is one thing I miss from the golden age of Hong Kong cinema, its these two and the girls-with-guns sub-genre. While Sibelle Hu has never truly been the best screen fighter, she is always artfully doubled and does the job well, often delivering more of a comedic role to make up for what she lacks in the action department. But when Moon and the Osh (who looks as cool as hell in this) are dealing moves, you see the power and feel the pain. And in Angel Terminators 2, they don't disappoint!
Director Tony Liu, who brought some classics like Tiger Over Wall, Killer Angels and Holy Virgin Vs The Evil Dead, brings a more polished production than part one. His co-director is veteran actor Chan Lau of classics such as Shaolin Drunk Fighter, and Kung Fu Zombie, with the two having worked together many times over the years...
Peking Opera student and brother to Jackie, Sammo and Yuen Biao, fight choreographer Yuen Bo handles the action. While not as popular as his schoolmates, Bo has worked on films such as Mission Of Justice, Fist Power and Looking For Jackie, as well as the odd acting role here and there. This is probably some of his best work as a fight director, and makes the action hard-hitting and exciting, obviously putting the talents of his stars to use. While avoiding the more, violent, wire-enhanced and hard hitting style of Jacky Chen in the first film, Yuen Bo's choreography is cleaner and more grounded, but with just as much impact as the latter.
While the storyline is average, and nothing new for this era, it doesn't lag too much and keeps you watching. Its all about gangsters, prostitution, kidnapping, revenge, and the troubled relationship between a cop (Jason Pai Paio) and his angry teen daughter (Yukari Oshima). The great Lo Lieh co-stars as uncle to the troubled teens and an ex-triad who must step back into the dark side to help rescue the girls friends, albeit with deadly results.
As things take a dark turn after the one hour mark, they lead to a blistering 10 minute finale of hard hitting action in typical 90's girls-with-guns Hong Kong style...
Overall: Not as dark as the first but just as action-packed and entertaining, Angel Terminators 2 is one of Moon Lee and Yurkari Oshima's best!
