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The Heroic Trio

Stephen Horne | Aberdeenshire, Scotland | 08/17/2003

(3 out of 5 stars)

"Starring Anita Mui ('Rumble In The Bronx'), Michelle Yeoh ('Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon') and Maggie Cheung ('In The Mood For Love') as three crime-fighting superheroines in Hong Kong's answer to Gotham City, 'The Heroic Trio' is a high-kicking, crimson-soaked comic book action romp that could only come out of our favourite country for hi-octane beat-em-ups. As you might have guessed, it's hardly Oscar-winning stuff; the plot is at times incomprehensible, the sets cheap and the acting camp, but it all adds to the charm. This is, after all, not a film to be analysed, but enjoyed with popcorn on a Friday night. And, as that, it succeeds - the action sequences are very exciting, the wire work is well done, the original score is superb and, of course, our three leading ladies light up the screen at every turn. But those weak in the knee may wish to turn away at certain points as it does get a tad grisley at times, what with decapitations, exploding body parts, cannibalism and baby-murdering. Indeed, the violence is so over-the-top at times that it becomes not so much offensive as it does laughable. Which was probably the idea.So while the movie itself is recommended, Buena Vista's DVD release definitely isn't. The Disney company has once again seen fit to edit yet another Asian movie for its Western market - this time by three minutes to remove the aforementioned gory moments. And, as expected, the original Cantonese soundtrack has been replaced with a dreadful English dub and generic score - denying us the pleasure of hearing Anita Mui's two excellent songs. Still, this is what we've come to expect from the distributor that seems to delight in infuriating hardcore Chinese film fans. Those wishing to own the uncut version of the film would be advised to seek out the 'Universe' DVD from Hong Kong or the now out-of-print 'Tai Seng' American release. Better still (if you have PAL/Region 2 capabilities), waiting for the forthcoming remastered Special Edition from British DVD label 'Hong Kong Legends' would be the ideal solution."

Disrespect of foreign films continues.

FredOhh | South FLorida | 11/17/2002

(2 out of 5 stars)

"Disney continues to butcher the work of foreign directors. THey bought the rights to most of the famous Asian action films, prohibit the sale of the original version, and then release a version on dvd without the original soundtrack, scenes cut, titles changed, etc. For a company that attempts to market it's own movies worldwide, it shows a total disrespect for the art of other countries. This movies is entertaining, but I would seek out a copy of the Tai Seng company version. It includes english subtitles. Anyone realize how easy it is to add a second audio track,not to mention widescreen and fullscreen on the same disc. Disney continues to refuse this. Don't get me wrong, I buy all of there major animated release, and they can show great care and respect for their own work, I just wish they'd cater to the collector as well as the Kmart crowd."

Absurdly over-the-top, even for Hong Kong

Serdar S. Yegulalp | Huntington, NY United States | 02/10/2001

(3 out of 5 stars)

"One of Michelle Yeoh's most outre' adventures yet; a mad collision of genres and ideas in a movie that more often than not works on sheer brio. Yeoh, Anita Mui, and Meggie Cheung are the Heroic Trio of the title, a gang of female warriors who're out to defend a city that's under seige by a witch who's stealing babies to make some incoherent prophecy come true. The plot is not the point: the incredibly whacked-out stunts and action scenes are. Case in point: Cheung needs to get access to the upper floors of a building. While whistling "Yankee Doodle," she lights up a stick of dynamite, throws it under a 55-gallon drum, then climbs aboard and rides the blast all the way over the building. If you can swallow that, the rest of the movie is a piece of cake.The two biggest flaws: one, the film's very eccentricity makes it hard to swallow at times. Sometimes more is just too much. Second, the dub job is thoroughly awful; this is one of those movies that they should have just titled and been done with it. (Curses on all HK importers who refuse to include the original language tracks and soft titles on their DVDs.) If you're a Yeoh fan, or a devotee of any of the other ladies here, grab it and run with it."

Please note!

Yi Chieh | Singapore | 07/14/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"For those of you thinking of purchasing this DVD, please note that the dialogue is dubbed in English completely. For those of you who prefer it in its original language (Cantonese), give this a miss.Otherwise the movie is great and the acting superb, plus we get to see the late Anita Mui in action. What can you say... top notch performance from Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui."