Burning Ambition
1989
Director: Frankie Chan
Stars: Frankie Chan, Simon Yam, Roy Chiao, Eddy Ko-Hung, Yukari Oshima, Kara Hui, Austin Wai, Shing Fui-On, Robin Shou
This Triad movie has the tried-and-true plotline of "dad dies and the brothers fight for control of the family", with Simon Yam being the "good" kid who wants to make the family legit, and Austin Wai beign the "bad" kid who will take out anyone in his rise to power. There are a couple of twists and turns dumped in, but this is by-the-numbers stuff all the way.
What sets Burning Ambition apart are a number of great action sequences -- most notably one with Yuakri Oshima (once again regulated into a too-short role) and Kara Hui having to fend off a group of thugs in a parking garage. The goons break out a bunch of car windshields, which present a problem as the ladies are barefoot, but Yukari manages to whip a bunch of ass anyway using a baseball bat. It's a great bit of action, with plenty of hard hits and some impressive acrobatic movies. Props go out to Yukari for doing a mid-air hurricanarana and Hui for managing to do some impressive kicks while doing a handstand -- moves which need to be seen to be believed.
Even though the film has a disjointed, almost Godfrey Ho-esque feeling at times, it's stuff like this which makes Burning Ambition worth a viewing for action fans, even though those viewers expecting something a bit deeper might be put off by the shortcomings in other areas.
RATING: 7