Lady Dragon
1992
Director: David Worth
Stars: Cynthia Rothrock, Richard Norton, Robert Ginty, Piet Burnama
Cynthia Rothrock's husband is killed by an arms smuggler (Richard Norton), so she sets out for revenge. Her plan of infiltrating Norton's club doesn't go well, as she is raped and left for dead in the countryside. She is rescued by a mysterious old man (Piet Burnama), who nurses her back to health and teaches her a devastating fighting style, which she uses to get her revenge.
Lady Dragon, despite a transparent plot, is one of Cynthia Rothrock's best US movies. The film has a good balance of exposition and action, and the acting is surprisingly good, even from Cynthia (who manages to conjure up tears at a point) -- which perhaps shows that it is not Cynthia's acting talent which is poor, but rather the people who have directed her. The fight scenes are well-done, with not too much of the MTV-style editing which tends to hamper many US martial arts movies. Of particular note is the final confrontation between Rothrock and Norton, which uses little way of weapons or gimmicks, but is a powerful and brutal showdown between two talented martial artists.
Lady Dragon isn't anything great, but like a good hamburger, it provides a nice way to kill your hunger if you can't get to filet mignon. Rothrock's movies are often under-rated because of their cheap production values, but if you're willing to give them a chance, they can provide some solid entertainment.
RATING: 6.75