She Shoots Straight and she kicks ass, but there is a lot more to Joyce Godenzi than being Mrs Sammo Hung.
Hollywood could have learned a lesson or two from Hong Kong cinema in the late 80s and early 90s, and whilst it would slowly catch on towards the end of the 90s (specifically 1998 with the release of the Jackie Chan vehicle Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon 4 had Jet Li as it’s main protagonist), but by the time the bright lights had shone on the shores of Hong Kong island, Kowloon and the new territories, for many of these stars their best years were behind them, but with the recent hand over of Hong Kong to China by Britain, a certain level of defection occurred, propelled by an uncertain future and the desire to earn.
Never was this more prevalent than with the female action star. It may seem like a dime a dozen nowadays, but there was a time not all that long ago (alright, a very long time ago, but certainly within my lifetime) when action heroes had to have testosterone sweating from every pore and an explosion to walk away from. Hong Kong though was playing a very different tune. Martial arts masters that had trained and had incredible skill, but still managed to look like real people whilst doing incredible stunts, including the women.
She Shoots Straight captures this essence nearly perfectly. This should come as no surprise, especially when in the hands of action maestro and long-time actor Corey Yuen, with such titles as Ninja in the Dragon’s Den (1982), Yes, Madam (1985) and Righting Wrongs (1986) under his belt, and considering what his direction had done for the likes of Michelle Yeoh and Cynthia Rothrock, the relative newcomer in Joyce Godenzi was in a very safe pair of hands.
As anyone who follows HK cinema knows, as soon as an actress gets married, she “retires” from acting), she still had time to fit in an all-time great movie of the kind that many of us have come to love.
Speaking of Joyce Godenzi, the whole film is centred around her shining star power. Having only had bit parts in films like The Seventh Curse (1986), it was 1987’s Born To Gamble that put her front a centre in the limelight, but a smaller part with a huge impact came in Eastern Condors (also 1987), and it was this part that would put her on the map in terms of audiences and a certain Mr Sammo Hung, and whilst they wouldn’t marry until 1994 (and as anyone who follows HK cinema knows, as soon as an actress gets married, she “retires” from acting), she still had time to fit in an all-time great movie of the kind that many of us have come to love.
Ably supported by Corina Lau (Armour of God, Rich & Famous/Tragic Hero and Project A II) and a sister-in-law in conflict with the goody-two-shoes with Joyce Godenzi. Their action is fast and furious, committed with conviction and not pulling any punches, but when those moments of emotional conflict occur, they are delivered with spit and vinegar.
This isn’t to say that She Shoots Straight is perfect, not by a long shot. Yuen Wah (who had already made a large list of intimidating villains by 1990) is given very little to do, and this takes his usual shine off of the movie. There is also a scene following a tragic incident that very nearly grinds the film to a halt, but this does allow certain bridges to be built and fences to be mended (wonderfully led by the legendary Tang Pik Wan), and whilst this does serve a purpose, it feels so out of places compared to the rest of the film. Despite this, it doesn’t diminish from a thunderous conclusion and one of the great end fights between Joyce Godenzi and the physically imposing Agnes Aurelio.
With a splurge of extra features including commentaries, interviews and sporting a lovely 2K print of the film, this is the best She Shoots Straight has ever looked, and certainly a huge upgrade on the particularly overpriced (on the second-hand market) Hong Kong Legends DVD, so it’s well worth the upgrade. Eureka video have done us proud once again. What a time to be a fan of Hong Kong cinema.
Ben Jones
She Shoots Straight is out now on Eureka Entertainment Blu-Ray
