Cynthia Khan was made to star in In the Line of Duty. This is true in a literal sense as her stage name is a combination of Michelle Yeoh's former stage name, Michelle Khan, and Cynthia Rothrock's name, who were the two stars of franchises first film, Yes, Madame! The series has a pretty confusing history, and it wasn't even really a proper franchise initially. The second film, Royal Warriors, also starred Michelle Yeoh, and did not include Cynthia Rothrock. But by the time In the Line of Duty 3 was released, it seems to have become an officially continuous franchise, and Michelle Yeoh had departed as she retired from acting that year when she married producer Dickson Poon. While this retirement would end in 1992 after the couples' divorce, they needed a new star to helm the series. So Cynthia Khan, who had a dancing background like Yeoh, was brought in to play the lead. It should be noted that in the first two films, Michelle Yeoh didn't play the same character. In Royal Warriors she was Michelle Yip and in Yes Madame! she was Senior Inspector Ng. But Cynthia Khan, perhaps because with this movie it became a proper franchise, plays the role of Inspector Yeung Lai-Ching, going forward in the series.
I don't want to bog down this review with thorny details concerning its home video release and foreign release, but it gets pretty messy and anyone familiar with movies in the series will understand how so. They have all gone under a number of different names, which is not unusual (for example I remember watching Swordsman II, as Legend of the Swordsman, having no idea it was a sequel to anything). Here though the names crisscross, films get put out of order (Royal Warriors was often billed as the first movie, Yes, Madame! was sometimes billed as the second, even though it came first and In the Line of Duty 3 was sometimes called Yes, Madame 2.).
Often called a bullet ballet series, I think of In the Line of Duty films as belonging to the Girls with Guns subgenre. In the Line of Duty 3 sometimes gets a bit overlooked. It isn't unloved but it is often not as well regarded as the first two films or the fourth. But I think it is a very interesting installment. And it is one that left a lingering impression.
Perhaps some of this is due to the weirdness. But I think it really has to do with how well Cynthia Khan fits into the series, and her explosive introduction. Michelle Yeoh's absence weighs heavy and the way Cynthia Khan steps in and takes over, breathes fresh life into it. There is also something oddly dark about this one. All of the films in the series have a certain tone. Yet for me In the Line of Duty 3, stands out and left me with so many questions.
One example is the Duo Robbers, played by Michiko Nishiwaki and Stuart Ong. Not only are they ruthless terrorists, but also a blood thirsty and passionate couple whose political extremism is only outdone by their lovemaking antics (which are bizarrely athletic). And there is a strange subplot about a vague illness afflicting Stewart Ong's Nakamura Genji. They don't really specific the disease, but given the year, plus the fact that Michiko Nishiwaki's character, drinks his blood as they talk about dying together, always suggested to me it was HIV/AIDS. The symptoms don't especially line up, but I wouldn't expect precise medically accurate symptoms in a film like this. And maybe they never really determined what it was. But that reading to me, would explain a lot of Nakamura Genji's angst.
Michiko Nishiwaki is crazy in this movie, in every way possible. And a great physical performer. By the end of the movie she is simply out for revenge and that is when she is at her most frightening. She has the right look, and the physique to pull off this kind of role. She is a great counterweight to the hero.
But the standout here is Cynthia Khan, whose performance is perfect for the role. I particularly like her kicks. It is fairly easy to do a convincing punch, but executing kicks on camera takes athleticism. And we get this right at the start of the film in a tremendous sequence where a traffic citation spirals out of control and she is forced to rip the side of her skirt to allow room for serious kicking. It is a terrific moment where the film seems to announce its intentions to the audience.
There is also the way bystanders are killed, and how this is addressed within the movie itself, rather than just forgotten about. It is a movie that kills characters you might not expect to do. And the violent action is very kinetic, feeling gritty despite its very stylized approach. An example of this is when a named bad guy gets his head ground open by an industrial drill. And some characters are casually killed without any real confirmation of their demise.
If you haven't seen Yes, Madame! or Royal Warriors, definitely check those out, but the rest of the series is well worth watching too. In the Line of Duty 4 is also a great watch, and brings Donnie Yen into the franchise. I should be doing a short review of that one as well in the future.