‘She Shoots Straight’ Blu-ray Review (88 Films)
Stars: Sammo Hung, Tony Leung, Joyce Godenzi, Carina Lau, Sandra Ng, Wah Yuen, Pik-Wan Tang, Agnes Aurelio | Directed by Corey Yuen
Joyce Godenzi first came to prominence as the winner of the Miss Hong Kong pageant of 1984. After winning the pageant, she would transition to films, starting with her film debut, The Seventh Curse, in 1986. In 1990, she would star in She Shoots Straight, also known as Lethal Lady. And, as the latest in 88 Films’ long line of Asian cinema films, She Shoots Straight comes to Blu-ray, ripe for re-appraisal.
Inspector Mina is a career-focused officer who has just married her supervisor (Tony Leung Ka-fai, Ashes of Time), who himself comes from a family of dedicated police officers. Her new sisters-in-law (including Carina Lau, Ashes of Time, Days of Being Wild) are a little jealous that Mina outranks them, but when a gang of violent Vietnamese criminals (led by the always excellent Yuen Wah, Eastern Condors, Kung Fu Hustle) target the family, the sisters unite into a lethal force of vengeance.
Most of the time, when you think of Hong Kong cinema, you think of the awesome kung-fu action – well, She Shoots Straight leans more into the drama side than the kung-fu action. Now that is not to say there aren’t action sequences aplenty, but the focal point of this film is the family drama. Reading this may turn some film fans off, but I beg you to give this film a chance. The action is good. The drama is amazing. And the pay-off at the end makes it all worth it!
88 Films has transferred She Shoots Straight to Blu-ray in 1080p, presented in a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. There are Cantonese language tracks in mono and stereo, and an English dub track in mono and DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Finally, there are newly translated English subtitles. This transfer is sourced from a 2k restoration from the original negative – the picture is sharp with no defects that I witnessed and slight film grain to maintain a film look. Finally, I love the fact that 88 Films included the English Dub. This makes watching this film 100% better for me, as I grew up on the bad English dubs!
In addition to a great looking 2k restoration, 88 Films added some really cool bonus features to this release. Take a look at what is included:
Bonus Materials:
- O-Ring Slip Case with new artwork by Sean Longmore
- Audio Commentary with Asian Cinema Expert Frank Djeng
- Alternate English credits
- Image Gallery
- Original Hong Kong Trailer
- Reversible Sleeve
Frank Djeng brings his expertise in Asian cinema to the commentary, making it a true “must listen”. And for me, the really cool part of this release is the artwork – I always say it, but I really do appreciate the effort that goes into creating new artwork for these films! Here, Sean Longmore’s artwork is really impressive, capturing the essence of Asian Cinema to a tee.
***** 5/5
If you love Asian Cinema and would like to add She Shoots Straight to your collection, head over to Amazon now.
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