Angry and aggressive orphan Lotus Lin (the one and only Angela Mao in top strong and charismatic form) gets raised as a Buddhist in a Shaolin temple after her mother dies in the wake of giving birth to her in prison. Consumed with rage, Lin gets expelled from the temple and vows to exact a harsh revenge on the four men who killed her father and sent her mother to prison. Director Chang-hwa Jeong, working from a compact script by Kang Shih, relates the absorbing story at a steady pace, offers a flavorsome evocation of the period setting, and stages the exciting and energetic martial arts fights with rousing panache. Naturally, the always dependable Mao displays her customary graceful, agile, and acrobatic dexterity in her fight scenes: Besides taking on a bunch of guys all at once (keep your eyes peeled for Sammo Hung as a baddie who takes quite a pounding from Angela), Mao also gets to use a nice assortment of weapons and even poisonous scorpions against her opponents. Although the plot follows a pretty predictable trajectory, it nonetheless still hits all the satisfying paces and manages to deliver a few neat twists along the way. The rich widescreen cinematography by Tieh Wing and Yung-lung Wang provides a gorgeously lush look. Frankie Chan's lively score hits the stirring spot. Recommended viewing for fans of Miss Mao.
Review of Broken Oath
