88 Films UK Blu-ray Synopsis: A team of high-kicking female super cops prove themselves a match for any man alive as they tackle foes from terrorists to jewel thieves. Action icon Jackie Chan put together a supreme team of lethal ladies including Shaw Brothers icon Wai Yin-hung (‘My Young Auntie’) and American martial arts star Cynthia Rothrock (‘China O’Brien’). The action scenes for these beauties on the beat are delivered by Jackie’s own stunt team, who also co-star in the film. ‘Inspector Wears Skirts’ blends slapstick comedy with high impact action to deliver more fun than should be lawful! (95 Mins)

 

German Mediabook Blu-ray Synopsis (Top Squad): Madame Wu (Sibelle Hu) has been assigned to the Hong Kong Police Academy to train female Banshee Squad Members, next door to the male Tiger Squad Members lead by Inspector Kan (Shui-Fan Fung). After internal conflicts and courting mishaps, the squad members were ordered to band together to round up a gang of thieves at a convention. (95 Mins)

 

American Imperial UK VHS Synopsis (Top Squad): This is a fast-paced 'Police-Academy' style action-comedy. A female cop (Cynthia Rothrock) and her team are responsible for protecting a powerful and famous politician. A detailed programme is formed to train female officers in the special duty which requires more than just agility. Sibelle Hu is the tough instructor assigned to for the 'Top Squad'. A ruthless disciplinarian, her trainees are required to live up to her high standards. Meanwhile, the male S.W.A.T. Trainees in the camp have noticed their female counterparts. A martial arts tournament is staged between the two groups, with the women coming out on top. The initial conflicts are resolved as the 'Top Squad' and the S.W.A.T. team join forces to round up a gang of notorious thieves. (92 Mins)

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Views: Also known in the west as Top Squad and Lady Enforcer in the Philippines, The Inspector Wears Skirts has long been a favourite for many fans of Hong Kong cinema, packed with hilarious comedy, a great cast, and exciting martial-arts action. The film tells the story of a rag-tag group of female police officers in training, who become a crack team of tough no-nonsense commandos known as the Banshee Squad. While having to deal with harassment and embarrassment from their male colleagues, and contend with team fallouts over boys, the girls are sent to take on a group of highly trained international criminals which proves to be their biggest mission yet!

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While not as action-packed or as serious as the Yes Madam and In The Line Of Duty films, Iron Angels Trilogy, or most other Hong Kong femme-fatale series made around this time, The Inspector Wears Skirts film wins over its audience with its silly humour and fun fight sequences, produced under the watchful eye of Golden Harvest and producer Jackie Chan who also puts his stunt team to work as the action choreographers of the piece. 1988 was a busy enough year for the King of Hong Kong action cinema having just came off the brilliant Project A 2 before going into the troubled, but amazing, Dragons Forever with Sammo Hung and Yuen Biao, as well as writing, directing and starring in the equally exciting Police Story 2 – not to mention delivering featured songs for both. Aside from producing this, Jackie would also produce the critically acclaimed Rouge starring the late, great Anita Mui and Leslie Cheung, and would go on to do the same for The Inspector Wears Skirts 2 the following year.

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When I first bought this as Top Squad from my local video store as an ex-rental, I watched it religiously for many years; enamored as a young teen with its highly memorable introductory action scene that sees two female officers take down a gang of ninja assassins on a film set. Only as an adult, would I recognise that director Wellson Chin would play himself in a cameo during that very scene. Although he had served as the assistant director on many Sammo Hung titles from the late 70s through to 1985, Wellson Chin would make his directorial debut with the Jackie Chan produced and brilliant Naughty Boys, going on to handle the sequels of this series as well as directing films such as Prince Of The Sun, Ghostly Vixen, Super Lady Cop, Crazy In Hong Kong, and many more. But while many would offer some enjoyment and some box-office success, it would be The Inspector Wears Skirts that would prove to be his biggest hit bringing in over $15 million HKD during its week of release, becoming his best known title for many Hong Kong film fans around the world.

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As a guest star of the film, fan favourite Cynthia Rothrock gets to show her impressive moves once again and steals the show with every action scene she appears in, from the aforementioned action-packed opening to the gloriously fight-filled finale. Originally supposed to be his final challenger in the legendary Armour Of God – a dream project that was then scuppered due to Jackie's close brush with death and a clash of schedules after that – The Inspector Wears Skirts would be the only time Rothrock and Chan would directly work with each other, which is a damn shame. In the film, Cindy is paired with popular Hong Kong starlet Sibelle Hu; a trait that she had been charged with since making her debut alongside Michelle Yeoh in the incredible Yes Madam. A memorable bit-part would follow in Sammo Hung's Millionaires Express, followed by an amazing showcase in Wong Jing's Magic Crystal, then as Yuen Biao's martial-arts equal in the powerful Righting Wrongs. Interestingly, it would only be The Blonde Fury, which would follow this in 89, that would give Ms. Rothrock her first Hong Kong film as the leading lady. Of course, Cindy was already starring in a number of productions back in the states and would finish her time in Hong Kong (to some degree) with a role in the fun Prince Of The Sun, once again directed by Wellson Chin. And while her films kept fans happy for a number of years to come, the roles and films towards the end of the 90s soon fell short of any worthwhile quality with Outside The Law possibly being her last great title.

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The prolific Sibelle Hu stars as Madame Wu, the beautiful and feisty leader of the Banshee Squad. Since making her big screen debut in 1979, this Taiwanese actress has went onto star in 75 features, impressing in most and gaining a huge following the world over thanks to her roles in films such as My Lucky Stars, Devil Hunters, Angel Terminators 2, Dreaming The Reality, Holy Virgin Vs The Evil Dead, Lethal Panther, Fatal Mission, and The Inspector Wears Skirts series among many others. Shaw Brothers queen, Kara Hui Ying Hung, stars as one of the main members of the team in what was around her 55th movie since making her debut just a decade earlier in The Brave Archer. Going on to star in over 160 films to date and still hailed as one of kung-fu cinemas genuine action queens, Kara would become a staple character of the series throughout its following three sequels and, as expected, gets to let loose as one of the best martial artists on-screen fighting alongside Cindy in the final showdown. The hilarious Sandra Ng, who also continues throughout the series as well as starring in her own spin-off movies known as Operation Pink Squad, delivers a memorable and comedic performance with equal screen time and is hugely entertaining as always. Aside from her small role in Sammo Hung's Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars, this would have been my first real Sandra Ng experience – and I was hooked! Quite possibly my favourite comedic actress, I've since went on to enjoy her in films such as The Crazy Companies, She Shoots Straight, Vampire Settle On Police Camp, All For The Winner, God Of Gamblers 3: Back To Shanghai, All's Well Ends Well '92, Golden Chicken, and so much more. Helping to fill out the Banshee Squad is the popular Regina Kent, who had just appeared in hits such as Legacy Of Rage, A Better Tomorrow 2, and Jackie Chan's Project A 2 – returning for the first sequel only. The lovely Ann Bridgewater, who would go on to join Ng in the aforementioned spin-off films, also stars although doesn't return for any further sequels of the original series, and the gorgeous Ellen Chan makes quite the impression in her only appearance of the series, going on to star in films such as Aces Go Places 5, Tiger On The Beat 2, Off Track, Exiled, and Naked Soldier.

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Of course, we can't forget about their male counterparts – The Tiger Squad – led by the wonderful and hilarious Stanley Fung Sui Fan; more recognisable to fans in the west as the elder member of the Lucky Stars gang from Sammo Hung's popular film series. Having been in the business since the late 60s, Fung went onto star in almost 140 films up until the Covid-19 pandemic broke out with roles in films such as The Comet Strikes, Owl vs Bumbo, Crazy Companies, Look Out Officer, Accident, Tai Chi Zero, the aforementioned Lucky Stars films, and many more as well as continuing his role here in the Inspector Wears Skirts sequels. Fung made his directorial debut in 1974 with the Betty Ting Pei drama, The Looks Of Hong Kong, of which he would also co-star. Since then, he went onto direct 9 more until the turn-of-the-century including films such as The Phantom Killer, The Goofy Gang, Return Of The Lucky Stars, and Ghost In Me alongside a few of his co-stars here. Shing looks after a smart-ass group of guys who include the handsome Alex To – the pop-idol turned actor who stars as the love interest to Ellen Chan. Aside from the few productions he starred in prior to this, To would go onto star in films such as Mortuary Blues, Mack The Knife, Skyline Cruisers, Hit Team, and the hilarious Vampire Settled On Police Camp alongside co-stars Sandra Ng and the equally talented Billy Lau who also stars here as one of his teammates. Making his debut role in the early 80s, Lau has went onto star in many hit titles over the years and is still going strong today with over 100 film credits to his name. Both are joined by the great Michael Chow and Jackie Chan Stunt Team members Mars, Anthony Carpio, Ken Lo, Lee Jun Git, Johnny Cheung, Chan Tat Kwong, Nicky Li, and Danny Chow.

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I must also praise the Hong Kong debut of wushu wonder-kid Jeff Falcon who stars as the leader of the robbers, and gets to show off his amazing talents against Cynthia Rothrock, Kara Hui and others in the grand finale. The same year would see him star opposite Sandra Ng and others in Operation Pink Squad, before he would return the following year for a role in both The Inspector Wears Skirts 2 and wildly hilarious Operation Pink Squad 2 – probably better known in the west as Thunder Cops. Over the next 5 years, Jeff would steal the show in 15 Hong Kong titles including Frankie Chan's Burning Ambition, The Outlaw Brothers, and Oh Yes Sir, as well as facing off against Cindy two more times in The Blonde Fury and Prince Of The Sun. With big aspirations and the drive to break into Hollywood, the Falcon spent the next few years working on the fantastic and hugely underrated Six String Samurai with director Lance Mungia – eventually disappearing from the scene altogether when it failed to light-up the box-office! And last but not least, eagle-eyed viewers will enjoy catching the brilliant Ricky Hui cameo as the police cook, uncle Bill Tung as the Commissioner, Dennis Chan as a worker in the disco, and Jackie Chan Stunt Team brothers Benny Lai and Rocky Lai alongside the late Shing Fui On as Jeff's team of robbers.

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From its aforementioned action-packed opening to the countless training activities the girls are put through, and the martial arts tournament between squads to the fast-paced martial arts showdown in the grand finale, The Inspector Wears Skirts has enough going for it to keep action fans happy, with choreography supplied by the highly respected team from the Jackie Chan's Stuntmen Association. From classics such as Dragon Lord, Project A, Police Story, Armour Of God, and Drunken Master 2, to modern hits such as Vanguard, Dragon Blade, Kung Fu Yoga, and Ride On, the team have created some of the finest action ever seen on screen, shared over the years by many generations that total over 100 members. Co-written by Abe Kwong, who also penned its sequels as well as Prince Of The Sun, Ghostly Vixen, Erotic Ghost Story 2, July 13th, Painted Skin, and 14 Blades, this female led martial-arts Police Academy classic never fails to entertain. With plenty of wacky comedy, exciting martial arts action, impressive stunt work and even a dance number, early Hong Kong films fan will no doubt relish in its new HD restorations on Blu-ray, with The Inspector Wears Skirts hopefully finding an exciting new audience along the way!

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Overall: A classic in many ways and always a joy to watch, The Inspector Wears Skirts is a great start to the series and definitely recommended!

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88 Films Blu-ray Extras: 2K Restoration, Audio Commentary with Frank Djeng, Interviews with Cynthia Rothrock & Wellson Chin, Top Squad English Credits, Trailers, Stills Gallery

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German Mediabook Blu-ray Extras: Deleted Scene, Trailer

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Top Squad VHS Trailers: Coming soon!

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Get your copy HERE

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Watch my unboxing video for the 88 Films Blu-ray release HERE

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Watch my unboxing video for the German Mediabook Blu-ray release HERE

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Watch my video retrospective on this film HERE