VHS Synopsis: Devon Grady (Cynthia Rothrock) has vowed revenge on her husbands killers. He was supposed to be under the protection of the Federal Government's witness protection programme, but that was before he ran into White Powder Chan and his gang, who brutally carried out the orders to kill. Devon has sworn to liquidate everyone in Chan's organisation and begins to execute them one by one. The police assign two special police detectives, McQueen (martial arts champion Bernie Pock) and Jackson (Myra Cathran) to the task of finding the killer or killers and bringing them to justice. Devon must now kill or be killed; fight or be imprisoned; there can be no place to hide in this action-packed thriller of murder and revenge. (91 Mins)

 

Views: I hadn't watched this infamously bad flick since I bought it on VHS way back in the mid-90s, and upon viewing it well over 20 years later can remember why! 24 Hours To Midnight is definitely one of those so-bad-its-good movies that just keeps you laughing the whole way through - although completely unintentionally I might add. Don't get me wrong, I get that its an independent film (although seemingly made with a modest budget), and very early on in Rothrock's fantastic career, but sometimes bad is just bad. Cyndy had made her début in HK the same year with the incredible Yes Madam (aka Police Assassins 2), and while I'm not positive what came first, I'd like to say this one based on the rumours that Cyndy pulled out of the film during production – no doubt to go to Hong Kong. In fact, legend has it that 24 Hours To Midnight was shelved for some time, with extra scenes added a couple of years later and only released when Cyndy found her fame as a Hong Kong action star – promoting her as the main lead to help sales!

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The film has two story lines going on that would make Godfrey Ho proud. The first involves Cyndy playing a distraught wife who goes on a revenge mission to take down her husband's killers, and the second follows two cops who like to dress bad and kick ass – eventually turning their attention on finding the person behind the vengeful murders. Although they lacked the same charm and energy, their pairing kind of reminded me of an early Rothrock and Norton team-up, going on to pull themselves together at the end at which stage you just don't care any more. Throughout the film Ms. Rothrock gets a couple of brief scuffles early on, and although they hardly match her HK film action standards, they still let us see that she can bust a move. Going on the run after her husband is killed, Rothrock starts dressing as a ninja to exact revenge on the bad guys that did it...

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But only the ninja assassin is quite clearly not Cynthia Rothrock!!

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With recognisably different eyes and voice, fake Cyndy ninja keeps thinking back to her (dreadful) crying scene in the car before picking a random weapon off her bed and going out to kill. Once she (or the ninja) starts delivering the action, she suddenly grows a couple of foot. Some say that it was her co-star, De'Ann Power, who donned the black suit to fill in for Cyndy after she defected- but I swear I saw a man in the role sometimes. Like Ms. Rothrock, 24 Hours To Midnight would also be Power's first film with the actress going on to appear in independent films over the next couple of decades in titles such as Naked Instinct, Stormy Nights, and Six Gun Woman as well as a career in make-up on titles such as Deadwood, Women's Murder Club, and Space Jam: A New Legacy. She stars alongside the late Bernie Pock, a successful small-time actor and stuntman whose mother was popular Hong Kong-American actress Nancy Kwan. Although he had had a small role in the fantastic Streets Of Fire before this, Pock's role in 24 Hours To Midnight would be his first big starring role before going onto appear in films and television shows such as The A-Team, Maniac Cop, Baywatch, and Class Of 1999 Part 2. But it would be his career as a stuntman that proved to be more successful having worked on titles such as The Return Of The Living Dead, Back To The Future, The Golden Child, Die Hard, Remo Williams, The Last Of The Mohicans, and many others – eventually returning to work with Cynthia Rothrock on Fast Getaway and the brilliant Rage & Honor. Unfortunately, Pock would die of AIDS at the age of 33.

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The film was the brainchild of the late Leo Fong – a martial artists turned film-maker who was a an old friend of Bruce Lee's. As well as starring in over 30 films through to his death in 2022, Fong would also write, produce and/or direct a number of them including titles such as Blind Rage, Blood Street, Thunderkick, and George Chung's Hawkeye – who was said to have co-directed 24 Hours To Midnight with him. While none of his work has ever been outstanding, it's only fair to praise the guy's work and drive for the continuous efforts put in to his career. Playing the role of Mr. Big here, Fong is joined by Stack Pierce – a popular black actor who plays the role of White Powder Chan (for some unknown reason) – Steve Quimby, Juan Chapa, and Stephen Moore. I do have to say honestly though, that the acting isn't terrible from everyone involved and at times you can see a tiny wee bit of potential trying to creep through. But also, at times, it plays like a poor man's China O'Brien due to its setting, ridiculously costumed gangs and uninspiring dialogue. There isn't much that could put this 80's flick down as a classic and I would quicker grab for Rothrock and Fong's second outing, Fight To Win, before going back to this anytime soon!

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Overall: For Rothrock completists only or anyone who loves bad movies, 24 Hours To Midnight is one movie that doesn't get any better with age!