Fatal Termination

Andrew Kam, who helmed the superb (and more well known) THE BIG HEAT in 1988, also helmed this equally nasty exercise in cinematic nihilism the same year.

It does not have the high production values of HEAT, but it has stunts that some viewers may argue go too far.

The stand-out is a sequence in which Moon Lee's daughter is kidnapped by bad guys. They grab her by the hair and hold her aloft above the road as they flee. To make matters more difficult, the feisty Lee tries smashing her way through the front window of the vehicle at the same time.

This sequence is simply jaw-dropping. I've seen virtually every Hong Kong action film made between the late 70's and early 90's, so I'm not exaggerating when I say that you have never seen anything like this stunt (with a small child) before. The trauma on the child actor's face during this sequence is palpable.

The film also boasts a back-breaking fall from a shipping container to the ground, a handsomely staged ticking bomb sequence in which our hero's husband is blown to pieces and various shoot-outs with family-sized squibs.

The plot is pretty nonsensical and Simon Yam makes little impression, but do seek this out for its mind-blowing stunt scenes.

There is a cavalier disrespect for human life in this little-seen actioner and a mean-spirited tone to wash it down with.

Phillip Ko makes an ugly, nasty villain who is not adverse to shooting a child dead and the terrific Moon Lee gives her 100% best as usual.