Miss Tien (Angela Mao) arrives in town looking for Ling (Chang Yi), the man she holds responsible for her sister’s death. Ling as it turns out, has faked his death and has devoted the last three years of his life to practicing Kung Fu so he can finally get revenge on the gangsters who control the town. When their paths finally cross, Ling begs Tien for an opportunity to finish his vendetta. Then, he will gladly atone for his past sins and face her in mortal combat.
Lady Whirlwind is a terrific martial arts flick that feels like a repurposed western. Ling’s homestead kind of looks like a dude ranch, the various casinos and watering holes are obvious stand-ins for the Wild West saloons, and the Kung Fu battles and swordfights are the movie’s version of barroom brawls and gun duels. The mutual respect that grows between Mao and Yi is also very reminiscent of aging gunslingers in a B oater.
Chang Yi makes for a good hero, but it’s Angela Mao who totally owns the movie. Despite her star billing and prominence on the poster, she’s really the co-lead and probably gets less screen time than Yi. However, when she is front and center, she makes her presence known as she commands the screen with her elegant charisma, her graceful physicality, and radiant beauty.
What makes Lady Whirlwind crackle is that the stuff that occurs in between the Kung Fu chaos is absorbing and entertaining. Most movies have a love triangle. This one has a revenge triangle. The characters’ complicated motivations, allegiances, and loyalties are well-defined, so when they fight one another, we wind up cheering for both sides. Those fights, it should be said, are something else. Mao has an excellent scene where she singlehandedly takes on Sammo Hung and his gang inside a crooked casino. The action is fast and furious, and the choreography is lightning paced.
Lady Whirlwind is still just rough enough around the edges to make it feel a little more down-and-dirty than your average Kung Fu flick. (It’s got some bloody fight scenes complete with eye gouging and gut ripping.) The dubbing is terrible too, and the score blatantly steals from Diamonds are Forever, which is the sure sign you are watching some quality chopsocky. If there is a flaw, it’s that the finale is a tad lackluster as Mao spends most of the time watching the battle from the sidelines. Despite that, it’s a real winner.
Probably the most memorable thing about it though (aside from Angela Mao, that is) is the fact that it was released in America under the hilarious title “Deep Thrust” to capitalize on the success of Deep Throat!
AKA: Deep Thrust.
AKA: Deep Thrust: The Hand of Death.
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