The early ’80s were an up and down time for the Shaw Brothers fortunes in Hong Kong. While the studio still had hit films, the number of hits declined from a decade earlier. Audiences weren’t quite geared into period piece action films. In 1983, the studio modernized their action with The Lady Is The Boss. At its core the film could have been a classic Shaolin era story, but the tale was brought into modern Hong Kong. Lau Kar-leung co-wrote, directed and starred in the film that had his martial arts fighting done in tanktops and sneakers instead of Shaolin monk robes. Instead of dramatic action, the movie brings quite a bit of comedy with the blows. The Lady Is The Boss didn’t rely on the traditional Shaw Brothers sets, but was filled with the fighting spirit of their best films.
Things aren’t going well for the Wah Chaing Martial Arts Studio. Enrollment is down to five pupils including Li Hon Man (The 36th Chamber of Shaolin & Kill Bill‘s Gordon Liu). Hong Kong is prepared to demotion their building for road project. The teacher Wang Hsieh Yun (Lau Kar-leung) doesn’t want to leave the property. He’s willing to take on the dozens of cops with only a long pole. His students show up to defend their studio. But a telegram from their Master in America lets him know that it is ok to leave the building and find a new facility. He will fly over to inaugurate the new place. The teacher, students and supporters go down to the airport to greet the Master only to get a major surprise. He’s not in good health so he’s sent his Americanized daughter Chan Mei Ling (My Young Auntie‘s Kara Hui). Everyone is taken back by the woman who is dressed for the times. She proves that her father taught her all the right martial arts moved. She’s not too keyed into formality and tradition. She’s eager to build up enrollment since there’s no way the studio can last with only five students. She comes up with strange gimmicks to entice people to join the program including offering discount coupons at car wrecks, kid kickboxing and bar fights. She transforms the workouts to makes it more like a health club. While she brings in the pupils, there’s unexpected trouble. She trains a group of women self-defense moves and they use them on the clients at their “fish ball” club. This angers the mobster owner of the semi-brothel. He wants to shutdown Hui’s studio by force. Can she really handle this situation?
The Lady Is The Boss is a wild and fun ride. Kara Hui is a whirlwind on the screen as she changes things up at the studio. She is the perfect comic foil for the traditional teacher played by Lau Kar-leung. And the director really modernized his fights for the ’80s. Other fights involve using flash cameras and disco lights to distract opponents. The wildest fight is when Kara and her crew roll up on BMX bikes to battle mobsters with butcher knives. This should have been an X Games competition. What really blew me away was the little kids kickboxing. These are elementary school kids who can kick your ass. The final fight is an all-out brawl that takes apart a gym. The Lady Is The Boss is boss.
The Video is 2.35:1 anamorphic. This is Shawscope as it was meant to be experienced. The HD Transfer was taken off the original negative. You’ll get to see Gordon Liu in the ’80s. The Audio is Cantonese LPCM 1.0 Mono. The mix allows you to hear all the kicks and thrusts. The movie is subtitled in English.
Audio Commentary by Frank Djeng has him one more bring more historical and cultural context of the movie. I didn’t know which bowl on the table was for shark fin soup. We learn the “fish ball” racket. He also gives more background on Lau Kar-leung. This is a bit of a follow up to My Young Auntie which he wrote and directed and starred Liu and Hui. None of the actors do their own voice dub. The film played two weeks and ranked 22 for box office champs in Hong Kong in 1983. It’s always a treat to rewatch a film with Frank Djeng filling in the details.
Sam Ho on Lau Kar-leung (13:56) has the curator/historian talk about the director with Fred Ambroisine. Sam Ho mentions how people took to the director’s films. He worked on the sets as a stuntman and fight director so that he knew how to make the martial arts fights work for the camera. Sam Ho brings up the saying “Southern hits and Northern kicks” to discuss the style of marital arts in China. Lau Kar-leung passed away in 2013.
Stills Gallery (3:12) includes press photos.
Limited Edition O-ring wraps around the box.
Trailer (1:13) pushes the concept of an Americanized woman taking over the martial arts school. They do tease with little kid kick boxing. This seems to be from the 2004 re-issue.
Double-sided Mini-poster suitable for framing.
88 Films present The Lady Is the Boss: Limited Edition. Directed by Lau Kar-leung. Screenplay by Lau Kar-leung, Li Tai Heng & Huang Pa Ching. Starring Lau Kar-leung, Kara Hui, Gordon Liu, Hsiao Ho, Robert Mak Tak-Law, David Cheung Chin-pang, Wong Yue & Johnny Wang Lung Wei. Running Time: 97 minutes. Rating: Unrated. Release Date: March 25, 2025.
