Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD Synopsis: Kristi Jones (Cynthia Rothrock) is a street tough member of a martial arts gang known as the Red Dragons. In an attempt to go straight and leave the gang life behind, Kristi participates in mafia run back alley street fights in an attempt to win enough money to put her sister through college. Meanwhile, a sadistic fighter known as Stingray becomes increasingly violent while taking part in unsanctioned fights to the death. When Stingray's wife leaves him due to his increasingly aggressive behaviour, Stingray loses his grip on reality and begins raping, murdering, and removing the eyes of any woman that resembles his wife. When Stingray turns his murderous rage on Kristi's sister, Kristi has no choice but to reluctantly team up with Nick, a martial-arts trained detective, in an attempt to stop Stingray's rampage before more women turn up dead. Directed by notorious Hong Kong filmmaker, Godfrey Ho (under one of his many pseudonyms), UNDEFEATABLE has obtained true cult status thanks in large part to its now infamous final fight. Starring the always bad-ass Cynthia Rothrock (Righting Wrongs, Martial Law) in one of her most memorable roles, as well as an impressive martial-arts performance by John Miller (Honor and Glory), and featuring and eye-popping performance by Don Niam in one of his few acting roles. Vinegar Syndrome is proud to present one of our most requested titles, UNDEFEATABLE, for the first time on Blu-ray and 4K UHD, restored from the original camera negative. Also, included in this set is the rarely seen alternate Hong Kong cut released under the title BLOODY MARY KILLER. In true Godfrey Ho fashion, the film was re-edited into an almost new movie, featuring more fight scenes, an entirely new subplot involving Triad gangsters, as well as additional characters, including martial-arts actor Robin Show (Mortal Kombat). (95 Mins)

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GMVS UK DVD Synopsis: Kristi Jones (Cynthia Rothrock) learns the terrible news that her sister is the latest victim of a martial arts serial killer rapist who chilling method and calling card is the martial art technique known as “The Chinese Dragon Claw”. Jones is a tough and capable woman, skilled in the art of self-defense and is a martial-arts master. She cannot sit and wait for the police to track the killer down and for more people to die, so she decides to find and bring the killer to justice herself. With the help of street-smart detective, (Don Niam) they piece together the evidence that they believe will lead to the crazed killer in order to stop any more brutal murders and to ultimately gain revenge for the death of her sister. (88 Mins)

 

Medusa Pictures/2020 Vision UK VHS Synopsis: She's bad, she's brutal and she's beautiful... CYNTHIA ROTHROCK the Undisputed Queen of Karate is back to kick some serious ass in this no-holds-barred feast of furious martial-arts action. In UNDEFEATABLE, the diva of the drop-kick is the Little Miss Dynamite of the seedy gang scene, pummelling the punks to a pulp in illegal street fights to earn money to put her kid sister through college. But her rage reaches a new intensity when her sister is attacked by a serial rapist and killer, who loves to mutilate his victims with the mark of the dreaded dragon claw. Hell-bent on revenge, Rothrock leaves a trail of broken bodies in her wake as she has to fight with not only her fists, but an array of deadly martial-arts weapons. The bigger they come, the harder they fall because Cynthia Rothrock is, quite simply, UNDEFEATABLE... (90 Mins)

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Views: To be honest, it doesn't feel like Cynthia Rothrock's Undefeatable is 30 years old as I write this review. Maybe I just don't want to realise that 3 decades have already rushed by in the blink of an eye, but it certainly doesn't feel that it's been that long since I first walked into my local Xtravision video store and saw this on the shelf as a new release! Of course, I had only just gotten my hands on the fun Honor & Glory – the Godfrey Ho directed film that was made just before this using many of the same cast members – and it was always exciting to see a new Cindy flick on the shelves. While it oozes plenty of 90s cheesiness, complete with some dreadful writing, questionable performances, and laughable extras, Undefeatable still has something to give with its Godfrey Ho charm and fun fight scenes – and has went on to become a true cult classic over the years (for many reasons). The film tells the story of a female street-fighter and deranged serial killer, whose paths cross for the ultimate showdown. Underground fighter, Paul, who is better known on the circuit as The Stingray, suffers from abandonment issues since his mother left him as a child and has grown up to abuse the women in his life. His poor wife Anna, who has suffered a life of rape and abuse by him, finally gets up the nerve to leave him after talking to her psychiatrist Jennifer, which triggers Stingray to go on a rampage and kill any woman who looks like her – as well as the men they are with by gouging their eyes out. Meanwhile, Kristi finds herself on the wrong side of the law while taking part in arranged gang-fights in a bid to raise money for her kid-sisters college education. As it turns out, Nick, the same cop that arrested her, has been tasked with finding Stingray after a spate of murders in the town – one of which happens to be Kristi's sister. After finding a psychiatrist's letter addressed to his wife, Stingray kidnaps Jennifer who tries to escape by pretending to be his mother. Although it works to some degree, the deranged killer keeps her chained up but soon finds himself trading moves with Kristi who has come on a rescue mission. After Stingray escapes, Nick and Kristi get Jennifer to the hospital, but the murderer is hot on the trail and attempts, once again, to get his hands on the psychiatrist. Thankfully, the heroic duo aren't too far behind and catch up with them in the hospital basement where a deadly showdown ensues in a bid to stop the killer once and for all!

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The awesome US boutique label, Vinegar Syndrome, celebrates this productions 30th birthday by releasing Undefeatable on 4K UHD and Blu-ray, with a stunning restoration, wonderful collection of extra features, and it's rarely seen Hong Kong edit – Bloody Mary Killer – combining the perfect edition of this film to date. I have to admit, as much as I have enjoyed this film over the years, seeing it restored in 4K just makes it even better and proved to make for my best viewing experience yet of the 90s flick. Along with the aforementioned Honor & Glory, these two Godfrey Ho films would be the first 'Hong Kong' productions (in a sense) that Cindy would appear in since Golden Harvest's China O'Brien 1 & 2 from 1990. While those films didn't make her as big of a household name as she had hoped, it did confirm her departure from the East where she had gained her big break and wowed the film world in titles like Yes Madam, Millionaires Express, Magic Crystal, Righting Wrongs, No Retreat No Surrender 2, Inspector Wears Skirts, Lady Reporter, City Cops, and even Prince Of The Sun, respectively. For the next decade or so, Cynthia Rothrock would star in a host of straight-to-video hits including Triple Cross, Lady Dragon, Martial Law 1 & 2, Fast Getaway 1 & 2, Tiger Claws 1-3, Rage & Honor 1 & 2, Irresistible Force, Angel Of Fury, Guardian Angel, and Sworn To Justice (as well as a few others), most of which were American produced and often entertaining. While Cindy would join Godfrey Ho one more time for the low budget and so-so action flick, Manhattan Chase, most of her films from the turn-of-the-century just didn't have the same kind of excitement and energy as those before – which was highly unfortunate. While there honestly hasn't been any Rothrock project in the last 20 years that has delivered even a hint of excitement close to the aforementioned titles, it's just amazing to see this recent resurgence of her work thanks to labels such as Vinegar Syndrome, 88 Films, and others. As Kristi Jones, Cindy does a fine job in playing something a little different. Although she was 36 at the time of filming, her character comes across about 10 years younger – especially when you see her hanging about with a (cheesy) gang in leather, taking part in underground fights, and running from the police. It may well be that it's just a product of its time (I mean it was the early 90s after all), but we have to remember that Undefeatable was written by two first-timers based on a story by a kung-fu school sifu, Tai Yim, who also helped produce and choreograph the fight scenes. While she does manage to deliver some dramatic moments, it's clear that Cindy was only trying to work with what she was given – although you can see past it once she starts kicking-ass; thankfully something she gets to do numerously throughout the film which helps make Undefeatable one of her more successful Western titles to date.

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But it's maybe Cindy's co-stars that make this film a little more memorable – although, perhaps not for the right reasons. The first of these folks is the eye-popping Don Niam who plays the psychotic villain of the piece know as The Stingray. With only a small bit-part behind him, from Don 'The Dragon' Wilson's Out For Blood just the year before, Niam was requested to play the part by Godfrey Ho as suggested by his sifu – producer Tai Yim. Although he had little-no real acting experience behind him to deliver what was needed for such a role, Don Niam still managed to deliver (although some would say, a little too much) from his insane over-the-top psychotic breaks to his powerhouse fight scenes and murders. In fact, while he had a handful of bit-parts over the next ten years, it's just a shame that the man didn't go on to do a bit more – especially at a time when DTV martial-arts action-thrillers were in big demand. Apart from taking on Cindy, Niam gets to trade moves with martial-arts actor John Miller; a senior instructor at the same Tai Yim Kung Fu School. Miller, who was a Grand Champion of weapons in the early 90s, had previously impressed in Godfrey Ho's aforementioned Honor & Glory alongside co-stars Cynthia Rothrock and Donna Jason. In that film, this Van Damme-esque fighter was the big villain of the piece so it was nice to see him get the chance to turn-in a good-guy role for a change as police detective Nick DiMarco. While his acting isn't the worst in the world, it's certainly gained some attention over the years – especially that closing line he delivers – with his final showdown against Niam becoming an internet sensation due to it's OTT growling, posing, and flexing of muscles in between moves. Honestly, it's enough to make Van Damme nervous! And last but not least, there's the lovely Donna Jason who stars as Jennifer; psychologist to Stingray's wife Anna, and the catalyst for helping her to finally leave her abusive husband. Another student of Tai Yim, I first caught Donna in Honor & Glory where she had a more prominent role as Cynthia's sister and also doubled-up as the assistant director to Godfrey Ho – a role she returns to here for Undefeatable. Although she was never a trained actress, I've always enjoyed her in both movies and felt she was probably the most natural of all on-screen. Here, Donna's action scenes are much less than what she got to do in Honor & Glory, so anyone expecting another fight-filled performance from her might be a little disappointed. Regardless, she still does a great job and gets to flex the acting chops a little more when captured by the insane Stingray. As with their previous production, a lot of the supporting cast return to deliver more unintentional laughs with their dodgy performances and bad lines – most of whom are also students of the Tai Yim Kung Fu School – with Lihn Thai proving to entertain as Eagle Lee; one of Cindy's challengers. It's just a shame this talented fighter hasn't went on to do anything else...

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While kung fu master Tai Yim is credited as one of the films' fight choreographers, the real credit must go to the popular Douglas Kung Cheung Tak; a film journeyman who has starred in over 40 titles such as The Dragon Family, City Cops, Vampire Settle On Police Camp, Full Contact, and so much more including a bit-part here in Bloody Mary Killer. As an action-choreographer, Kung had delivered the goods for films like Mission Of Condor, Wushu, The King Boxer, and many of the aforementioned titles he appeared in as well as Moon Lee's fantastic Princess Madam, which was also directed by Godfrey Ho himself. At the turn-of-the-century, Kung tried his hand at directing and made his debut with the fun Chinese Heroes featuring Chin Kar Lok, with Yuen Woo Ping and Sharon Yeung Pan Pan producing. Films like Undiscovered Tomb, Excessive Force, DNA Clone, and Snake Charmer would follow – utilising actors such as Fan Siu Wong, Marsha Yuen, and Jackie Lui, with the exciting Gordon Liu films, Shaolin Vs Evil Dead 1 & 2, proving to be his most successful titles to date, as well as his last. Douglas is aided by Ken Yip and Andy Wong, both of whom have worked with him on many of the aforementioned projects over the years as well as achieving their own successes as directors and choreographers. Thanks to all involved there are a great number of fight scenes to enjoy, in both Undefeatable and Bloody Mary Killer, with the latter allowing for a bit more to appeal to it's eastern audience which gives Robin Shou (and Godfrey Ho) the chance to bust a few moves. While Cindy was definitely the most accomplished actor and martial artist on-set, you can see how the 'Hong Kong-style' of fighting was slightly toned down to work with the actors involved. Regardless, they still have a certain flair about them and definitely aren't as stilted as most American-made martial-arts flicks can be.

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Now is probably a good time to mention the Hong Kong version, Bloody Mary Killer, that sees about 30 minutes of Undefeatable replaced with the same amount of brand new footage and storyline involving a Triad gang who track Robin Shou and his father to the US. Shou is another underrated star who made the move to the States as a child, and made his Hong Kong film debut in the 1987 action-comedy, The Big Brother, alongside Alex Man, Simon Yam, and Michael Miu, before making a more memorable appearance in Andrew Kam and Johnnie To's amazing thriller, The Big Heat. Supporting roles in City War and In The Line Of Duty 3: Force Of The Dragon would quickly follow the same year, before the star would win his first leading role in Robert Tai's fun Death Cage – also known as Bloodfight 2. Over the next few years, Robin would continue his career of bad guy roles in films such as Burning Ambition, Tiger Cage 2, In The Line Of Duty 6: Forbidden Arsenal, Hard To Kill and more, although still had the chance to fight on the side of good in a number of films including these two Godfrey Ho directed movies (HK edits) and Angel The Kickboxer depending on which version you are watching. Of course, none would be more memorable than that of his role as Liu Kang in Mortal Kombat – his big Hollywood debut that saw him go on to star in other tinsel town films such as it's sequel, Beverley Hills Ninja, DOA: Dead Or Alive, Death Race 1-3, and more. I have to say, it was nice to see him in something a little fresh (in my first viewing) here in Bloody Mary Killer. He looked great, moved great, and should have been one of the main leads from the start! The wonderful Godfrey Ho himself plays Shou's father (in a rare on-screen role that would also be his last) starring as a Hong Kong detective who had to escape his past. Now, with the Triad registrar in his hands, Ho must try to evade the Hong Kong members who have been sent to kill him. Obviously, Robin gets involved with the extra connection being that his brother is dating Cindy's sister (the one killed by Stingray) – all of whom are part of the same kung-fu school. While dealing with the triads, Shou also crosses paths with the femme-fatale which include their training in the dojo, randomly cutting in after one of her gang fights and other shared scenes; but these often replace those originally featuring John Miller's cop, albeit without completely deleting him from the new cut. To be honest, I enjoyed this new version as much as I did the original – and dare I say, maybe a little more. Perhaps it was because it was new to see, or that because everything was dubbed in Cantonese that it made even the weakest of actors come across better. In hindsight, I'm sure there was a few more scenes from Undefeatable that could have been edited in to make the film a little more complete and solid, extending its running time by another 10 or 15 minutes. To say that Bloody Mary Killer is just another Godfrey Ho cut-and-paste movie, would be very wrong. There's something wonderfully smart about what he has done here in (basically) creating two movies for the price of one – and all from the exact same production. I mean, I must praise the man for what he has done here, regardless of the criticism and negative reviews. We must not forget that Ho had been in the business from the early 70s, working at the Shaw Brothers studio under many great names, and had over 50 directing credits to his name by the time Undefeatable came about. As mentioned, this release from Vinegar Syndrome really does both versions of the film some great justice, highlighting its gorgeous cinematography in the ratio that it was meant to be seen in. For once, the film actually looked appealing; colourful and sharp, with its cheesiness on show for all to see in high definition – and I loved it!

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Overall: Crammed with silly lines, dodgy acting, exciting fight scenes, Undefeatable still offers a lot of fun 30 years later and makes for a fun watch!

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Vinegar Syndrome 4K UHD/Blu-ray Extras: (4K UHD) 95 Minute Feature, Audio Commentary with Cynthia Rothrock (Blu-ray Disc 1) Everything on UHD Disc, New Interviews with Godfrey Ho, Cynthia Rothrock, Don Niam, Donna Jason, and Cinematographer Phil Cook, Cynthia Rothrock: A Legendary Life – Video Essay by Samm Deighan & Charles Perks, Undefeatable Vs Bloody Mary Killer – Video Essay comparing both versions, Trailers (Blu-ray Disc 2) 88 Minute Feature of Bloody Mary Killer, Audio Commentary with Brandon Bentley

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Medusa Pictures/2020 Vision VHS Trailers: Road To Ruin, Romper Stomper, Dangerous Desire, TC 2000, The Cool Surface

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Watch my unboxing video of this Vinegar Syndrome 4K release HERE