Guardian Angel

Cop Christine McKay (Rothrock) is hot on the trail of a counterfeiting ring and is working the case with her partner and fiancé Nick Taylor (Teague). Behind the operation are the criminals David (Miano) and the super-evil Nina Lindell (Denier). After some tragic events perpetrated by Nina, Christine gets kicked off the force and hits the skids. She ends up living in a trailer with her dog Flash, who she has conversations with about her life. But she vows revenge on the sinister Nina at any cost. Christine ends up taking a bodyguard job for a rich, cocky playboy named Lawton Hobbs (McVicar). Nina was his ex-girlfriend and so there’s a personal stake there. Christine will have to use all her skill as a Martial Artist to get to the bottom of this tangled web. Can she do it? We really enjoyed this Rothrock vehicle. PM rarely disappoints, and with a team of PM mainstays both in front of and behind the camera, you really can’t lose. Director Munchkin applies the same techniques with Rothrock as he did with Don the Dragon Wilson or Jeff Wincott in the past, and the result is an entertaining movie with plenty of shooting, chases (of the car, helicopter, boat and horse varieties), Martial Arts fights, and Cynthia Rothrock getting off some cute catch phrases after she beats up her assailants.

STARS: Cynthia Rothrock, Daniel McVicar, Lydie Denier

97 min | Action, Drama, Thriller | 1994 | Color

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Fantastically blunt, straightforward take on the Action Flick
For the life of me I can't understand why this has been received so poorly, Does no one understand what's really going on here?

I have a strong appreciation for movies that in no uncertain terms inform us straightaway, and with no apologies, that they are over the top and blunt, with little to no care for authenticity. This isn't the first of Cynthia Rothrock's films that I've watched, and whether among her credits or otherwise it's also not the first that has carried these cheeky, direct flavors. These are movies that are all about having a blast and telling an action-packed story, whatever it might look like from an outside perspective. And with an attitude like that, how can you not just relax and have a good time? 'Guardian angel,' also known as 'Beyond justice,' will do nothing to change the minds of anyone who isn't already on board with the type of picture it represents. For anyone open to the ridiculousness, though, this is thoroughly entertaining!

The wild original score of unexpectedly accomplished composer Bruce Hanifan occasionally dallies with pointedly overt cues (drama! Thrills! Sadness!) rendered on a synthesizer. Mostly he seems to have been inspired by heavy metal of the 80s or early 90s, but with a mainstream sensibility of someone trying to make the genre palatable to wide audiences. The action varies between highfalutin gunfights and demonstrations of martial arts, and to the credit of all involved it looks great, even if the most robust instances are a step down in intensity from Rothrock's earlier starring vehicles. However, the sheer spontaneity with which such violence arises in any given scene is kind of surprising. Sure, a lot of the sequences play out with the logic and genuineness of Pure Movie Magic - but again, importantly, it's all in the name of a grandiose romp. The cast illustrates suitable acting skills as a scene may require - Rothrock, costar Lydie Denier, and others - but are also unmistakably hamming it up for the sake of a movie that's all about ridiculous fun. And I am so glad for every last bit of it.

The core concept of Joe Hart's screenplay has plenty of potential, but I am truly delighted that it was fashioned into a feature of such forthright, deadpan bluster. Characters have personality, but each and every one is exaggerated to the point of being all but a caricature or stereotype (not least of all man-child Hobbs). At the same time, some show an astounding lack of intelligence or fundamental "street smarts" wisdom, making one wonder in the moment how they could be so short-sighted. There's painfully gauche sexism in a substantial amount of the dialogue, seeming to mostly highlight by contrast the burgeoning new sense of feminism that the 90s would claim. Where that isn't true, it's filled with a great deal of one-liners, hard-nosed quips, or cheesy repartee characteristic of big-budget blockbusters burdened with an excess of testosterone and a dearth of brains. So it is with the scene writing, effectively ensuring that we get a plethora of tropes, and that a certain quota of Action Flick Convention is fulfilled. And the narrative that all these many elements build is duly engaging, and compelling, as a carefree lark consciously aping the better known titles of the genre - while still solid enough to come across as a complete, cohesive whole.

Director Richard W. Munchkin does his utmost to ensure that every last aspect of the production is faithful to the predominant preposterous, playful slant. There's almost nothing that escapes the giddy vortex of that bombast: hair and makeup, costume design (What is our "police detective" heroine wearing? What is her department superior wearing?!), camerawork, lighting, editing and transitions, gratuitous shots of women's bodies, and more. If there's anything here given earnest consideration, it's the stunts, and to that end I must congratulate all the performers on hand for some really great (proverbial) fireworks. And still, every flip, fall, or soar through the air only lends to the tone that 'Guardian Angel' adopts from the very start.

Once more: anyone who isn't already receptive to features of such indifferently irreverent candor may be best served by pointing their browsers elsewhere in the first place. This 'Guardian Angel' isn't here to change minds, only to spark joy in the lives of those most apt to appreciate the style. And that it most certainly does: I sat down anticipating a goofy, unserious good time, and that's exactly what I got. There are no pretensions here of operating on a more artistically relevant, cultured scale - the movie wants only to entertain, without regard for any naysayers. And that's exactly what I like to see in an action flick. For my money, 'Guardian Angel' is a terrific 95 minutes that's well worth checking out if you have the chance, provided you're simply willing to leave your Film Criticism 101 report card at the door and indulge every whim.

Cheers!