THE HEROIC TRIO

New 4K restoration by L’Immagine Ritrovata

There are kung fu flix and then there is THE HEROIC TRIO.

Cannibal-slaying, shit-kicking, bodysuit-latexing, motorcycle-flying, and full makeup-serving, THE HEROIC TRIO is the ultimate Hong Kong kung fu flick of all time. Yes, there’s a maniacal setup with impossible loyalties, tested sisterhoods, doomed romance, wicked kingdoms, and wild wire stunts. And also…. flying guillotine head cages(!), baby-napping(!), invisible cloaks(!), and emo cantopop (!). And yes, oh yes, there is a cackling evil eunuch overlord. But most of all, there’s The Trio.

Three cinematic galaxy-eaters—Michelle Yeoh, Maggie Cheung and Anita Mui—team up to destroy epic sewer-dwelling bad guys with the completely zany illogics of Johnnie To’s bright-eyed direction. Add to the list: deliciously cuckoo Anthony Wong as a finger-licking-good minion, perennially baddest of bad guys Shi Kwan Yen, and Mui’s brooding crooning. THE HEROIC TRIO serves heaping portions of Hong Kong’s 1990s era unapologetic gonzo action.

Once only found on questionable DVDs or Chinatown VHS tapes endlessly copied into crappy multi-generational sludge, THE HEROIC TRIO’S crisp, glorious restoration finally lets us focus on the mayhem and the surprisingly gorgeous gothic beauty of To’s set pieces. With Hollywood’s white milk film grammar homogenizing so much of international cinema, THE HEROIC TRIO is a freaky stilettoed whip-snap, reminding us how boring we have all become.

—Christina Ree

Underwritten by Bayha Group.