4 Star

Red Army Rampage.

Welcome to 1988 and the explosion that is In The Line of Duty III. This no-holds-barred action film will smack you right between the eyes. Directed by Arthur Wong (The Warlords, Bodyguards and Assassins) and Brandy Yuen (Drunken Master, Master of Zen), who bring this violent story to life, as the Girls-with-Guns series goes from strength to strength. Action-Packed Martial Arts and Deadly Gun-Play.

Police officer, 39121 Rachel Yeung (Cynthia Khan, In the Line of Duty IV, Tiger Cage II) patrols the busy streets of Hong Kong, taking advice from her superior, talking about how to go about her policing duties, even if that means running away and leaving it to a different unit. A speeding Ford Fiesta pulls up in a no parking zone, ‘you can deal with that’. The driver is abusive at getting a parking ticket, while ignoring the driver words. A shout goes out of stop thief, as a man with a holdall runs around the corner and trips, showering the street with cash. Immediately, Rachel springs into action, this where we see our protagonist’s Martial Arts skills, as she takes down the robber.

The Police Inspector just happens to be the newly promoted Rachel’s uncle, and he is reluctant to put her on a proper case, getting her to do photocopying etc.

The big thing going on in Hong Kong today is the solo show of renowned jeweller Yamamoto (Hua Yueh, The Monkey Goes West, Princess Iron Fan). It is a big affair as models dance around with all the jewels which are displayed along the catwalk. As the gathered crowd looks on in awe, the music is broken by the sound of automatic gunfire ringing out and the bodies fall to the ground. Japanese Red Army fantasists Nakamura Genji (Stuart Ong, Batman Begins, The Red Violin) and Michiko Nishiwaki (Michiko Nishiwaki, My Lucky Stars, The Dragon Fighter) leap into action while causing mayhem, as they sweep in and steal the jewels, the police arrive, on mass as the bullets and grenades fly. With death and destruction all around, the communists take Mr Yamamoto hostage to flee the building.

Meanwhile, Japanese cops Ken and Hiroshi Fujioka (Hiroshi Fujioka, The Black Battlefront Kidnappers, Rusty Flames) give chase to the fleeing murderers, but it ends in tragedy as Ken is fatally shot grabbing Michiko. Now the race is on to capture these two killers and make the city safe for the common person walking the streets of Hong Kong.

In the Line of Duty III is an out-and-out Action flick that has you gasping at the stunts and the edge of the seat car chases and Martial Arts fights. A great part of the saga, and a must for action and Martial Arts fans.

IN THE LINE OF DUTY III [aka. Force of the Dragon / Yes, Madam 2] (Eureka Classics) Special Edition is available on Blu-ray 20th March 2023

In the Line of Duty III

 

Special Features

Limited Edition O-Card slipcase featuring new artwork by Darren Wheeling [First Print Run of 2000 copies] | 1080p HD presentation on Blu-ray from a brand new 2K restoration | Cantonese and English audio options (both in their original mono presentations) | Optional English Subtitles, newly translated for this release | Brand new feature length audio commentary by Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) | Brand new feature length audio commentary by action cinema experts Mike Leeder & Arne Venema | Trailers | Reversible sleeve design | PLUS: A Limited Edition collector’s booklet featuring new writing by James Oliver and extracts from A Different Brilliance – The D & B Story [First Print Run of 2000 copies] |  *All extras subject to change