Crime, Power, and a Sword’s Edge

Read Time:5 Minute, 55 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Lady Of The Law (Nu bu kuai)
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Genre: Action, Drama
Year Released: 1975, 88 Films Blu-ray 2025
Runtime: 1h 30m
Director(s): Chiang Shen, Stanley Wing Siu
Writer(s): Chiang Shen
Cast: Shih Szu, Lo Lieh, Dean Shek Tin, Yang Chi-Ching, Ou-Yang Sha-Fei, Chang Pei-Shan, Chan Shen, Tung Lam, Ma Lee-Sha, Chiang Tao, Law Hon, Lee Pang-Fei, Li Min-Lang
Where to Watch: Available May 19, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.88-films.myshopify.com, www.mvdshop.com, or www.amazon.com

RAVING REVIEW: Every once in a while, a film feels like it never quite belonged to the era it was released in, or the one it was made for. That’s what makes this throwback so oddly fascinating. This film juggles vengeance, deception, and fractured identity inside a story where truth isn’t just hard to find—it’s often twisted beyond recognition.

Things get off to a strong start with an ambush, kicking the story into motion through betrayal and sacrifice. Chief Jiao Tianhao (Tung Lam), a well-respected escort known for his integrity, is attacked, and though he tries to fight his way out of the situation, the consequences are fatal. His death sets off a sequence of events that won’t pay off for another decade. Before his final breath, he hands over a martial arts manual—the Flaming Daggers technique—to his young son, Jiao Yaner. It’s a symbolic act that silently promises revenge. The boy is spared only because of the intervention of Madam White Brows (Ou-Yang Sha-Fei), a figure whose presence carries weight in a corrupt system. But promises and survival are very different things.

When the narrative picks up years later, we’re met with a quiet, seemingly unremarkable Jiao Yaner (Lo Lieh), who appears to have faded into the background of the household responsible for his family’s downfall. Beneath this humble exterior lies someone quietly refining his combat skills, specifically the Flaming Daggers technique passed down to him.

What elevates the story is the decision to position another character as the titular figure—Leng Rushuang (Shih Szu), a female enforcer with a reputation for catching those who slip through the cracks of justice. Her presence gives the film a different kind of balance. She enters the story, tracking down a suspect, Yaner, whose guilt seems preordained. But the deeper she digs, the more she realizes the truth is far from clean-cut. Her scenes pack a punch, but she often takes a backseat to Yaner. That push and pull between the characters is one of the more compelling dynamics the film offers, even if it doesn’t reach the level of depth it could have.

The tension between these leads comes to a head during a showdown that works more as a metaphor than a necessity. It’s an eye-catching sequence, physically and emotionally, and it encapsulates the film’s bigger question: how far will someone go when their beliefs collide with reality? Even if the setup for this fight defies logic, its execution sticks, and that commitment gives the moment weight.

The story wavers in how it juggles its subplots. A detour into a hidden palace run by warrior women feels more like a stylistic diversion than a necessary plot point. It’s a fun aspect visually, but doesn’t add much to the core narrative. The same can be said about a late-arriving thread involving a blind man who could potentially expose the real villain, Chen Huatang’s son (Dean Shek). It’s a clever idea introduced too late to feel essential, and its payoff barely registers.

What holds it together is the emotional journey of its characters. Yaner’s transformation from passive servant to someone capable of taking control of his narrative is the film’s real spine. His evolution is slow but satisfying, especially once he begins confronting the ghosts of his past. Meanwhile, Leng remains steadfast in her moral code, even as that code is challenged. Their paths are separate, but their emotional arcs mirror each other—each forced to reconcile what they’ve been told with what they come to understand.

From a structural perspective, there are moments where the pacing stumbles, especially when the film attempts to incorporate too many elements at once. But what helps is that it never feels like it’s just filling time. Even when it sidesteps the central storyline, it does so with some flair and curiosity. There’s an experimental edge here—whether that’s intentional or a result of its production history is unclear—but it adds a unique texture.

This project sits in an odd place within martial arts cinema—too character-focused to be a standard action flick and too uneven to be considered a top-tier genre entry. But that liminal space also allows it to be something slightly offbeat. It toys with expectations, sets up tropes only to undercut them, and manages to hold onto a distinctive voice, even when it mishandles the details.

What it may lack in polish, it makes up for in spirit. It's not always clean, but it's rarely boring. The story's heart—revenge delayed, justice misdirected, and honor questioned—carries through even when the plot wavers. Something is refreshing about a movie that doesn’t have all the answers but still dares to ask interesting questions. And that gives it lasting value, more than a flawless script or flashy effects.

Bonus Materials:
Stills Gallery
Limited Edition O-ring
2.0 DTS-HD MA Mandarin Soundtrack with newly translated English Subtitles
Trailer
High Definition (1080p) Presentation in 2.35:1 Aspect Ratio
Limited Edition Fold-out poster

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[photo courtesy of 88 FILMS, MVD ENTERTAINMENT]

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