Stometer
Save your money for something good and enjoyable
SpuffyWeb
Sadly Over-hyped
Afouotos
Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.
The_Phantom_Projectionist
I say this about a lot of folks, but darnit if Karen Sheperd isn't an under-appreciated action heroine if ever there was one. Forever in the shadow (and strangely tied to the career) of Cynthia Rothrock, she's a well of limitless martial potential but always ended up on the short end of the stick, either getting duped by Corey Yuen or needing to settle for roles that Rothrock turned down. A 1993 low-budget flick by longtime Jean Claude Van Damme protégé Michel Qissi seemed like it might break this streak, but alas, poor Karen isn't even afforded an undiscovered gem, 'cause not only does TERMINATOR WOMAN have a very misleading title, it's also pretty bad for a B-movie.The story: Police officers Jay Handlin (Jerry Trimble) and Julie Parish (Sheperd) are tasked with transporting a convicted dealer (Len Sparrowhawk) to a South African court, but when they are split up by a human trafficking circuit and the efforts of a deadly drug lord (Qissi), they'll have to rely on their physical talents to be reunited.You'd think that with a title like this one, the movie would generally focus on Sheperd's character, but I'm pretty sure that champion kickboxer Jerry Trimble gets the most screen time among the three karate stars. Julie is teamed up with South African actress Kimberleigh Stark when the two of them are kidnapped out of the blue by a prostitution ring, and after their inevitable escape, Sheperd's quest becomes one of hiking through the bush while wearing tight pants and a very glittery top. Jay is generally the one doing the real detective work, and while he too is paired up with a rather useless sidekick (child actor Siphiwe Mlangeni), his exploits are much more interesting than his partner's. Michel Qissi - who will never live up to his intimidating presence in KICKBOXER - mostly sits in a chair and looks menacing. Sometimes he shoots people, but like the rest of the film's content, it's not terribly exciting stuff.The fight scenes range from okay to tiring. Jerry Trimble outshines everybody with his amazing kicks, which look good even when he's simply performing an impromptu demonstration in his hotel room. He gets most of the seven brawls to himself, but doesn't get any significant opponents until meeting Qissi in a cave during the finale. The movie surpassed my expectations by making this one a pretty even back & forth encounter, but it lacks both the necessary choreography that made Jerry's best fights great and the emotional gravity that made Qissi's battle with Van Damme a classic. Despite having had what was arguably the best fight scene ever filmed between two women in ABOVE THE LAW, Sheperd's encounters feel less like fights than they seem spoofs of them: when her dumb opponents aren't knocking themselves out by running into things, the choreography is slow and awkward with the majority of her blows looking weak or obviously not connecting. Don't even get me started on when she finds a staff to fight with.Production values aren't great and the acting is a shot in the bucket. The story held a bit of potential in revealing that Jay and Julie once faced each other in the fighting circuit and that Julie's eager for a rematch, but just as this is about to take place, the credits roll. Everybody involved in this one should've been doing something better, and the only satisfaction I can gain from this clunker is that the better work of my heroes here is way more prolific and well-known than TERMINATOR WOMAN. Go on ignoring it.
udar55
Bickering California cops Jay Handlin (ex-kickboxing champ Jerry Trimble) and Julie A. Parish (ex-karate champ Karen Sheperd) have to escort a witness back to South Africa because he knows the hidden location of a gold stash belonging to crime boss Alex Gatelee (Michel Qissi, who also directs). Why do these two cops dislike each other? Seems Jay handed Julie her ass in a mixed karate finals a few years back. Really. So when Julie is kidnapped by Gatelee's men, Jay kinda starts looking for her to save her. Don't get your hopes up (like I did) and think you are going to get a robotic woman kicking ass in this a la LADY TERMINATOR (1989). Julie just happens to be a lady who terminates with no cyborg connotations to be had. Aw shucks. Believe it or not, this is the first leading role vehicle I've seen for both Trimble and Sheperd. Both of them are quite good at what they do (kicking, punching, doing the splits) and aren't as stiff as some of their contemporaries. Trimble kind of looks like an Estevez/Michael Douglas hybrid, but he throws some pretty amazing kicks that put him on the level of someone like Hwang Jang Lee. Perhaps the most surprising thing about the film is that debuting director Qissi - better known as KICKBOXER's Tong Po - knows how to shoot some effective fight scenes. I guess all the time spent hanging out with Van Damme paid off. He does have a bit more trouble in the plot dynamics as Jay doesn't really seem to be looking too hard for his missing partner and is absolutely no help in her escape at the end. He does kick Gatelee onto a stalagmite though.
bibbitybop99
Not a bad martial arts film. Fight scenes were good. Michel Qissi did a good job directing his first film without Van Damme. Story worked without foul language and too much blood. Screenwriter Jeanette Francessca has a good line to the story that works. IT would be great to see something else from her in the same genre. She likes the art and having strong women promenant. IT was definitely worth watching. I recommend the film to all drama and martial arts lovers.
Mike Helfield (Invictus)
This was actually an alright movie. There is an abundance of action, and Jerry Trimble makes for a pretty good hero. Michel Qissi, although his directing skills might lack a little, his martial skill is impressive. It was quite a surprise to see Qissi's "real" face. There is only one song on the soundtrack "Body Talk". I have to say that is incredible, and of course, impossible to find. I really enjoyed that song, and it was a splendid choice for the film, although they could have put more songs in there. Jerry Trimble is also very good in "Breathing Fire" starring as an evil drug lord with co-star Bolo Yeung who is amongst my favourites. I would strongly recommend "Breathing Fire" to any martial arts film enthusiast.
