Lady of the Law (aka Nu bu kuai) (1975) [88 Films] 

A super swordswoman gets on the case when a dangerous criminal goes on the lam.  

Written by Chiang Shen who also directed with Stanley Wing Siu, Lady of the Law is a solid entry in the era’s martial arts films with sword fights, a bit of acrobatics, and a whole lot of general fighting. The film here is well written and the direction works for the story. It’s not one that will stand out and have many folks (outside of super fan) say “oh that’s a Chiang Chen film for sure”, but it’s solid work. The film is more one that is done in a serviceable manner, but it’s really well done here and works great for the story, so no complaints. The style of the film feels more like it’s from its era than from a specific writer or director, but that is definitely something that isn’t an issue here. The film is a bit predictable, but in the right way, it’s like a comforting fight film even on its first watch. 

The cast here is led by Szu Shih as the swordslady and she’s fantastic, putting in the works for the action scenes and the drama, showing that she’s versatile and the right actress for the part. The whole film should be about her and her alone, but there is also a supporting cast who all do decent to solid work, giving the lead the room to be the lead, but also stealing a few scenes here there. The main thing that most will be coming to this film for the action scenes which bring to the screen the work of stunt coordinators Cheng Shao Tung and Hsiao-Sung Liang who worked well with the stunt team and the cast to properly sell the action, the stunts, and the fights.  

Lady of the Law is a fun and entertaining jaunt in female-led martial arts films of the 1970s with a solid leading lady, a slightly forgettable story, and direction and writing that work. Is it the best thing out there? Probably not. But is it entertaining from start to finish? Absolutely. This new re-release is a fun one and one that is more than worth checking out. The new release from 88 Films is solid in quality but a bit lacking in extras. 

This new release of Lady of the Law comes to collectors from the great folks at 88 Films who always have a high-quality transfer in high definition, something that is very obvious here. The film looks extra good here, it’s beautiful, and the sound quality works well within the limitations of the 2.0 DTS-HD MA soundtrack (mileage will vary depending on set-up). Unfortunately, as usual, the extras are a bit limited. The newly translated subtitles are greatly appreciated, the trailer and stills gallery make it feel like a basic release from the late 1990s, it feels like there could be more here.