Yes, Madam (1985 film)

In Hong Kong, Inspector Ng manages to stop the theft of an armored car by a group of criminals. In another part of the city, a deal is being made between a Westerner and an assassin. After the deal goes sour, the assassin kills the Westerner while the duo of Asprin and Strepsil enter to pickpocket the Westerner and steal his passport. Unknown to all of them, the Westerner had secret microfilm that contained details of a group of criminals involved in illegal activities, most notably the crooked businessman Mr. Tin. Inspector Ng arrives later and is heartbroken to discover that the dead man was Richard Nornen, with whom she was romantically involved.

After authorities find out that Nornen had been working undercover and that the microfilm is missing, investigator Carrie Morris from Scotland Yard is brought in to assist Ng in recovering it. The microfilm is in the possession of some petty thieves, whilst the police are looking for it to prove the guilt of Mr. Tin and his accomplices, who naturally want it destroyed. Meanwhile, Asprin and Strepsil return the passport to Panadol. Panadol sells the passport to a criminal who attempts to leave the country with it, but is thwarted by Morris, who halts him at the airport. Ng allows the criminal to leave but not on the plane, allowing both Morris and Ng to track down the source of the phony passport to Panadol. With Panadol in custody, he inadvertently mentions Asprin and Strepsil as accomplices.

Mr. Tin has the most to lose from the microfilm and sends three thugs to Asprin and Strepsil in order to get it from them. Strepsil admits defeat to them and gives over the microfilm. Ng and Morris then attempt to arrest Mr. Tin for possession of the item, but find that the microfilm in his possession is another one of Panadol's fakes and are unable to arrest him. Tin's thugs then manage to find Panadol but beat him so severely that he dies, while Asperin and Strepsil were going to sell the real microfilm for thousands of dollars. When Strepsil finds that Mr. Tin has the microfilm, Asperin and Strepsil, with the two police officers Morris and Ng closely following, arrive at Tin's house for a final showdown. During the battle, the microfilm is destroyed and Ng and Morris are about to be arrested for trespassing. Strepsil, who had just learned of Panadol's death, becomes enraged and grabs a police officer's gun and shoots Tin, who was about to go free because of the destruction of the evidence.

• John Shum as Strepsil
• Michelle Yeoh as Senior Inspector Ng (as Michelle Khan)
• Mang Hoi as Asprin
• Cynthia Rothrock as Senior Inspector Carrie Morris
• Tsui Hark as Panadol
• Sammo Hung as Sifu
• Richard Ng as Weak Heart
• David Chiang as Sifu's roommate
• Wu Ma as Policeman
• Billy Lau as Parking Inspector
• Dick Wei as Willie
• James Tien as Henry Tin
• Chung Fat as Big Moustache
• Fruit Chan as Fruit
• Chin Ka-lok as Henry's thug
• Hsiao Ho as Henry's thug
• Corey Yuen as Policeman

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While working a martial arts demonstration team, the magazine Inside Kung Fu contacted Cynthia Rothrock's team stating that D&B Film was looking for a new male lead to play a Bruce Lee-esque character in a film.Schubart, 2007. p.145 Despite looking for a male lead the team had a few women on their team and decided to bring them to demonstrate their skills as well. The studio producers were so impressed with Rothrock's martial arts skills that they offered her the role in the film on the spot and changed the lead from a male to female. When arriving to shoot the film, Rothrock was surprised of her role as she assumed she was going to be in a traditional period martial arts film.

Yes, Madam was the first starring role in a feature film for Michelle Yeoh, who had previously won the 1983 Miss World Malaysia contest. After winning the contest she met D&B executive producer Dickson Poon who cast her in a small role in a television commercial with entertainer Jackie Chan in 1984.Meyers, 2011. p.177Meyers, 2011. p.178Stair, 2001. p.30 Her role in the commercial caught the attention of D&B Films.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/artist/michelle-yeoh-p223709|work=Allmovie|publisher=Rovi Corporation|title=Michelle Yeoh|access-date=24 February 2013|author=Crow, Jonathan}} Yeoh had previously played small roles in Sammo Hung's film Owl vs. Dumbo (1985) and Twinkle Twinkle Lucky Stars (1985).Pang, 2005. p.145 For Yes, Madam!, Yeoh took to stunt work opposed to allowing a double for every stunt. To train for her role, she worked out in a gym for eight hours a day.Stair, 2001. p.23 Yeoh stated that both herself and Rothrock did not want the film to be "too hard core", saying that "We wanted the family to come in and watch it"{{cite news|title=Slam-bam Yes, Madame! Yes, Madame AA Starring Michelle Khan and Cynthia Rothrock, directed by Corey Yuen Kwai. At the Riviera Cinema tomorrow 7.30 p.m. and 9.30 p.m.|last=Goddard|first=Peter|newspaper=Toronto Star|date=April 25, 1997|page=C14}}

According to Rothrock, the airport scene was shot at Kai Tak Airport in three nights between 12:00 midnight and 5:00 a.m. to avoid airport traffic. The film's finale took 30 days to shoot. Rothrock sustained a head wound during her fight scene with Dick Wei. When filming resumed after her wound was stitched up, a stand-in for Wei was brought in to film the shot of Rothrock doing her scorpion kick on Wei's character, presumably because Wei was anticipating payback from her.{{cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9U9Z3OmLvk |title=Cynthia Rothrock's Best Fight Scenes HD |author-link=Cynthia Rothrock |last=Rothrock |first=Cynthia |publisher=YouTube |date=6 March 2022 |access-date=7 March 2022}}

The film's score was composed by Romeo Diaz.{{cite web|url=http://ipac.hkfa.lcsd.gov.hk/ipac20/ipac.jsp?session=136E7K961798P.20593&profile=hkfa&uri=full=3100024@!36850@!0&ri=3&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&source=192.168.110.61@!horizon&ipp=20&staffonly=&term=Yes%2C+madam&index=FILMBRP&uindex=&aspect=basic_search&menu=search&ri=3|work=Hong Kong Film Archive|title=Yes, Madam|access-date=24 February 2013}}{{Dead link|date=September 2021}} Diaz would work with director Yuen again on his other films including Fong Sai Yuk (1993).{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/fong-sai-yuk-v132934/cast-crew|work=Allmovie|publisher=Rovi Corporation|title=Fong Sai-Yuk (1993) - Cast and Crew|access-date=25 February 2013}} The score also featured parts of the soundtrack from John Carpenter's film Halloween (1978).O'Brien, 2003. p.26

Yes, Madam was released in Hong Kong on 20 November 1985. The film grossed HK$10,019,862 at the box office, becoming the 21st-highest grossing-film of the year in Hong Kong.Morton, 2009. p.146 The popularity of both Yes, Madam and Royal Warriors lead to a small wave of Hong Kong film companies to make their own films featuring fighting females such as the In the Line of Duty and the Black Cat film series.Schubart, 2007. p.127Pang, 2005. p.146 The film was released in the Philippines by Asia Films as The Super Cops on 28 January 1988.{{cite news|title=Grand Opening Today|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=8cBNEdFwSQkC&dat=19880128&printsec=frontpage&hl=en|access-date=6 January 2019|work=Manila Standard|publisher=Standard Publishing, Inc.|date=28 January 1988|quote=JACKY CHAN SALUTES THEM... CHUCK NORRIS FEARS THEM... ALL THE OTHER MASTERS,...BEWARE OF THEM!}}

Yes, Madam was released and re-released on home media under various titles. In the United States, it was first released under the title Supercops.Lott, p.152. 2004 Along with Royal Warriors - another film starring Yeoh, Yes, Madam was released under the title Ultra Force 1 and Ultra Force 2 respectively in the European market.Schubart, 2007. p.126 Elsewhere, the films were re-titled In the Line of Duty and In the Line of Duty 2. The In the Line of Duty films received several sequels.Meyers, 2011. p.185Meyers, 2011. p.186

Yes, Madam was released under its original title on DVD on 17 November 1998.{{cite web|url=http://www.allmovie.com/movie/yes-madam%21-v177185/releases|work=Allmovie|access-date=24 February 2013|publisher=Rovi Corporation|title=Yes, Madam!}} In 2002, the film was released on DVD under the title Police Assassins in the United Kingdom.{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/films/2002/02/11/police_assassins_1985_dvd_review.shtml|work=BBC|access-date=24 February 2013|title=Police Assassins DVD (1985)|author=Haflidason, Almar}} In Hong Kong, Yes Madam was released on Blu-ray on 7 June 2011 by CMS Media Limited. The Blu-ray features both Cantonese and Mandarin language options and English subtitles.{{cite web|title=Yes Madam! Blu-ray - Huang jia shi jie|url=http://www.blu-ray.com/movies/Yes-Madam-Blu-ray/24750/|publisher=blu-ray.com|access-date=25 February 2013}} The film was released on Blu-ray in the UK by Eureka Entertainment on 12 December 2022, featuring both original and international cuts remastered in 1080p, the English dub of the original cut remixed in 5.1 surround, and audio commentary and interview with Rothrock.{{cite web |url=https://eurekavideo.co.uk/movie/yes-madam-huang-jia-shi-jie/ |title=Yes, Madam! (Huang jia shi jie) |publisher=Eureka Entertainment |access-date=3 December 2022}}

From retrospective reviews, the BBC gave the film a three star rating, describing the film as "tongue-in-cheek nonsense but fun nonetheless" and praising the fight scenes involving Yeoh and Rothrock. Peter Goddard (The Toronto Star) stated that despite the lead of Rothrock and Yeoh, the film was still focusing on the male actors. The review commented on Corey Yuen's action choreography, describing it as "slick" and "cartoony" but with no "particularly memorable" scenes. In his book The Hong Kong Filmography, 1977–1997, John Charles gave the film a seven out of ten, opining that "like all D&B genre pictures that followed, the storyline is routine but the action certainly isn't."Charles, 2000. p. 347 Both Goddard and Charles highlighted a scene where Michelle Yeoh jumps backwards over a rail and through plate glass.

{{Portal|1980s|Film|Hong Kong|}}

• List of action films of the 1980s
• List of Hong Kong films of 1985
• Sammo Hung filmography

{{Reflist|30em}}

• {{Cite book|last=Charles|first=John|title=The Hong Kong Filmography: 1977–1997|publisher=McFarland|year=2000|isbn=147660262X}}
• {{Cite book|last=Lott|first=M. Ray|title=The American Martial Arts Film|publisher=McFarland|year=2004|isbn=0786418362|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3r0yDJcHYtYC|access-date=24 February 2013}}
• {{Cite book|last=Meyers|first=Ric|title=Films of Fury: The Kung Fu Movie Book|publisher=Eirini Press|year=2011|isbn=978-0979998942|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9l_hvsyCX7gC|access-date=24 February 2013}}
• {{Cite book|last=Morton|first=Lisa|title=The Cinema of Tsui Hark|publisher=McFarland|year=2009|isbn=978-0-7864-4460-1|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiulRecfarcC|access-date=24 February 2013}}
• {{Cite book|last=O'Brien|first=Daniel|title=Spooky encounters: a Gwailo's guide to Hong Kong horror|isbn=1900486318|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8XehfPFuFY8C|location=Manchester|year=2004|publisher=Headpress}}
• {{Cite book|last=Pang|first=Laikwan|title=Masculinities and Hong Kong Cinema|publisher=Kent State University Press|year=2005|isbn=9622097375|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=SmO23wZ6hMwC|access-date=24 February 2013}}
• {{Cite book|last=Schubart|first=Rikke|title=Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970-2006|publisher=McFarland|year=2007|isbn=978-0786482849|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=GYOeGrtUjAoC&pg=PA127|access-date=24 February 2013}}
• {{Cite book|last=Stair|first=Nancy|title=Michelle Yeoh|publisher=The Rosen Publishing Group|year=2001|isbn=0823935205|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_cwbUsQW1TAC|access-date=24 February 2013}}

• {{IMDb title|0093229}}

{{Corey Yuen}}

{{Sammo Hung}}

Category:1985 films

Category:1985 action thriller films

Category:1980s Cantonese-language films

Category:1980s Hong Kong films

Category:Films directed by Corey Yuen

Category:Films shot in Hong Kong

Category:Films shot in Macau

Category:Girls with guns films

Category:Hong Kong action thriller films

Category:Hong Kong detective films

Category:Hong Kong martial arts films

Category:Police detective films