The Heroic Trio

Director: Johnnie To
Year Released: 1993
Rating: 1.5

A demonic figure known as "Evil Master" (Yen Shi-Kwan) is stealing babies in Hong Kong - because they're "fated" to become emperors - and he has Ching (Michelle Yeoh) working as his assistant (since she has the power of invisibility due to a magical cloak) but then shotgun-wielding Chat (Maggie Cheung) and knife-tossing Tung (Anita Mui) get involved, convert Ching to their side and retaliate.  Having actual newborns getting abducted (and, in one case, killed) is an easy ploy for audience sympathy and the editing is so choppy and chaotic it's sometimes difficult to follow exactly what's taking place, but it does move at an alarming speed and has plenty of wacky effects - a motorcycle spins like a tornado and metal darts slice up bullets - to keep its easily amused viewers pleased.  I suppose the main "selling point" in these times - Criterion recently released it alongside its sequel - is that the "trio" consists of all ladies saving the day and not the (male) police force, which was quite progressive for the early 90's ... and, for its faults, at least it's more entertaining than The Marvels (which isn't high praise, but still).