| DVD Released by : Mei Ah |
| Player reviewed with : Malata DVD-N996 |
| Receiver reviewed with : Sony 925 |
| Features: |
| Cantonese and Mandarin Soundtrack |
| English and Chinese Subtitles |
| Not Enhanced for 16 x 9 TVs |
| Theatrical Trailer |
| Trailer for STEP INTO THE DARK |
| Special Feature |
| Running Time : 90 mins. |
HER NAME IS CAT features Almen Wong as a killer for hire. She tries to keep a low profile but when a criminal takes a girl hostage in a noodle shop, she acts to save her. This attracts the attention of a Hong Kong policeman, portrayed by Michael Wong. The cop only catches a glimpse of Cat but becomes fixated by her. When Cat returns to her boss, she is reprimanded for trying to save the child because it could get her noticed. Her boss also tells her that her ex-lover, also an assassin, is back in town. Cat has only feelings of hatred for her ex-lover and is actually growing fond of the cop that is trying to tale her. The boss gives Cat her next mission which is to take out somebody from the Democratic party. This is to be her last hatchet job. Cat attempts to complete the assignment but is unable to because the cop and his daughter are in the line of fire. Cat's ex-lover and his assistant are on the scene. He goes after Cat while his assistant goes after the victim. Cat gets away and realizes she must destroy all evidence of her existence so she sets fire to her home. The assistant shows up to kill her. After a fight, the wounded Cat sneaks into the policeman's apartment. He helps her regain her strength. She gives him the name of the person who is hiring the assassinations she is performing. He arrests him but without evidence cannot make the charges stick. Cat and the policeman try to sail away so she can escape but the police catch up with them. Cat is sent to jail but breaks out, mistakenly thinking that she was betrayed by the cop. Cat then sets out to kill those who want her dead.
HER NAME IS CAT could almost be considered a female version of THE KILLER. There are some elements that are very similar between the two movies. Though not the same caliber as THE KILLER, HER NAME IS CAT is a good action movie. Alman Wong gives a great performance as the assassin. Not only are her action scenes very good, so are the dramatic ones. Even Michael Wong does a good job in this movie. If you are in the mood for a solid Girls with Guns movie, this is a good one to watch.
The picture quality of the DVD is acceptable. The source print has some scratches but not enough to be distracting. The colors appear subdued. There is an overall bluish tint that may just be the color scheme of the movie or a flaw in the transfer or print. The picture holds up well on the 47 inch screen but at least one dark scene shows some pixelation. This probably won't be an issue when viewed on a smaller screen but it's something to keep in mind.
The sound is Dolby Digital and comparable to most import DVD's. Before you put this DVD in the player, you may want to lower the volume on your receiver. The intro seemed to be much louder than most other DVD's. The movie itself is mixed at a good level. The sound is in sync with both the actions on screen and the subtitles. There are two language choices. I watched it in Cantonese.
The subtitles are easy to read and are in sync with what is being said. The font is slightly different than most other DVD's. There are occasional spelling and grammatical errors but nothing too distracting. The subtitles appear on the image so they won't be cut off on a widescreen TV. One comical note is that Michael Wong's character is called "Head".
The menu is just plain odd. There are icons that need to be clicked on to access different features. It almost looks like a video game. There is a trailer for the movie as well as STEP INTO THE DARK. There is also a special feature which has Lau Ching-Wan in a scene from a movie but I can't tell which one.
Even though the DVD is just about average, HER NAME IS CAT is an entertaining movie. It's better than many other girls with guns movies and is definitely worth a watch. If you liked BEYOND HYPOTHERMIA or even NAKED KILLER, you'll probably like this one. Michael Wong gives one of his better performances in this movie and Almen Wong does a good job as the assassin. I would recommend this one.
Reviewed
- 8/4/2002
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