Lady Reporter – Eureka Video (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA/Hong Kong, 1989
Director: Mang Hoi
Writers: Sai-Shing Shum, Michael Swift
Cast: Cynthia Rothrock, Elizabeth Lee Mei-Fung, Chin Siu-Ho, Mang Hoi, Ronny Yu, Melvin Wong, Wu Ma

Release Date: June 26th, 2023
Approximate running times: 87 Minutes 29 Seconds (Theatrical Version), 89 Minutes 36 Seconds (Export Version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (Both Versions)
Rating: 18 (UK)
Sound: LPCM Mono Cantonese (Theatrical Version), LPCM Mono English (Export Version)
Subtitles: English (Theatrical Version)
Region Coding: Region B
Retail Price: £20.99 (UK)

"Rothrock plays Cindy, the titular female reporter sent to investigate an unscrupulous newspaper editor (Ronny Yu). Teaming up with Elizabeth Lee (Long Arm of the Law Part 3), the two go up against a series of opponents played by some of the greatest “bad guy” actors in 80s cinema, including Billy Chow (Fist of Legend), Jeff Falcon (Outlaw Brothers, Six String Samurai), and Vincent Lyn (Tiger Cage).." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.25/5 (Theatrical Version, Export Version)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "The original theatrical cut from a brand new 2K restoration." and "The international export cut from a brand new 2K restoration."

Lady Reporter comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray. 

Disc Size: 44.5 GB

Feature: 21 GB (Theatrical Version), 17.5 GB (Export Version)

The sources used for both versions are comparable, and the sources used are in excellent shape. Colors are nicely saturated; image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid.

Audio: 4.25/5 (LPCM Mono Cantonese), 3.75/5 (LPCM Mono English)

The theatrical version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in Cantonese, and includes removable English subtitles for the Cantonese dialog and text. It should be noted that there is some dialog in English. This track is in excellent shape. Dialogue always comes through clearly; everything sounds balanced, and fight scenes sound robust.

The export version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English. Though this track sounds clean and is in very good shape, it does not sound as robust as the Cantonese track. Also, there are times when the audio sounds muffled; this might be a by-product of the post-dubbing. That said, dialog comes through clearly enough to follow, and ambient sounds are well represented.

Extras:

Extras for this release include theatrical trailer #1 (2 minutes 33 seconds, Dolby Digital mono Cantonese with removable English subtitles), theatrical trailer #2 (3 minutes 49 seconds, Dolby Digital mono with English text, no subtitles), an interview with actor/director Mang Hoi (8 minutes 53 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo Chinese with removable English subtitles), an interview with actress Cynthia Rothrock titled The Blonde Fury: Cynthia Rothrock on the Making of Lady Reporter (16 minutes 4 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), a  select-scene commentary with Cynthia Rothrock and moderated by Frank Djeng (17 minutes 45 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Asian film expert Frank Djeng (NY Asian Film Festival) and actor/martial artist Vincent Lyn for the theatrical version, an audio commentary with action cinema experts Mike Leeder and Arne Venema, a set of facsimile lobby cards (limited to 2,000 copies), a O-card slipcase (limited to 2,000 copies), and a booklet (limited to 2,000 copies) with cast & crew information with an essay written by James Oliver, and information about the transfer titled Notes on Viewing.

Summary:

By the time Cynthia Rothrock made Lady Reporter, she had already established herself as one of the premier women working in Hong Kong action films. Having appeared in films like Yes, Madam and Righting Wrongs, though these films gave her ample screen time to showcase her fighting skills, she was always paired with another actor and was not the lead. With Lady Reporter, she would be given the opportunity to headline a film, and she would prove that she was more than up for the challenge.

The narrative revolves around an FBI agent named Cindy who goes to Hong Kong masquerading as a reporter to look for counterfeiters who are using newspaper printing presses to make counterfeit money.

Hong Kong cinema is filled with films that are known for their resourcefulness, using whatever they can get their hands on to complete a film. A film like Lady Reporter takes this to another level with the way it disregards obvious continuity. The original director, Mang Hoi, who was making his directorial debut, would not be the only director; Corey Yuen (Yes, Madam) would direct additional moments, notably the finale. The most noticeable issue related to continuity is Cynthia Rothrock’s changing hairstyles, sometimes even within the same scene.

Lady Reporter features a solid cast. Cynthia Rothrock is the main attraction in the role of an FBI agent named Cindy. Throughout Lady Reporter, male characters underestimate Cindy, thinking that because she’s a woman, she will be easy to dispose of. Unfortunately for them, Cindy proves that she can more than hold her own against any opponent. The rest of the cast is very good in their roles, especially Ronny Yu (The Bride with White Hair) in the role of the villain, a man named Ronny Dak who's behind the counterfeit operation.

Despite the aforementioned continuity issues, there really is no area where Lady Reporter does not come out ahead. The narrative is a good balance of exposition and action that does a great job building momentum. Also, when it comes to the stunts and action sequences, they are exemplary. Hong Kong action sequences are known for their inventiveness and crazy stunts, and in both of these areas, Lady Reporter delivers in spades. Another strength of the action sequences is how the characters use their surroundings and nearby objects to gain an upper hand. Ultimately, Lady Reporter is a solid action film that fans of Hong Kong action films and Cynthia Rothrock should thoroughly enjoy.

Lady Reporter gets an excellent release from Eureka Video that comes with a strong audio/video presentation, two versions of the film, and a wealth of insightful extras, highly recommended.

 Written by Michael Den Boer