Iron Angels 2 (1988)

Director: Teresa Woo

Notable Cast: Alex Fong, Moon Lee, Elaine Lui, Chan Ting-Wai, Hsiao Yu Lung, Kharina Sa, Tak Yuen

AKA: Angel II, Angels 2, Fighting Madam 2

While many Hong Kong and Chinese films remain stuck in a purgatorial state to find a decent release in the US, there are many films that deserve a bit of attention that don’t properly receive it. The film Iron Angels (you can read my review HERE) and its sequels are a franchise that should be loved and yet remains strangely off grid. For the first sequel, Iron Angels 2 or many of the various alternate titles it was released under, I was able to watch the film via Amazon Prime in one of the more exciting finds I’ve had while digging through the underbelly of the streaming service. If you’re a Hong Kong action fan, then I highly suggest, if you have it, to go watch Iron Angels 2 immediately. It’s one of those films that doesn’t necessarily rise above being an entertaining action flick, but it doesn’t have to because it’s just so ridiculously entertaining. Win, lose, or draw, Iron Angels 2 is a blast to watch and it damn near matches the original in that category.

Iron Angels (1987)

Director: Teresa Woo

Notable Cast: Moon Lee, Alex Fong, Elaine Lui, Hideki Saijo, Yukari Ôshima, David Chiang, Hwang Jang Lee, Kwan Yeung
AKA: Angel, Fighting Madam, Midnight Angel

At this point in my life as a cinephile, I watch a lot of foreign films. I always have, generally speaking, but now it seems I do so with an almost fever pitch as cult cinema from around the world unfolds before me and I continually discover new films. Unfortunately, it’s hard to find a lot of foreign films that peak my interest at times and, in particular, the action films from Hong Kong in the 80s and 90s can be particularly troubling to find. Sometimes you just have to take what you are given like watching something online since you can’t seem to find it to purchase anymore. In this case, it’s the Hong Kong action spy film Iron Angels – also known as Fighting Madam, also known as Angel, also known as Midnight Angel. It’s known by a lot of titles, really, and the one that I found had the title Angel on its credits despite being labeled as Iron Angels which I’m sure complicates matters for newer releases. That’s beside the point, however, when we have a slick little cult gem of an action film like this one. The story is silly and it has the character depth of a child’s swimming pool, but the action…my, oh my, the action is sweet. For those looking for some 80s style Hong Kong entertainment, you could do a lot worse than Iron Angels which features enough intense action sequences to curb any action craving. You can certainly do better too, but that doesn't stop this one from being entertaining on its own grounds.