On the hunt for vintage T&A flicks, I came across 'Angelfist' on a list. I was intrigued. It looked unique standing out from all the screwball comedies, hot lady cops, prison flicks, love trysts, missions to get laid and countless bikini romps within the genre. It's low budget thru & thru and while the action I hoped for isn't great the obvious doses of female skin are here. A paper thin story is serviceable.
When her kickboxer sister Kristie (Sibel Birzag in her only credit) is killed while competing in the Philippines, tough LA cop Katara "Kat" Lang (Kat Sassoon) goes down there looking for answers. Inserting herself into the tournament, she finds out her sister was witness to the murder of an American Army Colonel having took photos and there's a conspiracy at the heart of the country's civil unrest. Can she get the pics, win the tournament and stay alive?
I naively hoped 'Angelfist' could deliver the required nudity, somehow be a female equivalent to 'Kickboxer' in terms of decent production values and fight sequences. I know, I know. The fight choreography is weak. I had forgotten for a moment that even a cheap b-movie can spring for a decent movie box. No one here is really a skilled martial artist and there's very little gunplay.
However it's not without charms. There's some awful dubbing, cheese grade acting, woefully inadequate villains (some of who run around dressed like ninjas) and gratuitous shower scenes. Not to mention the silliness of Kat in action as a LA cop and saying she's a black belt in taekwondo like that's a legit fighting style. They marketed her in real life as a World Karate Association North American Champion (hint: it's made up).
Produced by Roger Corman and helmed by Philippines director Cirio H. Santiago, 'Angelfist' didn't deliver like I sheepishly wanted. I would later learn this was the director's blueprint for very similar movies in the same style too. His speciality - topless fight scenes - are a treat and the late Sassoon is easy on the eyes. As is Melissa Moore as a rival fighter who once posed for Playboy and is probably most well known for her appearance in the cult film 'Samurai Cop'. With an 80 minute runtime things move at a brisk pace and remain titillating if you're game.
