On the hunt for vintage T&A flicks I hadn't seen, I came across 'Angelfist' on a list. I was intrigued. It was unique. It stood 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, but I felt an undeniable charm here and some obvious doses of female skin didn't hurt. The story is paper thin but serviceable.
When her kickboxer sister Kristie (Sibel Birzag in her only credit) is killed while competing in the Philippines, tough LA cop 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.
I naively hoped 'Angelfist' could deliver the required nudity and 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 and this has a fantastic cover that isn't truthful.
Produced by legendary Roger Corman and directed by Philippines director Cirio H. Santiago, this film didn't deliver like I sheepishly wanted. 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 showing Kat in action as a LA cop and saying she's a black belt in taekwondo like that's a legit fighting style. Plus how they marketed her in real life as a World Karate Association North American Champion (hint: it's made up).
The late Sassoon is easy on the eyes. The topless fight scene is a treat. As is Melissa Moore as a rival fighter. She 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 allowing 'Angelfist' to be a mildly fun, titillating piece of work if you're game.