Rating: **
Alternate Title: She Devils In Chains
Review Date: 7/4/13
Director: Cirio Santiago
Cast: Rosanne Katon, Colleen Camp, Sylvia Anderson, Christie Mayuga
"You're not people! You're athletes!!!"
A group of female Olympic athletes are kidnapped in Hong Kong. The US government refuses to pay for their ransom, so Pam's (Rosanne Katon) boyfriend starts investigating on his own while Ginger's (Colleen Camp) father tries to pull together the ransom money. Eventually, the girls manage to break free and fight back, but things get complicated with a confusing betrayal and a double-cross that's never explained. Racial tension abounds between Pam and Ginger, but their shared experience in horror makes them friends in the end.
Calling the film barely competent is generous praise, but I have a soft spot for 1970's female action films. Rosanne Katon is cute and energetic, and does all of her own stunts, while the other actresses get doubled by men in drag. The action scenes are plentiful, but poorly shot and laughably bad. Additionally, a good portion of the film is underexposed, leaving one extended chase scene almost entirely in the dark. The writing is awful and the dialog delivery is appallingly bad, but it's good for some unintentional laughs. Unfortunately, the title is a bit of a misnomer, as "Jade" (Christie Mayuga?) only has a supporting role and doesn't last very long. This is a real bummer, as she's the cutest one of the bunch, and also the best fighter.