She Good Fighter

 ((BELGIAN))

By DEREK ELLEY

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An Independent Prods. (Belgium) production, in association with the Flemish Film Fund, Polygram and VTM. (International sales: Magus Entertainment, Laren (NH), The Netherlands.) Produced by Marc Punt. Directed, written by Marc Punt.
 

Winters, who shares an energetic table-top coupling with Van Landuyt for no apparent reason, has most of the kick-ass scenes, but in no organized way. The fact that the pair are actually lesbians rather than best friends is tossed in for a laugh at the very end. With goofy police following the women around, most of the pic qualifies as a run-of-the-mill light crimer. Technically, the film looks good, and keeps moving with a poppy soundtrack, but on a scale of wasted opportunities rates nine out of ten. Action choreography is minimal.

Camera (color), Willy Stassen; editor, Philippe Ravoet; music, Frank Deruytter, Bert Embrechts; production design, Johan van Essche; costume design, Veerle Bostyn; sound (DTS Digital), Dan van Bever, Alek Goosse; assistant director, Guy Goossens. Reviewed at Dutch Film Festival, Utrecht, Sept. 28, 1996. Running time: 86 MIN. Sandra Dagmar Liekens Sabine Sophie Winters Dennis Tom van Landuyt Didier Bracke Carl Ridders Kristin Tine van den Brande Rick Gaston Berghmans Li Ang Burt Kwouk
 

With: Stany Crets, Alex Daeseleire, David Steegen. (Flemish dialogue) Belgiums first soft-core femme-kickboxing actioner starts off gangbusters but throws in the towel after a couple of sweaty rounds. The land that produced Jean-Claude van Damme could have had a cult video/fest hit on its hands if freshman writer-director Marc Punt hadnt lost his nerve (and the script) early on. Gutsy blonde-with-attitude Sandra (Dagmar Liekens) is let out on probation after being wrongly imprisoned for a violent art heist. First stop is her gym, where she hooks up with fellow kickboxing friend Sabine (Sophie Winters), who has a purely carnal relationship with lawyer Dennis (Tom van Landuyt). Together, the three seek to expose sleazoid villain Bracke (Carl Ridders), in a plot that has Sandra on the run from both the cops and Brackes henchmen. In white tank top and jeans, lithe looker Liekens (whom the film introduces) makes a striking lead in the early reels but, apart from a late-on scene where she gets back into training, isnt developed as an action heroine.