Movie

The Red Wolf (1995)

Another Die Hard scenario, set on a cruise liner with Hong Kong action for added spice. The hero is an ex-cop turned security guard (Kenny Ho), and his backup is Christy Chung as a pickpocket turned reluctant sidekick. She’s the early antagonist who shows her good side by returning a stolen wedding ring, but then the terrorists – led by a treacherous first officer and singer Elaine – make their move.

The bad guys are after uranium locked in a safe. It’s not explained why that would be on a cruise liner, and this entire plot is abandoned after a power cut stops a hacker in his tracks. So much for that, then. The Red Wolf has a ludicrously high body count, with scores of hostages mowed down by the trigger-happy terrorists. These guys prefer to use prisoners for target practice instead of bargaining chips.

Action scenes vary from routine to imaginative, and the hero utilises the environment to his advantage. There’s some comedy mixed in, notably when the pickpocket sings in a dressing room, only to be disturbed by the villains. She puts on a wig and pretends to be a bust (!) – bonus points for originality.

The movie is chaotic, but the fast pacing and above-average fights make for an entertaining diversion.

Villainess

Elaine (Elaine Lui)

The villainess first shows up as a ballroom singer, and is quite good, though this lady prefers beating people up and killing them. Her first victim is a ship’s officer who has the safe keycard. Elaine plays the typical femme fatale, then burns his wrist with a cigarette and easily overpowers him… and clearly enjoys it.

If the villains were hoping to be discreet, killing people indiscriminately wasn’t the best approach. They’re soon discovered by the cop and pickpocket, who team up to battle the hijackers. After a hectic shootout, the cop literally bursts into the ballroom through a high window… and that’s when Elaine drops the nice girl act and goes all psycho.

One of her meanest scenes is where she shoots a guy having a heart attack for pure amusement. It’s the newlyweds from earlier, and the bride is gunned down during an ill-advised revenge attack. Amid all this, Elaine finds time to threaten a distraught woman with broken glass. Another shootout follows as the psychopathic woman chases fleeing hostages on the decks.

The inevitable happens, and the pickpocket faces Elaine in a fight. Lots of weapons are used, and there’s a comical tone shift that doesn’t quite work. Ultimately, the villainess is covered in paint, which the heroine sets alight. The on-fire Elaine screams, and her prolonged death scene goes on far too long (even though this bad girl deserves a horrible death).

Honourable Mentions: Sea Hijack Movies

Counterstrike (2002) – Monica Chang (Marie Matiko)

Another Asian villainess in this TBS Superstation-produced movie, also set on a cruise ship. The Taiwanese bad girl and her associates are after nuclear launch codes and attack a summit during the US and China. Up against them are two brothers who (yawn) don’t get along, one a secret service agent and the other with the ATF.

It’s a while until Monica’s reveal, and then she only kills one guy during the entire film. Since she’s an actress who battled the leading lady / hero’s girlfriend earlier, it’s no surprise the women duke it out during the finale. The karate fight is not well choreographed, and TV movie limitations show through. At least this section doesn’t have annoying fade to black transitions.

The good girl sees off the villainess by throwing her over a guardrail. Other than that part, there’s nothing special to see, and it’s all pretty forgettable.

Final Voyage (1999) – Max (Claudia Christian)

This is another actioner from the director of Demolition High (covered at #86), but while we get a villainess in leather, Max is unfortunately no Tanya. The heroes are a bodyguard and a spoilt rich woman, who must deal with Ice-T’s hijackers who’ve targeted – you guessed it – a cruise ship vault.

The villainess’ introduction is impressive, seen in silhouette as she bumps off two crew members below deck. Several executions follow, all supplemented with cold-blooded dialogue. Anyone expecting a good showdown should prepare for disappointment. There are a few brief shootouts and a pathetic fight with the heroine. After murdering over half a dozen crewmen, taking out a rich brat is apparently too difficult.