Film Review

Guardian Angel


Year: 1994

Directed by: Richard W. Munchkin

Cynthia Rothrock: stars as Chris McKay, a cop-turned-bodyguard.

Other Players: Daniel McVicar, Lydie Danier, Marshall Teague

Plot Synopsis: CR must be the new poster-child for family values, because lately it seems that she's always avenging a husband, a fiance, a parent, or a sibling, who has been murdered right in front of her (I know, this isn't exactly a unique action convention, but still....). Well, this time it's a fiance. In the process of breaking up a counterfeiting ring, CR's fiance is killed by an "icy seductress" (more like a run-of-the-mill-psycho). Although convicted, the seductress escapes from prison, and goes off looking for the counterfeiting plates from her last job. CR has since quit the police and is cheerfully hitting the skids as an occasional bodyguard, and she is hired by the seductress's former boyfriend, a rich playboy, who fears that the seductress will attempt to take revenge for having been dumped(!) by him.

General Impressions: Good production values; somebody spent a lot of money on props and locations. The script, on the other hand, is more of a kleptomaniac. This story steals from so many sources you'll go dizzy trying to keep track of them: it's got a horse chase like "Walker: Texas Ranger" (among others), a boat chase like "Miami Vice", a fatherly butler like "Arthur"(!), a bar scene like "48 Hours", a suicidal-life-in-a-trailer scene like "Lethal Weapon", etc., etc., etc. This is not to say that the film isn't entertaining. How could it not be, with the best parts of a dozen other movies crammed into it? There's some humour, some excellent fight scenes (choreographed by Richard Norton--even when he's not in the movie, he's in the movie! In fact, I'm suspicious of the director's name....), and some interesting plot twists. From a CR point of view, we are treated to the wonder of her red(?) hair styled in about a dozen different ways (choose your favourite!), a plethora of costumes ranging from evening dress to modern stylish to jeans to sports bra/bare midriff to tight sweater (she almost seems like a living Barbie-doll), and some rather winning, if not entirely successful dramatic monologues (she seems on the verge of laughing throughout). As is becoming the norm for her movies, we are subjected to yet another round of pop-psychological rationalizations for the characters' behaviour. Oh well, I guess they're trying. >:)

Watch It?: Yes.