Here's a fun retro piece I did last year for a Blu-ray release of the 1988 Hong Kong sci-fi action comedy film I LOVE MARIA (aka ROBOFORCE) starring Sally Yeh, Tony Leung Chiu-wai, and Tsui Hark. The Hong Kong film industry did not produce many science fiction films, so it's interesting to view the ones they did manage to make on their typically constrained budgets. This one has obvious Japanese anime roots, as well as a nod to the robot "Maria" from Fritz Lang's 1927 German expressionist epic METROPOLIS, but leans heavily into situational comedy. Fun, inventive action scenes give the film the feel of a live-action cartoon.
Gorgeous Sally Yeh's performance as multiple characters, both human and robotic, is phenomenal. Everyone seems like they're just having a fun romp. If you can find the extended Taiwanese version, (running 122 minutes) seek it out for the additional action bits. It's my preferred version.
