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Deadly Angels
Movie

Deadly Angels

1977 • Unknown

Woke Score
2
out of 10

Plot

Three female detectives - from Hong Kong, Korea and Singapore - go undercover in a cabaret to expose a murderer.

Overall Series Review

The 1977 Shaw Brothers action film follows three international female detectives—from Hong Kong, Korea, and Singapore—who go undercover in a sleazy cabaret to expose a violent jewel smuggling and murder ring. The agents are recruited by a Scotland Yard officer and prove themselves to be formidable, highly-skilled martial artists capable of using unique gadgets. While the women are central to the action, the film is an exploitation picture, featuring significant nudity, explicit violence, and scenes of degradation against women as they try to infiltrate the criminal operation. The focus is a straightforward cops-and-robbers story with strong action and martial arts sequences, staying within the bounds of a classic crime genre.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics1/10

Characters are judged by their competence as agents, not by an immutable characteristic hierarchy. The international cast of Asian and one white agent is based on the mission's requirements, not a plot that lectures on privilege or systemic oppression. The story is a conventional police operation against a specific crime syndicate.

Oikophobia1/10

The film does not frame its setting, Hong Kong, as fundamentally corrupt or racist, but rather as a place where a criminal element exists that must be purged. The protagonists are agents of the law working to protect their society and uphold civil order, showing respect for the nation's integrity.

Feminism6/10

The female leads are highly capable fighters who initiate and drive the investigation, using their combat skills and gadgets to defeat opponents. This strong independence and competence aligns with a 'Girl Boss' dynamic, as the women generally do not require rescue by the main male ally. However, the film's exploitation genre nature includes scenes of nudity and sexualized violence against the women, complicating any purely feminist reading.

LGBTQ+1/10

The narrative is purely a crime and action story focused on busting an international jewel smuggling ring. There is no presence of alternative sexualities, gender ideology, or deconstruction of the traditional family structure. The film maintains a normative focus on the relationship between male and female characters.

Anti-Theism1/10

The plot is a secular police procedural against a criminal organization. The conflict is based on objective moral lines between law-abiding police and murderous criminals, acknowledging a clear difference between right and wrong. No hostility toward religion or promotion of moral relativism is present.