''China O'Brien'' is a 1990

martial arts film Martial arts films are a subgenre of action films that feature numerous martial arts combat between characters. These combats are usually the films' primary appeal and entertainment value, and often are a method of storytelling and character expr ...

produced by Golden Harvest studios and starring actress and martial artist

Cynthia Rothrock Cynthia is a feminine given name of Greek origin: , , "from Mount Cynthus" on Delos island. The name has been in use in the Anglosphere since the 1600s. There are various spellings for this name, and it can be abbreviated to Cindy, Cyndi, Cyndy, ...

with co-stars Richard Norton and Keith Cooke. The film was directed by

Robert Clouse Robert Clouse (March 6, 1928 – February 4, 1997) was an American film director and producer, known primarily for his work in the action/adventure and martial arts genres. He died on February 4, 1997, in Oregon of kidney failure. Clouse dir ...

, the fight choreography was by Nijel Binns, and it was executive produced by

Raymond Chow Raymond Chow Man-wai, (; 8 October 1927 – 2 November 2018) was a Hong Kong film producer, and presenter. He was responsible for successfully launching martial arts and the Hong Kong cinema onto the international stage. As the founder of G ...

. Rothrock plays a former cop who runs for sheriff after her father, the previous sheriff, is killed.

Plot

Police officer China O'Brien is a good cop who teaches martial arts class to her fellow officers. After an altercation with a gang that leads to the accidental death of a young boy, China resigns from the force, and returns to her hometown of Beaver Creek, Utah. On her way into town she runs into her former high school sweetheart Matt Conroy. Searching for her father, she goes to the Beaver Creek Inn and encounters a hostile situation, as her father has just arrested one of the men there. Her father, John O'Brien, is the town sheriff. China finally catches up with him back at the station. John is losing control of the town to local crime boss Edwin Sommers, who controls corrupt deputy Marty Lickner and corrupt local judge Harry Godar. When John and honest deputy Ross Tyler are killed by car bombs that were planted by Sommers's henchmen, there is an emergency election to elect a new sheriff. Matt tells China that she has a lot of support from the townspeople, so she decides to run for sheriff against Lickner. At the same time, she starts cleaning up the town with the help of Matt and a Native American biker named Dakota, whose mother was murdered by Sommers. China wins the election, and then Maria, who had been her father's housekeeper up until his death, is murdered by Sommers' men in a drive-by shooting during the victory celebration. China has to force Judge Godar to swear her in as the new sheriff. China deputizes Matt and Dakota, and they set out to free Beaver Creek from Sommers' stranglehold. First, they bulldoze a house that Sommers was using to distribute drugs. Then, during an altercation at the Beaver Creek Inn, Dakota questions Lickner about his mother, and Lickner admits Sommers was responsible for his mother's death. Dakota takes Lickner's gun and gets on his motorcycle to Sommers's home. China realises Dakota intends to confront Sommers, and so she and Matt pursue Dakota. Dakota finds Sommers at the stables and points the gun at him. However, he restrains himself and when China and Matt arrive, Sommers is still alive. Matt handcuffs himself to Sommers but as they leave the stable, a woman that Sommers had locked up and beaten fires at Sommers and kills him. The next day, China asks Dakota what he will do next. Dakota says he will stay for the trial and China tells him she could use a man like him. Dakota laughs off being a cop to which Matt replies that they can discuss it over a beer.

Cast

as Officer Lori 'China' O'Brien * Richard Norton as Matt Conroy * Keith Cooke as Dakota * Patrick Adamson as Deputy Marty Lickner * David Blackwell as Sheriff John O'Brien * Chad Walker as Deputy Ross Tyler * Stanton Davis as Barlow * Robert Tiller as Owens * Lainie Watts as Patty * Steven Kerby as Sommers * Frank Magner as Jake Karns * Wil Hazlett as Judge Harry Godar * Gae Cowley as Maria * Doug Wright as 'Termite' * Bubba Reeves as Ballard * Nijel Binns as 'Jonsey' Jones

Production

Parts of the film were shot in

Park City, Utah Park City is a city in Utah, United States. The vast majority is in Summit County, and it extends into Wasatch County. It is considered to be part of the Wasatch Back. The city is southeast of downtown Salt Lake City and from Salt Lake Cit ...

. After a career in Hong Kong, Golden Harvest worked to raise Rothrock's profile in her native America, and she was cast in ''China O'Brien''. Film scholar

Rikke Schubart Rikke Schubart (born November 16, 1966) is a Danish author and film scholar, who teaches at Institute for the Study of Culture at University of Southern Denmark in Odense, Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast" ...

says the producers paired her with Richard Norton, who plays her former highschool boyfriend, and made her the daughter of a slain cop to make her more feminine and seem less threatening. Production halted temporarily when Rothrock had to fly back to Hong Kong to reshoot the ending scene of ''

Righting Wrongs ''Righting Wrongs'' () is a 1986 Hong Kong action film produced and directed by Corey Yuen, and also produced by and starring Yuen Biao, both of whom also serve as the film's action directors. The film also co-stars Cynthia Rothrock, Melvin Wong ...

'' after the original cut was met with a negative reception in

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the northe ...

. Early in her career,

Tori Amos Tori Amos (born Myra Ellen Amos; August 22, 1963) is an American singer-songwriter and pianist. She is a classically trained musician with a mezzo-soprano vocal range. Having already begun composing instrumental pieces on piano, Amos won a full ...

recorded a song, "Distant Storm", which can only be heard by viewing the original film. Amos did not want to be credited under her real name and created a fake band, Tess Makes Good, to be credited.

Release

''China O'Brien'' was released direct-to-video in the United States in 1990.

Reception

'' Variety'' called it "an okay showcase" for Rothrock.

Sequel

A sequel, '' China O'Brien II'', was released in 1990. The film retains the same cast and crew.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:China O'brien 1990 films 1990s action films American martial arts films American police detective films Films shot in Utah American action films 1990 martial arts films 1990s English-language films 1990s American films