Silverhawk creates a new female super-hero whole cloth. This movie isn't based on a manga. It's not inspired by any hero in particular. Michelle Yeoh through the force of her free-wheeling portrayal, martial arts and the Silverhawk accoutrements makes a very credible, striking champion that's superior in some ways to the characters currently found in the comic books.

The story opens with Silverhawk popping a wheelie over the Great Wall of China to intercept a national theft. She quickly drives her tricked out motorcycle up to the robbers and announces her presence with kicks and hits. Given that this is a Hong Kong movie, you can be sure that this fight actually took place on the top of a moving truck, and that it was indeed Yeoh. After defeating the criminals, we discover what Silverhawk has recovered from the bandits. The discovery is whimsically unique and allows the viewer to see a different side to Silverhawk's personality.

As the story progresses, the makers of the movie begin building the myth of Silverhawk. They give her an unusual origin, that's steeped in Eastern traditions. They give her a visually appealing headquarters, an engaging partner, a series of silver costumes and some headaches from the traditional sexism of a woman's place in society. All through the movie, it's Michelle Yeoh's personality that holds everything together. You don't question her conviction at all, and she seems perfectly natural as Silverhawk. She also takes great delight in making the hero's secret identity a game. There isn't a massive schism between Silverhawk and Lulu Wong, but you wouldn't really guess she was the crime fighter until you saw her in a fight. That's what gives her away in a later scene.

Silverhawk must contend with simple bandits, a well-meaning aunt and as well an old friend assigned to clip her wings. Silverhawk according to the higher ups demoralizes the department, but these officers are her fans. Still, a job's a job, and yet again the movie twists in a different direction. Lulu doesn't merely dismiss Detective Richman as an egotistical buffoon. She takes steps to impede his progress very early in the film, and the character is definitely more than comedy relief. He's not without a sense of humor, but the filmmakers pay attention to their own continuity. He and Lulu as kids attended the same dojo. He's a good fighter. He has a decent goal. He cares about Lulu, and he didn't become a detective just because he knew somebody. The way he catches Silverhawk evinces his canniness and exemplifies how Silverhawk is smarter than most action movies.

The movie changes its tone when the super villains are introduced, and it's surprising how fluid the plot forms. A character who seemed only to exist to be ignored becomes important to the core of the story. The villains arise because of him, and they're being controlled by an even greater fiend. While these are super-villains, they don't possess super powers in the classic sense. The movie never becomes too far-fetched. Rather it reinterprets the martial arts and cyber technology as the source for larger than life characters.

The fight choreography impresses, and there are numerous original moments within these elements, such as when Silverhawk must defeat the head villain's army. The cast all take their roles seriously while having fun. There is no camp. There's only a very smart super-hero movie. I suspect it's the super-hero concept that reviewers found campy. Silverhawk isn't a dark, angst-ridden hero. Rather she is a crusader out to use her natural gifts honed by the best teacher on behalf of the innocent. That said, Silverhawk can become tense. In one scene a fight goes too far, and it's Silverhawk's intervention that ultimately wins the day. The battle between Silverhawk against the Big Bad is memorable because of her method for outmaneuvering him and the destruction of a set that looks like it cost a small fortune.

The DVD I purchased was a dubbed no frills version published by Screen Media Films. There are other pressings available and from other regions. However, though there are no special features on the disc, the anamorphic widescreen presentation looks immaculate. The audio pops, and the dubbing was performed by the actors. That naturally made the movie far more entertaining.