China_o_brien_1990

Released in 1990, China O'Brien serves as a pivotal bridge between the high-octane world of Hong Kong action cinema and the American B-movie market. Directed by Robert Clouse—famous for helming Bruce Lee's Enter the Dragon—the film was designed to establish martial arts champion Cynthia Rothrock as a leading action star in the United States after her successful run in Asia.

The narrative follows Lori "China" O'Brien, a big-city police officer and martial arts instructor who resigns in grief after accidentally shooting a teenager in the line of duty. Seeking peace, she returns to her quiet hometown of Beaver Creek, Utah, only to find it under the thumb of a corrupt crime boss, Edwin Sommers. When her father, the town's sheriff, is murdered by Sommers' men, China takes up the mantle herself, running for sheriff to dismantle the criminal organization through sheer physical prowess. CHINA_O_BRIEN_1990