If ever you needed a stereotypical film to epitomise the 80's HK action movie then this could be it. The most generic of revenge, cover-up, and crime-syndicate capers with the inevitable CIA plot thread and Gwailo villain. ITLOD5 is just one in a long line of low-budget, high-action modern day fight flicks churned out by the likes of D&B right up to the companies decline in the early 90's.

Cynthia Khan is back as a female super-cop and gets to pit her wits (or should it be fists) against some evil cheesy villains including fan-favourite Billy Chow and femme fatale Kim Maree Penn. The plot is all over the place and covers all areas mentioned in my opening paragraph, but as ever, it is only there to give people a reason to fight. To this end, the film does not disappoint. Although it was released in 1990 this is as average an 80's style HK brawler as ever, which means the action must be worth watching. The pace is fast, and the choreography is tight although ultimately, nothing stands out.

Without a Donnie Yen or one of the Yuen Clan to choreograph, there are dozens of these types of films I would recommend first (e.g ITLOD 3&4 and Tiger Cage 1,2 or 3) but this is still a welcome addition to any fan of the genre desperate to find those last few quality cop-sockies! And believe me, these are getting much harder to find!