Well... I usually refrain from writing movie reviews for the simple fact that most who do tend to write them in a way that denotes total arrogance as if they are Siskel or Ebert or something and that tone, alone, usually turns my stomach. Who are you movie snobs anyway? So so picky. Anyway, I was trying to find "Georgie Girl" online tonight and although I've got it on DVD I did not feel like getting up and looking for it so I found this movie, instead. Now... my love affair with the old NYC goes back to childhood when my father used to be a truck driver and we were regaled with stories about that crazy town and also my own early memories of it. Suffice to say, I'm pretty hot over old flicks that present excellent street shots of the old NY so I figured I'd watch it, NO idea what to expect. The description made me leery from the start as it already sounded so corny and unoriginal. It's funny cause I was somewhat embarrassed throughout the entire film, sensing the kind of crappy reviews people must write about it. Much to my surprise, however, not only did most more or less deem it a hidden gem, it was compared multiple times to "Romeo and Juliet"? Huh. Honestly that was the last thing I thought. I love movies and judge the pretty fairly, based on whether or not I enjoyed them, not on how popular they are, how much they grossed at the box office, special effects, or even in comparison to others made by the same person or within the same genre. I don't pretend to be some film connoisseur and use extraordinary language in an attempt to sound more sophisticated like most reviewers do. As for "sexual chemistry" for those of you who stated there was none, I guess that just means you were wanting boobs and for her to be all over him? Uh, no. This is about as real as awkward teens who barely known each other as it gets even if we only ever see them dancing together. This main theme is obscured by all the racial tension surrounding them. In fact, the first however many minutes of this movie leads one to think that it's only going to be about the gang wars across Canal St. And then back to them, oh yeah, we forgot it was about you guys. Anyway... What I can say is that this movie was OK. It fills a niche. Lots of overkill in the bloodbath department. I don't know if they realized after all their editing but in the end all they did in this film was kill each other and make sure we saw lots of blood. Did they think this is what their audience wanted more of? I thought the "in your face" effort was rather obvious. That made me roll my eyes with embarrassment. The other thing I couldn't help but notice was why are all movies about street gangs or otherwise in NYC involving some other group with or all Italian Americans? NYC is a huge. Little Italy never was. America must think NYC is nothing but little isolated and racially segregated neighborhoods when it's really not. NYC is a huge city and despite the old world culture presence in certain sections, it's still a very diverse place and people don't shoot each other in public generally for being on someone else's turf. Not in 1987 anyway. They get on the subway with ppl from ALL OVER THE WORLD and live among them. SO now this film is overkill in: 1. bloody violence 2. cultural stereotype (did I mention the old county mother in the kitchen in an apron in every scene no matter what time of day cooking from scratch like it's 1930? The movie is somewhat one- sided,leaning more towards the Italian community. We see very little of the Chinese community and the inner relationships of those characters. Not saying there is racial preference in this film but it shows what perspective the writer is more familiar with. It's taking some liberties and I'm sure the makers of this film would be impressed by comparing this movie to Romeo and Juliet. When you think of A Bronx Tale, yet another cliché Italian American mafia theme in NYC but in this story an African American chick on the wrong side of the street, not much difference there but not so much Romeo and Juliet. All through this film I'm wondering, if these two know how to take the damn subway, why aren't they just meeting out in any of the other many many places that exist out of this 20 or so block radius in which they live? Duh. Its NYC. None of them have accents so they've been in NYC and American long enough to not be stuck in their own hood. It's so embarrassing! It's very unrealistic for its time considering how much of the downtown was already being infiltrated by yuppies and artists so they were, in reality, NOT in some ethnic wasteland. In conclusion, there's a larger message here (in all seriousness, or not) Neither of the two households at the epicenter of this film seem to have fathers present. In fact, the brother and sister have NO parents, it seems. *How* old are they?? He supports them both on his wages as a waiter? Basically, if you have no father, this is how you will end up. Jk but did anyone else notice this?? This movie was made for some quick, cheap thrills and a quick buck. I'm not surprised it did not do well, outside of what little I mentioned in some half competent analysis.

China Girl presents a theme prevalent in cheap 80s action movies -- the Chinatown gangs, often with showdowns between the Chinese and the Italians via gang wars. You'll see a lot of this with 80s American martial arts movies, in particular.China Girl also seems to prevent a tone from director Abel Ferrer which becomes much more evident and much more forceful in his 1996 film, The Funeral, which is a sadly underrated movie about the perpetration of gang life through three mafioso brothers. The dismaying realities of gang life are expressed here, though less sophisticatedly through a Romeo and Juliet gangland story. Though entertaining (for the most part, aside from much of the repetition throughout the movie), you cannot help but remain unconvinced about the tale as one viewer has already commented, because of the extreme lack of chemistry between the two main characters. Yes, the sex scene does seem ridiculous.Nonetheless, the story is about a teenage Italian-American boy who refuses to participate in the turf wars with his relatives against the Chinese-Americans in Chinatown. Like Vincent Gallo's character realizes in 'The Funeral,' the young man, Tony, likewise cannot see the logic in the continuous fighting, especially once he has fallen in love with the Chinese gang's sister. Things do tend to get sappy in this movie, and aside from the point about senseless gang violence, there is not much else going on. The writers go slightly overboard in bogging down the audience with this point, that they forgot to put in some filler (unless you're one hundred percent entertained by the fight sequences). It is not a bad movie, and certainly one of the better movies I have seen by Abel Ferrer ('Fear City' in my opinion was his worst, 'The Funeral' was his best). If you're in the mood for 80s action nostalgia, it's a good vice.

Chinese gangs vs. Italian gangs in NYC in 1987. Tony (Richard Panebianco) and Tye (Sari Chang) meet and fall in love. Meanwhile Tye's brother hates all Italians and Tony's friends hate Chinese. If you've seen "West Side Story" you know how this ends--but a bit more tragically in this movie. Plotwise it's very obvious but it's beautifully done. Filmed with energy, beautifully atmospheric (the sets and lighting are incredible), and full of bursts of ultraviolence. Most of the roles are well acted, especially by James Russo, David Caruso (chewing the scenery) and Russell Wong. As the young lovers Panebianco and Chang are, unfortunately, not that good. In a way it's understandable--he was only 16 when this was made and it's the first role for both. They're both very attractive (Panebianco is pretty buff with a baby face; Chang is delicate and beautiful) but have little to do other than kiss and act like they love each other. That isn't believable either since they have zero sexual chemistry. Still, they are sympathetic characters. Also, in a nice touch, Panebianco shows more skin than Chang in their sex scene.This is really obscure and it doesn't deserve it. It had almost no release in 1987 (there were no stars to sell it) and was never a big hit on cable or video. Also Chang never made another movie and Panebianco disappeared after making a few more films (Whatever happened to him? He showed a lot of promise.). That's too bad--this deserves a bigger audience. Worth watching on cable or renting.

Shakespeare's 'Romeo & Juliet' has been made on screen so many times and 'China Girl' is my favorite one. I agree that this is not a greate movie or even romantic one. However, I like this movie for it's truthful depiction of love and hate.In 'China Girl', the bosses of Italian and Chinese gang make endless tension between their gangs to maintain their power in families. Unlike orginal play, these two poor lovers' death couldn't solve their fmilies' hatred but made it worse. Se la vie!