China OBrien

Plot

Police Officer China O'Brien (Cynthia Rothrock) 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. Her father, John O'Brien (David Blackwell), is the sheriff and is very pleased to see her. China discovers that John is gradually losing control of the town to local crime boss Edwin Sommers (Steven Kerby), who controls corrupt deputy Marty Lickner (Patrick Adamson) and corrupt local judge Harry Godar (Wil Hazlett). When John and honest deputy Ross Tyler (Chad Walker) are killed by car bombs that were planted by Sommers's henchmen, there is an emergency election to elect a new sheriff.

After seeing that nothing is being done to find her father and friends killer, China runs for sheriff against Lickner to see who take John's place while, at the same time, she starts cleaning up the town with the help of her former high school sweetheart Matt Conroy (Richard Norton). They get extra help from a Native American biker named Dakota (Keith Cooke), whose mother (Judy Kotok) was murdered by Sommers. China wins the election, and then Maria (Gae Cowley), who had been her father's housekeeper up until his death, is murdered by Sommers's men in a drive-by shooting during the victory celebration. Having won the election, China ends up having to force Godar to swear her in as the new sheriff. China deputizes Matt and Dakota, and they set out to free Beaver Creek from Sommers's stranglehold.

During the altercation at the Beaver Creek Inn, Dakota stops Lickner and confronts him about his mother. Lickner admits Sommers was responsible for his mother's death and Dakota gets on his motorcycle to Sommers's home. China and Matt continue to take on Sommers' men and head to Sommers' house after they defeat all of the goons. When Dakota finds Sommers at the stables, he points a gun at him. However, he restrains himself and when China and Matt show up, Matt handcuffs himself to Sommers. However, en route to the police car, a woman Sommers had imprisoned fires a gun, killing Sommers and knocking Matt down with 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 talk it over a beer.

Cast

Production

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 says the producers paired her with Richard Norton, who plays her boyfriend, and made her the daughter of a slain cop to make her more feminine and seem less threatening.

Early in her career, Tori Amos 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 1991.

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.