Yukari Oshima is about to... nevermind.
Never Say Regret, also known as Escape to Hell is a 1990 action movie starring Yukari Oshima, Max Mok and Kara Hui (who co-starred with Oshima in Burning Ambition released the previous year).
When Okura (Oshima), a Japanese tourist and the only daughter of a wealthy Japanese tycoon gets framed for drug possession in mainland China and thrown into a corrupt prison, a team of mercenaries led by Jimmy (Max Mok) had to bust her out. But as they're making their escape through the border towards Hong Kong, the triad leader responsible for the frame-up who is a rival of Okura's father, shows up in Hong Kong as well, at which point Okura and Jimmy (who had his own reasons opposing the triads) decide to take the law into their own hands and shoot their way to revenge.
Never Regret to Trope:
- Action Film, Quiet Drama Scene: In between the shootouts and prison fights, there’s several bonding scenes between Okura and Hsiao-feng, the latter whom is the only prisoner that is actually nice to Okura the new prisoner. Later on when Okura spends a night in Hsiao-feng’s place after the prison escape, both ladies have a few moments of heartfelt chatting before resuming their escape the following morning.
- Action Girl: Okura, being played by Yukari Oshima.
- Badass in Distress: Okura, after being framed and imprisoned, and has to be rescued by the mercenary team led by Jimmy. This is notably the first and only movie where Yukari Oshima needs to be bailed out by another character.
- Bittersweet Ending: The final shootout at Mr. Tao’s place is suddenly intervened by the police, who ends up gunning down Jimmy. However, Mr. Tao is arrested on the spot, having the evidence of his involvement in drug dealing uncovered, and is imprisoned for life. And Okura, despite being shot by Mr. Tao, is revealed to have survived her injury and is later sent back to Japan safe and sound.
- Dressing as the Enemy: Jimmy and Hsiong infiltrates the prison to break Okura out while disguised as prison guards. Okura gets to dress up as a soldier as well after escaping into the jungle.
- Failed a Spot Check: Okura, for some reason, NEVER considered checking her coat’s pockets before leaving her hotel, and at no point did she ever noticed the drugs inside while taking a ride from her hotel to the airport, queuing towards the ticket counter, and making her way past airport security. Keep in mind that unlike other movies involving a frame-up which drugs would be hidden in some concealed pockets or stitched into the victim’s attire, here the drugs are simply slipped in a side pocket of Okura’s coat.
- Fan Disservice: Yes, we get to see Okura in the nude (only from her back though)… in the scene when she’s being flogged by having a water hose blasting at her by the sadistic prison warden. It’s absolutely NOT sexy in any way.
- Frame-Up: What kickstarts the plot, which is Okura being framed for drug possession and being shoved into a corrupt prison.
- Great Escape: The attempt to break Okura out of prison. Which culminates into a massive shootout before fleeing past the prison walls into the jungles.
- Groin Attack: Okura, in one of her fight scenes, lands a punch in a prison guard’s crotch.
- Handy Cuffs: Okura, during her prison escape while still being handcuffed, uses her cuffs to strangle a prisoner who tried attacking her.
- Hate Sink: The staff and higher-ups of the prison are depicted to be ruthless, nasty, and frequently takes delight in making life difficult for the prisoners, so that the audiences wouldn’t feel too sorry for them when they get killed by Jimmy and Okura during the prison escape scene. Special mention for the Fat Bastard of a head warden, who especially enjoys beating up Okura just because she is Japanese.
- Jungle Warfare: After breaking out of prison, the second act is a lengthy jungle-set action scene where Jimmy, Okura and Hsiao-feng have to survive being hunted by prison soldiers. They spend a night at Hsiao-feng’s place, and continues fleeing the next morning while still in the jungle.
- More Dakka: Jimmy’s raid on Mr. Tao’s mansion is kicked off with him on a balcony, armed with a belt-fed machine gun, and firing into the crowd of bodyguards and triad members while attempting to kill Mr. Tao.
- Neck Snap: Okura’s first kill is the abusive prison warden, which she disposes of in this method.
- Nice Girl: Hsiao-feng, the prisoner who stood up for Okura as she gets picked on by the warden and other prisoners. After Okura managed to escape the prison with her, Hsiao-feng offers to let Okura spent a night at her house in the outskirts with her family.
- Prison Episode: To date, this is the only prison-themed movie starring Yukari Oshima.
- Run for the Border: The jungle escape scene. Towards the Chinese-Hong Kong border.
- Unkempt Beauty: Both Okura and Hsiao-feng ends up in this state after being roughed up by prison guards (especially the former), barely escaping with their lives, and spending the whole night running through the jungles. And in the finale Okura gets the stuffing beaten out of her while trying to take on Mr. Tao and his mooks, with blood coming from her mouth, but she still looks attractive as usual.
