The sequel to the Hong Kong action flick  The Heroic Trio, The Executioners picks up on the adventures of its three women super heroes after many intervening adventures and is set in a bleak future where water is the most precious element. Fans of the first film will find the sequel lacking the whimsy and energy of the original. There's significantly less fighting and wire work (When Hong Kong action stars fly through the air during fights, it's called wire work.) and this time out the story may be more ambitious, but the filmmakers are over their head with no wires to keep them aloft.

    Anita Mui, Michelle Yeoh and Maggie Cheung Redux the roles of the three heroines. Maggie gets to spend a lot of screen time with a little girl and she is a lot more charming than the child actress. Lacking is the entertaining rivalry that the ladies had in the first film. There's some underground scenes, but they dull by comparison to the fantastic world of Heroic Trio.
     The Executioners is a domestic DVD release of a Hong Kong film and the menu and titling is superior to imports. The price is cheaper too. The dark film is presented in widescreen 1.85:1. Contrast levels could have been stronger. Some scenes lack the luster of the best DVDs. The image is mostly sharp enough. The color is somewhat muted, but that seems more a function of the film's look.

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