CR+MASS is an acronym for Cynthia Rothrock + Male Action Star Syndrome. It refers to movies that force Cynthia Rothrock's characters to play second fiddle to some (usually less talented) male action star. Most movies that fall into the CR+MASS category are usually less than enjoyable. This document will hopefully give you insights on how to spot a movie with CR+MASS and why CR+MASS exists in the first place.

CR+MASS isn't confined to Cynthia Rothrock movies. Not by a long shot. Cynthia is just one of many actresses who have been subjected to it. For some strange reason, the American film industry resists casting women in strong, leading action roles. And if by chance a woman does appear prominantly in an action film, there will usually be a man beside her(or more likely, in front).As a quick exercise, try to think of a mainstream action movie that had a female lead. I'll give you a few moments .....got one? Two maybe? Linda Hamilton was widely recognized as an action star in Terminator 2. But don't forget the Arnold Schwarzenegger was always standing nearby. Sigourney Weaver is usually touted as the action heroine of Aliens. Of course Micheal Biehn was also there, just in case. Sigourney got another chance in Alien 3, but Charles S. Dutton made sure the testosterone levels stayed acceptable. The sad truth is, the few movies that don't suffer from CR+MASS usually go straight to video/cable.

Just because a film also has a male action star doesn't mean it's a CR+MASS film. Only if the male star is lacking skill/talent or takes the focus from the female star. If the male star star does a good job of moving the story along and performing exciting action scenes, then CR+MASS doesn't apply. On the other hand, if you're watching the movie thinking 'When is the lady gonna show up again?' or 'I wish they would focus more on the other character' then CR+MASS is in full effect. If you're still not sure, here are a two examples of CR+MASS fims.

Martial Law 1: Chad McQueen and Cynthia Rothrock
Chad McQueen may be a good action star, but it's hard to tell.Because everytime he and Cynthia Rothrock are battling Bad Guys together, it's obvious that Cynthia's fights are much more exciting and enjoyable. My brother summed up this film perfectly with the statement 'That movie would of been a lot better if they had left out that McQueen guy.' Not a good sign when McQueen was supposedly the lead.

Tiger Claws : Jalal Merhi and Cynthia Rothrock
The big question with Tiger Claws is 'Why?' The movie starts off with a promising scene of an undercover Cyhthia Rothrock taking out a thug. It quickly switches focus to Jalal, a 'cop on the edge'(TM). It's obvious that Jalal can hold his own in the martial arts world but as far as carrying a movie, he has a long way to go. The film shows Jalal training, Jalal fighting, and Jalal training some more. All of this while CR waits on the side lines. Cynthia is rarely allowed to finish her own fights. The clincher is in the end when CR is battling the villian, Jalal comes in and finishes the fight for her while wearing handcuffs.

As I said before, just because a male and female share the lead roles, doesn't automatically doom the film to CR+MASS. Here are two films that illustrate that point.

Rage and Honor 2: Richard Norton and Cynthia Rothrock
Richard Norton is a good actor and a good fighter. His style is very forceful, a good contrast to Cynthia Rothrock's acrobatic moves. It's fun to watch him onscreen so that when he shows up, you aren't waiting for his scene to end. The fact that the movie is well written in general also helps a lot.

Righting Wrongs: Yuen Biao and Cynthia Rothrock
An excellent film where both characters are equally exciting onscreen. Biao and Rothrock mesh perfectly as rivals who are actually on the same side.

How to spot a CR+MASS FILM before you rent it.

It isnt very hard, just take a look at the picture on the cover. If its a picture of a man and a woman, both facing in different directions, that's a good sign of CR+MASS. If the name of a well known actress is under or beside the name of a guy you never heard of before, there's a good chance of CR+MASS.