Fatal Beauty

A designed-by-committee vehicle for Whoopi Goldberg, allowing her to keep her comedy act and extend her range into territory staked out by Eddie Murphy, with risible - therefore enjoyable - results. Unorthodox undercover cops Rita Rizzoli - a Dirty Harriet with an MA in wisecracks - is a mean fatherfucker dedicated to keeping 'snow' off the streets of LA. Down in Chinatown, nude coolies are adulterating cocaine with lethal proportions of Ventonol; she figures one Conrad Kroll (Yulin) for the villain of the piece, but it takes days and nights of padding the streets in disguise - hobbling heels, leopard-skin, and Tina Turner rup - before the breaks come. Meanwhile, a trio of giggling psychopaths muscle in (Brad Douril's staring-eyed Leo Nova is a gem), and all is set for a 15-minute showdown in a shopping mall. Sam Elliott's love interest takes too long warming up, but a confused plot and plenty of poor taste leave Whoopi relatively unscathed.