China O’Brien

China O’Brien

Year: 1990

Runtime: 90 mins

Language: English

Director: Robert Clouse

ActionThriller

China O’Brien, a top‑tier city police officer and martial‑arts instructor, is forced to surrender her badge and return to the small hometown where she grew up. She finds the peaceful community under grip of organized crime. After her father, town sheriff, is killed, she runs for his post, leading to confrontations that decide who controls the town.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen China O’Brien yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – China O’Brien (1990)

Explore the full timeline and setting of China O’Brien (1990). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

Location

Beaver Creek, Utah

Beaver Creek is a rural Utah town where law and order collide with organized crime. The Beaver Creek Inn and the police station anchor the action, highlighting a community under pressure from a powerful crime boss. The desert landscape and tight-knit population set the stage for a fight to reclaim the town’s future.

🏙️ Small-town 🕶️ Crime and corruption 🌵 Desert setting

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:31

Main Characters – China O’Brien (1990)

Meet the key characters of China O’Brien (1990), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

China O'Brien (Cynthia Rothrock)

A capable police officer who resigns after a deadly incident and returns to Beaver Creek to confront corruption. She leads with discipline, martial prowess, and a steady will to reform the town’s broken system. Her resolve drives the coalition that challenges Sommers’s grip on power.

💪 Strong-willed 🥋 Martial artist 🛡️ Leader

Matt Conroy (Richard Norton)

China’s former love interest and a loyal ally who assists in her bid to clean up Beaver Creek. He brings experience, steadiness, and a willingness to take risks for justice. His collaboration with China helps sustain the reform effort against corrupt forces.

🧭 Loyal 🤝 Ally 🧘 steady

Dakota (Keith Cooke)

A Native American biker whose past loss fuels his determination to see Sommers defeated. He becomes a crucial ally who shares dangers and helps chase down the crime syndicate. His presence adds grit and a personal motive to the town’s fight.

🤝 Ally 🗡️ Resolute 🧭 Independent

John O'Brien

China’s father and the town sheriff who is killed as part of the corruption plot, catalyzing the election and reform movement. His memory motivates China to restore integrity to Beaver Creek’s institutions. His absence underscores the high stakes of the battle for justice.

🛡️ Authority 😢 Fallen leader

Lickner

A corrupt deputy who serves as Sommers’ right-hand man, emblematic of the town’s compromised leadership. He becomes a key antagonist whose actions reveal the depth of the criminal network. His downfall represents the collapse of the town’s tainted power structure.

🤐 Corrupt 🧠 Schemer

Judge Harry Godar

A local judge who tolerates or enables Sommers’ misdeeds, contributing to the town’s legal imbalance. His complicity shows how power can corrupt formal institutions. He remains a threat until accountability arrives through the town’s reform efforts.

⚖️ Judge 🗝️ Corrupted

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:31

Major Themes – China O’Brien (1990)

Explore the central themes of China O’Brien (1990), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

⚖️ Justice

The story centers on restoring impartial law enforcement as China O’Brien runs for sheriff to replace corrupt leadership. Elections, investigations, and confrontations reveal how a town’s justice system can be bent by power and fear. The narrative emphasizes accountability, civic courage, and the stubborn pursuit of fairness against entrenched interests.

💣 Corruption

Sommers, Lickner, and the judge manipulate local institutions through violence and intimidation. The plot exposes how bribes, bombings, and coercion corrode the rule of law and erode community trust. Beating back this network requires dismantling the corruption at its core and rebuilding institutions from within.

💪 Empowerment

China O’Brien’s leadership marks a turning point for the town, especially as she recruits Matt and Dakota to help. The film portrays female empowerment and teamwork as key to reclaiming authority from criminal forces. It highlights resilience, courage, and the collective effort needed to reform a troubled community.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 12:31

Mobile App Preview

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Sign up to be the first to know when we launch. Your email stays private — always.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Small Town Justice Stories like China O'Brien

An outsider returns to a troubled hometown to fight corruption and restore order.Explore movies like China O'Brien where a protagonist brings justice to a corrupt small town. If you enjoyed the theme of returning home to fight organized crime, you'll find similar thrilling action and heartfelt stakes in these films.

action-packedgrittydeterminedhopefulrevengeunderdogcommunity

Narrative Summary

Narratives typically follow a straightforward arc: a peaceful community is revealed to be under the thumb of a criminal element, a catalyst (often a personal loss) forces a skilled protagonist to take a stand, leading to a series of confrontations that culminate in a decisive battle for the town's soul.

Why These Movies?

These films are grouped by their shared setting of a tight-knit community, a classic good-versus-evil conflict, and the empowering journey of a lone underdog challenging a powerful, entrenched foe to protect their home.

Female Avenger Action Movies like China O'Brien

A highly skilled woman uses extreme force to avenge a personal tragedy.Discover more movies like China O'Brien featuring a powerful female lead who uses martial arts to seek revenge. If you liked the intense combat and determined heroine, this collection of female-led action thrillers is for you.

action-packedrevengedeterminedgrittyempoweringmartial artsviolentcathartic

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern involves establishing the protagonist's exceptional abilities, a traumatic event that shatters their world (like the murder of a loved one), and a relentless, direct path of vengeance or justice filled with escalating physical confrontations against the perpetrators.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here based on the core archetype of a physically dominant female hero, the motivational theme of personal revenge, and a high concentration of intense, skill-based action sequences that drive the plot forward.

Unlock the Full Story of China O’Brien

Don't stop at just watching — explore China O’Brien in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what China O’Brien is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

China O’Brien Summary

Read a complete plot summary of China O’Brien, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

China O’Brien Summary

China O’Brien Timeline

Track the full timeline of China O’Brien with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

China O’Brien Timeline

China O’Brien Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of China O’Brien that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

China O’Brien Spoiler-Free Summary

More About China O’Brien

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about China O’Brien: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

More About China O’Brien

Similar Movies to China O’Brien

Discover movies like China O’Brien that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.