Fistful of Vengeance (2022) Wu Assassins Sequel featuring JuJu Chan Szeto, Iko Uwais, Pearl Thusi, Lewis Tan

[DragonClaws]

 

Quote

Kai, Lu Xin, Tommy @iamlawrencekao, and Zan are back for another round! We’re continuing the Wu Assassins saga in Fistful of Vengeance, a stand-alone action film epic coming to

Netflix with Pearl Thusi (Zama), @luna.ploy (Preeya), Jason Tobin (Dr. William Pan), Yaya Ying (Ku An Qi), and more

source- https://www.facebook.com/jujuchanszeto

 

 

[DragonClaws]

 

I wonder who else will be announced to join the cast of this one?.

[ShaOW!linDude]

If they're doing a movie based on this series, they better up the ante on the choreography, because the bulk of the fight scenes in the show were underwhelming (and that's me being kind).

And what, no Mark Dacascos? Bogus.

Edited March 2, 2021 by ShaOW!linDude

[One Armed Boxer]

8 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

And what, no Mark Dacascos? Bogus.

In 2021 I’d say that’s more of a positive than a negative dude.

[Super Ninja]

On 3/2/2021 at 9:45 PM, ShaOW!linDude said:

If they're doing a movie based on this series, they better up the ante on the choreography, because the bulk of the fight scenes in the show were underwhelming (and that's me being kind).

What makes you say that? It's nothing special, but I didn't see anything wrong with the fights...

[ShaOW!linDude]

On 3/7/2021 at 10:22 AM, Super Ninja said:

What makes you say that? It's nothing special, but I didn't see anything wrong with the fights...

My overview is here at the top of page 3.

Wu Assassins thread

[Drunken Monk]

Here's the trailer... 

 

[Super Ninja]

The series sucked, but the movie looks like it could actually be good. Didn't see JuJu or Katheryn Winnick though, would be a shame if they're not in it.

[Drunken Monk]

36 minutes ago, Super Ninja said:

The series sucked, but the movie looks like it could actually be good. Didn't see JuJu or Katheryn Winnick though, would be a shame if they're not in it.

They're not, I'm afraid.

[laagi]

I've been skipping the series so far as I'm not really a fan of these supernatural elements. I'm a simple guy when it comes to my action/martial arts flicks.

The trailer looks OK. Nothing special really but as long as it delivers on the action front I don't really mind. Lots of comments I've seen mention Gareth Evans. I have to agree that what him and Iko had was some sort of magic. The best talent in front of the camera is worth nothing without the right direction.

Who knows one can dare to dream that they might be able to re-create some of that magic one more time before Iko's talent is burned out once and for all. God knows Hollywood already did their fair share with that! 

[Mike Leeder]

Juju is in it, you can see her on the poster jump kicking 

and Looking forward to seeing WARRIOR's Jason Tobin joining the action

Ref Gareth and Iko, i think a lot of people still dont get that Gareth contributes so much to the action himself in terms of ideas, camera angles , the flavour of the action... they work so well as a team

 

[Super Ninja]

Roel Reine succeeded in making the movie even worse than the series. For me FOV had similar effect to Mortal Combat, I couldn't believe if what I'm seeing is really that bad or is it just me watching it in the bad mood or being too harsh. Luckily, FOV wasn't as hyped so it's somewhat less disappointing. I've watched the series only because I found out that the movie is going to be made instead of season two, and it was the first series I've ever watched since, well, watching series became a thing.

It is to a point true that FOV can work as a standalone movie, but you might wanna know who Jenny is, why Kai is always cooking and what are Wu Assassins for that matter, or understand why all the supernatural mumbo jumbo. It is pretty much clear from the start this script is not gonna win any Oscars, but neither are these actors gonna be nominated. Occasionally it goes from bad to really, really bad. Reine contributes with his bad directing skills.

FOV goes jiangshi, but as much as I'd love to mention this in the pro category, I can't. Don't expect to see any hopping here or this little particular segment being giving any importance throughout the movie. What you can expect is Kai, Tommy and Lu Xin leaving San Francisco and searching for Jenny's killer in Bangkok. This will lead them to fighting the Bangkok underworld and something even more wicked, using guns, magic, talismans, daggers and whatnot.

Characterisation deserves special mention here as it's so much in your face it becomes cheap and misses the point. Kai is torn by guilt, Tommy is full of anger and Lu Xin is full of himself. Yeah, his problem is his ego. They get served, together with the audience, by agent Zulu, who literally says all of this in one single sentence. That's giving life to characters. But that is enough for them to admit they've been idiots (literally) and hug. They are now ready to face the enemy.

Not all is bad. There are some creative solutions, interesting camerawork and creativity in handling shoot-outs, which leads us to the action. And it is underwhelming to say the least. What I personally lacked is power. The fights are soft, they lack impact, they lack meaty sound design and they lack the effect. Also, Lewis Tan is no good screen fighter. I didn't like him in the series, didn't like him in Mortal Kombat and I don't like him here. Sorry Lewis. Even Iko looks like his punches aren't powerful enough to take down his opponents, with perhaps the best fight in the movie being his fight with two meat cleavers. He fights Juju twice and he fights Simon Kook and we get pretty much nothing out of it. At least his fight with Kook should have been something to look forward to. There is a nice Ong Bak style finish (only not with knees) that you'll know when you see it, but not as great as Tan's finish with two nails. There's one fight towards the end that deserves to be commended for its idea, and that is Iko's fight with five guys that seems to be handled in one continuous shot, that is if the cuts aren't hidden, I couldn't tell. Still, it all looks slow and way too soft.

So all in all, instead of FOV redeeming whatever fans didn't like about the series, it just goes for more of the same. It's very careful to include your obligatory sex scene and deliver plenty of tropes, such as ex lovers spending time fighting and then loving again. It's all been seen already and seen once too many times, only with Reine at the helm it comes off as perfunctory, unconvincing and just plain bad. 

[ShaOW!linDude]

Any in depth comments I could make would pretty much echo those of @Super Ninja. He's right in that it's not all bad. However, as a whole, it is completely underwhelming. The action in the 2nd half actual picks up with better choreograph and proper impact compared to the first half. Unfortunately, the editing throughout cuts right at the moment of impact to a different perspective. The dialogue is...did a teenage boy write this? Some bits are just juvenile & cheesy. One particular laugh out loud moment came at the conclusion of a car chase when after an explosion all 5 protagonists low crawl away, scrunched together shoulder to shoulder. 

Iko needs to cut bait with this franchise. He needs a project at least on par with Merantau or Headshot.

[Super Ninja]

5 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Any in depth comments I could make would pretty much echo those of @Super Ninja. He's right in that it's not all bad. However, as a whole, it is completely underwhelming. The action in the 2nd half actual picks up with better choreograph and proper impact compared to the first half. Unfortunately, the editing throughout cuts right at the moment of impact to a different perspective. The dialogue is...did a teenage boy write this? Some bits are just juvenile & cheesy. One particular laugh out loud moment came at the conclusion of a car chase when after an explosion all 5 protagonists low crawl away, scrunched together shoulder to shoulder. 

Iko needs to cut bait with this franchise. He needs a project at least on par with Merantau or Headshot.

I forgot to mention this, but that car chase was particularly lame.

[One Armed Boxer]

6 hours ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

Iko needs to cut bait with this franchise. He needs a project at least on par with Merantau or Headshot.

He needs Gareth Evans, as do all of the cast from ‘The Raid’ flicks! I’ve always said I’d prefer to watch a non-martial artist in front of the camera backed up by a strong director and choreographer, than watch a legit martial artist stuck with mundane talent like Roel Reine.

[Drunken Monk]

I’m too lazy to type up and essay about this movie but I will say it’s terrible. The script is hilariously bad, the talent is utterly wasted and worst of all, the action is boring, “soft” and totally uninspired. The whole thing oozes laziness. Lazy direction, lazy ideas, lazy writing…

Don’t waste your time with this one. It’s as bad as Wu Assassins and, at times, worse.

[laagi]

Not that it still matters since everyone else pretty much already summed up what can be said about the movie.

I barely made it through to be honest and caught myself more than once checking the clock. It's not per se a bad movie but pretty much how everything has been thrown together is well below average that's for sure. Especially and once again that hurts the most considering some of the talent involved.

The fights and choreography are just not very good and lack any kind of impact. It's more like watching a bunch of guys gently touching each other. And by all means that's not what I'm looking for in this kind of movie! Even if the fights would be alright at times the biggest issue is the camera which seems to have the jitters and is constantly on the move. Add a very irritating soundtrack to "compliment" the fights and it just ends up looking bad. Speaking of which what the hell is up with the choice of music?

Needless to say the story is so bonkers, one must assume they've spent about 5 minutes writing it. I didn't care at all! Not that it still matters at this point but the acting is utterly supbar as well. I'll forgive Francesca Corney since this was her feature debut. But truth be told she was probably the worst of them all, sorry.

This movie is a prime example of having one of the biggest MA talent being totally wasted by a director or crew who clearly don't know how to handle it. I sincerely hope for Iko that he can get back on track. This certainly is a move in the wrong direction.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

I’m going in this thing for Iko. Please pray for me .

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

16 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

He needs Gareth Evans, as do all of the cast from ‘The Raid’ flicks! I’ve always said I’d prefer to watch a non-martial artist in front of the camera backed up by a strong director and choreographer, than watch a legit martial artist stuck with mundane talent like Roel Reine.

 Amen to this. He needs the Mo brothers or Gareth for him to shine onscreen. 

[ShaOW!linDude]

20 hours ago, One Armed Boxer said:

He needs Gareth Evans, as do all of the cast from ‘The Raid’ flicks! I’ve always said I’d prefer to watch a non-martial artist in front of the camera backed up by a strong director and choreographer, than watch a legit martial artist stuck with mundane talent like Roel Reine.

That would be ideal, but Gareth apparently is done with MA styled films. Didn't Iko do Headshot with the Mo Brothers? I like that movie. They should team up again.

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

34 minutes ago, ShaOW!linDude said:

That would be ideal, but Gareth apparently is done with MA styled films. Didn't Iko do Headshot with the Mo Brothers? I like that movie. They should team up again.

Yeah I never understood this kind of mentality. Can you imagine if Martin Scorcese said he’s done doing movies with Pesci and Deniro? Like I’m not saying Gareth is on the same level as Marty but Iko is his Deniro and he’s only done 3 films with him? That’s his bread and butter.

[laagi]

6 hours ago, OpiumKungFuCracker said:

Yeah I never understood this kind of mentality. Can you imagine if Martin Scorcese said he’s done doing movies with Pesci and Deniro? Like I’m not saying Gareth is on the same level as Marty but Iko is his Deniro and he’s only done 3 films with him? That’s his bread and butter.

Yes and no. Although Iko might be Gareth's muse if you will that doesn't mean one needs the other to make good movies. Gareth already proved that he can do movies outside of MA with Apostle. So as harsh as it may sound Iko is shit out of luck and while it's certainly no matter of Talent as far as his MA skills go, it appears to be a lack of such in pretty much everything else when it comes to movies. I mean he was credited as co-producer in this one so I'm not sure what one should make of this.

Not everyone is the next Donnie Yen who can bring as much talent to the front as to the back of the camera. And BTW I didn't think Headshot was such a great movie either. I think one of the last movies I've really enjoyed Iko in was as a supporting actor in The Night Comes For Us.

Edited February 21, 2022 by laagi

[OpiumKungFuCracker]

2 hours ago, laagi said:

Yes and no. Although Iko might be Gareth's muse if you will that doesn't mean one needs the other to make good movies. Gareth already proved that he can do movies outside of MA with Apostle. So as harsh as it may sound Iko is shit out of luck and while it's certainly no matter of Talent as far as his MA skills go, it appears to be a lack of such in pretty much everything else when it comes to movies. I mean he was credited as co-producer in this one so I'm not sure what one should make of this.

Not everyone is the next Donnie Yen who can bring as much talent to the front as to the back of the camera. And BTW I didn't think Headshot was such a great movie either. I think one of the last movies I've really enjoyed Iko in was as a supporting actor in The Night Comes For Us.

Gareth can do other genres but let's be real, it's not as good as like merantau, and the raid movies.  I've seen apostles and it was ok.  Nobody is talking about that movie like his martial arts films till this day. 

[Drunken Monk]

There will be martial arts - or at least fisticuffs - in Gareth Evans' upcoming film, Havoc. So I don't think he's strayed away from the genre entirely. It just looks like he's done with Indonesia. But that would make sense since he's getting bigger and bigger and can cast more popular actors.

[kuenfist]

The movie was so lame ...