Review for Wushu

Introduction

I love kung fu movies. Martial arts on the silver screen makes for some of the wildest, hairiest entertainment that you can imagine, and unlike most Hollywood blockbusters of similar adrenaline level intensity, doesn't require an insanity of budget to accomplish. Stars like Bruce Lee, Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Jet Li, Michelle Yeoh and Yuen Biao have entertained us in countless classics, and today we have… today we have… Well there's Donnie Yen, who I have to say has never really appealed to me in the same way. It is a concern, trying to figure out who the next breakthrough Martial Arts movie star will be, and while there are action movies aplenty being made, there's no solid martial arts presence in Hong Kong and Chinese cinema, certainly not with megastar quality. There are pop idols aplenty picking up some kung fu skills, but it isn't exactly the same thing. It's not just an isolated concern as for a while now, stars like Jackie Chan have been nurturing new talent in films like Gen X Cops, and New Police Story. Last year saw the UK DVD release of Jackie Chan and the Kung Fu Kid, a movie aimed at a younger audience, perhaps to inspire the next generation of kung-fu megastars. Now, MVM are releasing Wushu to UK audiences, another film with Jackie's name attached to it, but this time he serves as producer. It's his big brother Sammo Hung who appears as kung fu Yoda to a cast of young martial arts Jedi, and once again it's a film that is squarely aimed at younger audiences. And just like The Kung Fu Kid, the BBFC rates it out of its target demographic.


Having been raised by their grandmother following the death of their mother, brothers Li Yi and Li Er are to start a new life with their father Li Hui attending the elite Martial Arts school where he teaches. On their first day at the school, their lack of discipline gets them and three other children into trouble, and a lasting friendship is formed. Ten years later, Yi and Er, and best friends Fong Fong, Xiao Zhang, and Yang Yauwu are the shining stars of the school, and are well on their way to being selected for the provincial martial arts team. But there are always pitfalls on the righteous path. Life has a habit of throwing a spanner in the works for some, and temptation for others. The chance of becoming a movie star may mean forgetting the purity of Wushu. But worse, there is a gang of child kidnappers working in the area, and when the friends rescue a girl from their clutches at a funfair, the gang's vengeful attention turns to the school's youngest students.

The Disc

The image is a bit of a mixed bag. The run time and the judder during pans and scrolls are indicative of an NTSC-PAL standards conversion, yet the clarity and definition of the image looks more like native PAL. You only notice the occasional blended frame when you pause the film, and skip forward a frame or ten. That said, it's not a great looking film, dull of palette, and apparently low of budget. It feels more like a TV movie than a theatrical production at times. It also doesn't upscale well, with the grain in the image becoming excessive. All of that really doesn't matter much, as the biggest annoyance is that the 1.78:1 anamorphic transfer is cropped from the 2.35:1 original aspect ratio. Yuck!


In terms of audio, you have the choice between DD 2.0 Mandarin, and an atrocious as always DD 5.1 English dub. There are dubtitles to accompany the Mandarin dialogue, but while the English ADR actor performances may offend the ear, the dub script works well enough to bring across the intent of the original actors.

The only extra feature on this disc is the theatrical trailer.

Conclusion

Wushu is a whole lot of fun. It's action packed and it's entertaining, and it will most likely keep an appreciative grin on your face for its runtime. That's a good thing, as Wushu as a film isn't really all that good. The story plays much like a soap opera, and it feels like a collection of moments, a series of vignettes that loosely hang together, rather than a single coherent narrative. We're constantly switching from character to character, getting a small dose of his or her issues, and then moving on to the next. Some asides are pretty small potatoes, like one character's love life, or another's money problems. Others are grander on the scale, such as the overriding Wushu tournament that the five friends are competing in, and the somewhat tacked on child kidnapper subplot. What Wushu really works as, is as a showcase for young talent. When you look at it more as a promo reel, then you can see that these young actors are offering up all aspects of their skills, whether it's dramatic acting, pure martial arts as in the Wushu tournament, an odd bit of kung-fu comedy here or there, and an all out, knock down, no-holds barred, final boss battle with a suitable villain. It's a hell of a thing to have on your CV.


What makes it work for the viewer is that the action sequences are so brilliant. Whether it is in pure martial arts mode, kung fu comedy, or pulse-quickening action, this is high quality, brilliantly choreographed stuff, reminiscent of the kung-fu movies of old, accomplished with a bare minimum of wirework and CGI, and with the likelihood that one or more of the actors will be spending some time in a hospital ward. On top of that, the characters and their relationships are well written and delivered with engaging performances. It doesn't matter so much that the story is weak, clichéd and unfulfilling, as the characters are so enjoyable.


Of course the presence of the incomparable Sammo Hung adds much to the film. I did have a concern that he would be the Yoda of the film, dispensing nothing more than sage advice and the occasional comedy moment. But you can't stop a star like Sammo Hung from shining brightly, and when the moment arises, you do get to see his prodigious talent as a kung fu artist displayed. It put such a grin on my face that I didn't even mind the obvious homage to The Karate Kid.


I really did think that this far into the DVD life cycle that we would be past such things as regional differences. If this were the only release of Wushu available, then I would, with reservation recommend it. But when the Region 1 release from Lionsgate offers the film in the original 2.35:1 aspect ratio, with DD 5.1 Mandarin sound, and with added bonus features, this cropped, barebones, stereo release becomes harder to recommend. Wushu is a fun and entertaining film, but you'll only want this release if you can only play Region 2 DVDs.