Iko Uwais (The Raid), Byron Mann (Street Fighter The Movie), Katheryn Winnick (Vikings), Lewis Tan (Into The Badlands), Tommy Flanagan (Sons of Anarchy) and Mark Dacascos (Drive) star. Created by Tony Krantz and John Wirth. Every few episodes being directed by someone different. A cook/martial artist is chosen by an ancient line of Assassins to by their next in line and become the Wu Assassin to defeat the modern day Wu warlords and restore balance.
With Cobra Kai season 2 over and done with until season 3 and the unfortunate cancellation on Into the Badlands it good to see another martial arts series, this time on Netflix. Iko Uwais is the main protagonists as Kai Jin and taking up the mantle of the Wu Assassin.
Kai Jin is just a cook. His adopted father Uncle Six played by Byron Mann happens to be the leader of the Triads. From the get-go, he gets on the wrong side of the Triads when they visit his restaurant and start acting out as gangsters do. The restaurant is run by his childhood friends Jenny Wah (Li Jun Li) and Tommy Wah (Lawrence Kao) There is also a fourth childhood friend Lu Xin Lee (Lewis Tan). As kids, the four of them were saved from burning to death by Uncle Six so they kind of owe him their lives. Not all got away scot-free though, Xin Lee was badly burned.
So, after getting into an altercation with the Triads they
come after him, he fights them off and makes his escapes in his food van. He seems to run over a young women Ying Ying (Celia Au), as he gets out to check her. She gets up fine, informs him she’s been looking for him and gives him the Monk Shard. Granting him to so-called power of a thousand monks who sacrificed themselves long ago to defeat quintet of corrupt warlords. Modern day is five criminals who have each have the power of the Wu. There are 5 Wu’s, Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. You will learn what sort of powers they harness as the show progresses. Kai and Ying Ying are now in a sort of alternate dimension where she explains he the history and his responsibilities as the Wu Assassin. As you can imagine, he’s very reluctant at first. These chats with Ying Ying in the alternate dimension place happen through-out the show.
After this, the Triads go to his apartment and start beating up his kind-hearted neighbor. Kai Returns and using his newfound powers he can now hide his identity and is now Mark Dacascos as a warrior monk. He defeats all comers and is now simply referred to by the Triads as old man or the cook.
Not knowing he’s the adopted son of Uncle Six. Upon hearing about this Uncle Six questions the Triads responsible and asking them about the old man/cook and then kills them by burning them to death with his bare hands. Yes, Uncle Six is the Fire Wu meaning at some point Kai is going to have to face him. He was questioning them because he knows all about the Wu Assassin and fears the old man/cook is the Wu Assassin.
As the series progresses we are introduced to other Wu’s including the Wood Wu Alec McCullough (Tommy Flanagan). At first Uncle Six seems to be the main antagonists and even has a huge one on one battle with Kai disguised as the old man/cook Mark Dacascos. But then he seems to change sides, gives up his Fire Wu powers and the Wood Wu is now the main antagonists whose’ trying to bring all the Wu’s together. By the end you are actually rooting for Uncle Six, hoping he will survive.
Christine Gavin (Katheryn Winnick) is an undercover cop who’s trying to bring down the Triad and it’s good to see her martial arts chops on show.
The plot is kind of all over the place in parts, easy to follow enough but you’re not sure why some characters do certain things. Like Kai handing the Earth Wu to Christine for safekeeping who then purposely gets arrested to talk to her chief so they can put the Earth Wu in an evidence lock-up. Only for the precinct to get attacked by Uncle Six evil right-hand women Zan Hui (JuJu Chan) who now somehow leads the Triads since Uncle Six got rid of his power, so he lost the Triads leadership too? She is with the Metal Wu and Triad soldiers so now the good guys have got to find the Earth Wu again and get it out.
The fights scenes are OK but tame compared to Uwais other stuff. Yes, there is a lot of choreographing and the actors and stunt doubles pull them off well enough but no really any spectacular stuff that blows your mind. Nothing compaired to The Raid or The Night Comes for Us. The CG effects are not great to be fair. Some of the fire effects look a little fake. I’m still not quite sure what powers the Monk Shard grants Kai. It’s said he now has the power of a thousand monks but the only powers he seems to have is the Wu powers he comes up against seems to have no effect on him and he can change his face. Other than that, his fighting abilities didn’t seem to be enhanced as he could already fight well and he doesn’t gain any powers like the Wu’s.
Staying on changing his face into the Mark Dacascos thing. He is criminally underused. He doesn’t even have a single fight scene, even when Kai was supposed to change into him it still shows Uwais in the fight scene. Dacascos will throw like one punch then it switches back to Uwais. Seen as Dacascos could have easily fronted this show I’m not sure why he’s even in it. The guys a legend. Plus, I don’t like the way they keep calling him old man, he’s only 55, 3 years older than Byron Mann, they don’t call him old man. Must be the bald head.
In conclusion, Wu Assassins kind of felt like Bulletproof Monk meets Kung Fu. An entertaining enough watch and something to fill the gap now Into the Badlands is gone but just don’t expect anything that’s going to blow your mind. The series finale left it right up in the air for a season 2. You can watch it now on Netflix.
Rating: 3/5 Belts
