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Malaysia enters the martial arts genre. This wasn't bad. The new up and comer is Hairul Azreen. He's got the presence and the moves, a TKD black belt. But the reason why I tuned in was for Yayan Ruhian, another Silat master comrade of Iko Uwais and the shinobi in John Wick 3.
This film has some nice long takes - a complex multilevel warehouse fight, a crazy fight in a moving bus drone shot, and another drone shot of a raid on some tenement housing.
Sword fights. Machete fights. Baseball bat fights. MMA fights. Lotsa fights. DOOM recommended.
A Netflixer. More coming soon - a fresh review on Den of Geek.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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Martial arts and breasts. What better combo can there be?
But wait, there's more! There's women!
Azreen is oddly stacked. He's got that long neck, huge balloon-like pecs, then a precipitous narrowing to an almost snakelike torso. Below that are legs inciting rebellion, ever rising up to overthrow ... stuff. You know, people, objects, whatever. He's fast, and clearly works hard at refining fight sequences.
Iko Uwais' pal Ruhian, playing the top villain, and who I recognized immediately (having seen him in half a dozen past films), puts on a clinic here. He's shown to be the best fighter of all, which surprised me a bit. Still, he's the most bankable martial artist, and the choreographer, so it makes sense.
I'm reminded of watching one of my first Shaw Brothers films, wherein five heroes face off against the top villain and just barely defeat him -- and I'm thinking, how is that fair? You ganged up on him! What's heroic about that?
But it comes with the Asian territory, and I just had to adjust to it. Like the first time I sawg Bruce Lee kick someone when they were down. Or in the nuts. It's permitted. Really, it is.
The women were surprisingly good as well. The opening MMA battle, which is long and intense, was itself worth the price of admission. I might have to watch that again. I do wish I'd known the characters before they fought. It was like, okay, the movie has started, and these two women are really going at it! But then again, it was a great way to open.
I need to rewatch that bus fight. Clearly I missed some of the insane camerawork.
I'm nobody's pony.
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Azreen does have an oddly shaped body, especially his neck, but it works. Ruhian is the man. I love his work. Shame he'll always play villains because he just looks villainous.
I remember you've had issues with multiple heroes taking down a lone villain before. It's more about cooperation. The heroes unite. Teamwork.
And as for strikes to the nuts, come on now. That was one of those moves we learned in Lin Bo Kin, our first set. Strike those nuts!
It's really one of those diamond-in-the-rough films, not totally awesome but intriguing potential. It reminds me of when I first saw Iko Uwais (and Yayan Ruhian) or Tony Jaa, although not as fresh, but interesting nonetheless. It was those drone shots and that first warehouse fight that sold me. And I did write that review in a manipulative way to gain traction. Seems to have worked.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
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It was an entertaining film. I look forward to more from him. Ruhian is still amazing.
In the Tudor Period, Fencing Masters were classified in the Vagrancy Laws along with Actors, Gypsys, Vagabonds, Sturdy Rogues, and the owners of performing bears.
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I want Yayan to get a lead role. Something like Danny Trejo's Bad Ass or Machete franchises. He just has that villainous look so it'll be hard for him to get there, but his skills are off the chart.
Shadow boxing the apocalypse
