Writer: Syahida Kamarudin

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Watch this if you liked: “The Warlords” and “Ip Man”

The first thing that the audience must understand is that this is first and foremost, a Peter Chan movie. It is highly stylised, rich in narrative and might be a little slow at showing all the action scenes. It's there, but good things come to those who wait.

Second, every single fight scene is choreographed by Donnie Yen, which means it's brutal, bloody and not for the faint-hearted. And if you are the sort of cynical person who goes "What? Donnie Yen? Again?", you might be surprised at how good the movie is and how different it is than all the Ip Man of the world.

"Wu Xia" is done in a way that combines noir - where its central character is Takeshi Kaneshiro amidst his narration and self-reflection, with action-drama, and where the main role is played Donnie Yen and his mysterious past presented in a traditional Kung Fu movie style. How these two characters interact and makes their different approach known, is what so unique and special about "Wu Xia".

The film starts with Donnie Yen's character waking up and doing his daily routine that doesn't look and feel like the film is going to have any fight scene at all. But then the pace changes when Kaneshiro appears as the curious detective that reminds you of Mac Taylor of "CSI: New York" and Hugh Laurie's "House" all at the same time.

Cinematography-wise, this movie is filled with scenic view of the Yunnan province, from its picturesque villages, to the almost therapeutic scenes of waterfalls and forest. Even without paying attention to the plot, you will fall in love with the cinematography. The action choreography is trademark Donnie Yen; with lots of one-to-one combat, no cheesy flying scenes and several visual explanations on the effect of each and every hit.

In short, this is not your no-brainer Kung Fu movie where everybody bleeds and dies a gory death and the hero comes out as clean as a whistle. It grabs your attention all the way even when the actors are just staring at each other. And most importantly, it will satisfy your thoughts and your need to see somebody punched in the face. It's a complete package!

Cinema Online, 19 July 2011