The Wrath of Vajra

金刚王  死亡救赎

China/Hong Kong, 2013, colour, 2.35:1, 3-D, 109 mins.

Director: Luo Yongchang 罗永昌 [Law Wing-cheong].

Rating: 6/10.

A martial arts potboiler with above-average production values and fights.

STORY

China, the Sino-Japanese war, early/mid-1940s. Still meeting stiff resistance to its invasion of China, the Japanese military decides to revive a patriotic death cult called Hades that was founded 12 years previously by Amano Kawao (Kurata Yasuaki) to kidnap children from around the world and train them as covert assassins in China. The cult was disbanded at the time, as it did not fit with the military’s plans, and Amano Kawao was imprisoned. Now, Shiroginomiya (Ikeuchi Hiroyuki), a Japanese prince, visits Amano Kawao in jail and asks him to revive the cult and its original members, now adults. Amano Kawao assigns the job to Kurashige Daisuke (Yu Seung-jun), one of the two best pupils, codenamed K-28. The other best pupil was a Chinese known as K-29, who left Hades, joined Southern Shaolin Temple, was honoured with the top-fighter title of King of Vajra and has since been fighting against the Japanese. Kurashige Daisuke is instructed to find and kill him. Amano Kawao’s daughter, Amano Eko (Zhang Yamei), a journalist in China, is recruited to publicise Hades’ revival, which involves a series of fights by the cult’s champions against Chinese contenders. Meanwhile, a group of foreigners that was kidnapped by the original cult is rounded up and brought to the Hades Shrine in Fujian province, southern China, to prove whether they are fit to join the reborn cult. At the same time, Kurashige Daisuke kidnaps more local Chinese children to train them for the future. As Kurashige Daisuke expected, K-29 turns up at the Hades Shrine to take the children back to their homes, and finds himself involved in a series of fights against Hades’ champions.

REVIEW

Patriotic Chinese fight a nasty Japanese death cult in The Wrath of Vajra 金刚王  死亡救赎, a superior-packaged martial arts potboiler set during the Sino-Pacific War. Largely Mainland-funded, but directed and photographed by Hong Kongers (Luo Yongchang 罗永昌 [Law Wing-cheong], Feng Yuanwen 冯远文 [Edmond Fung), the film sports a strong lineup of martial talent that’s unstarry but gets the job done in a solid way. In his first leading role after a series of supports (the coolie in Kung Fu Hustle 功夫, 2004, the dopey monk in Shaolin 新少林寺, 2011), real-life Shaolin monk Shi Yanneng 释彦能 (aka Xing Yu 行宇) is top-billed but is comprehensively outclassed on screen by his co-star, Korean-American Yu Seung-jun 유승준 | 刘承俊 [Steve Yoo], a onetime singer-dancer-physique model who’s also in his first leading role after several notable supports (the vengeful bank robber in He-Man 硬汉2 奉陪到底, 2011, the pirate king in CZ12 十二生肖, 2012). Though Shi’s tight, agile fighting style is impressive, and inventively choreographed by action director Zhang Peng 张鹏 (Switch 天机•富春山居图, 2013), he’s dull as an actor; Yu, as his Japanese co-disciple-turned-enemy, has a more muscular presence and tightly-coiled attitude, making him a suitably hissable villain.

Apart from a crazed performance by South Korean hip-hop dancer Nam Hyeon-jun 남현준 | 南贤俊 (aka Poppin’ Hyun-joon) that climaxes in a wonderfully limber fight vs Shi, the film under-employs its specialist supporting cast, including US extreme martial artist Matt Mullins, US stuntman Kofi Yiadom and Mainland bodybuilder Wang Wei 王巍, all in a subsidiary story strand about captured soldiers that doesn’t make much sense and also includes some painfully arch English dialogue. In small but focused roles as a royal prince and the cult’s founder, Japan’s Ikeuchi Hiroyuki 池内博之 and veteran action star Kurata Yasuaki 仓田保昭 come off much better in their own language. As the only actress in a very masculine, bare-chested movie, Mainland newcomer Zhang Yamei 张雅玫 has little to do except look worried, as a Japanese journalist covering events.

For a script that’s absolutely typical of a martial-arts quickie, the production package is way superior and earns the film at least one extra point. Editor-turned-director Luo maintains a mobile camera and never gives the impression he’s coasting; Hong Kong-based editor David Richardson, with whom Luo has worked on Du Qifeng 杜琪峰 [Johnnie To] movies, also keeps things flowing smoothly, especially in the fights; and d.p. Feng, who’s used to working with modest budgets, brings a classy look to the setting – the distinctive circular tulou 土楼 of the Hakka people in southern Fujian province, here cleverly redressed by the art direction team.

“Vajra” is a Sanskit word for an indestructible and unstoppable object – here used to mean a top fighter. Like most of the martial arts/philosophical mumbo-jumbo in the script, it’s never really explained.

CREDITS

Presented by Kylin Network (Beijing) Movie & Culture Media (CN), Ningxia Movie Group (CN), Media Asia Film Production (HK), China Film (CN), Beijing Kylin Culture (CN), Beijing Huaming Star International Culture Media (CN), China Movie Channel (CN), China New Film Industry Development (CN), Beijing Daqiao Tang Film & Television Media (CN), Wuxi Soulpower Culture Media (CN). Produced by Kylin Network (Beijing) Movie & Culture Media (CN).

Script: Yang Zhenjian, Qu Li’nan. Photography: Feng Yuanwen [Edmond Fung]. Editing: David Richardson. Music: Chen Tao, Wang Bei. Theme song: Chen Tao, Wang Bei. Vocal: Cao Fujia. Art direction: Liu Jingping, Liu Xiaoyan. Costume design: Bao Lirong. Sound: Zhang Lei, Zhao Nan, Yang Jiang. Action: Zhang Peng. Stunts: Gao Xiang. Crazy Monkey stunts: Greg Townley. Visual effects: Li Li (Soulpower Films VFX Department). 3-D producer: Blues Li. 3-D design: Sean Shen.

Cast: Shi Yanneng (K-29), Yu Seung-jun [Steve Yoo] (Kurashige Daisuke), Nam Hyeon-jun (Crazy Monkey), Jiang Baocheng (Tetsumaku Rai), Zhang Yamei (Amano Eko, Amano Kawao’s daughter), Liu Yong (Huang Zhiqiang), Ikeuchi Hiroyuki (Shiroginomiya, prince), Kurata Yasuaki (Amano Kawao), Zhang Chunzhong (high priest), Matt Mullins (Bill, K-23, lieutenant), Kofi Yiadom (Bauer), Shang Xiaofeng (Kuncai), Robert Cuenca (Arnold), Wang Wei (Sumen), Dong Yanlin (The Undertaker), You Benchang (Yuan Zu, master), Fu Jiayuan (Qingkong), Ye Youzhen (Jingkong), Jiang Weijie (Hades interpreter), Huang Zihao (young Undertaker), Wang Yun (young K-29).

Release: China, 24 Sep 2013; Hong Kong, tba.

(Review originally published on Film Business Asia, 11 Apr 2014.)