Wu Assassins

This series harnesses Uwais' energy as both a fighter and an actor in an exciting fashion, and creates a giddy opportunity for martial arts awesomeness to flourish.

[“Wu Assassins”] isn’t reinventing the wheel. But it does effectively showcase lead Iko Uwais. ... “Wu” coasts on the same, all-important rule of cool every Hollywood action franchise save the “John Wick” movies (with whom this series shares actor Mark Dacasos) seems to have forgotten.

The martial-arts fantasy series features some of the most dazzlingly impressive fists-and-feet throwdowns you’ll see on a screen this year, big or small. ... Unfortunately, even the most impressive fights can’t fend off a clunky script. Story-wise, Wu Assassins is one of the clunkier clunks to hit Netflix in a good long while.

The action scenes are pretty good but the plot is just boring and doesn't really go anywhere. At least it got a film to end the clifhanger ending.

I guess on paper it seemed like a great idea for a new show, or at least an English language vehicle for Indonesian martial arts actor Iko Uwais (star of The Raid (2011)) However, it is a fairly spectacular failure. With bad writing, bad acting, bad special effects... A terrible narrative, a cliched and pat conclusion, and no real 'hook' to bring viewers back for a second series (if there is one). The main plot is very simple and derivative. Iko plays Kai Jin a chef in a Chinese restaurant who, for reasons that aren't really explained, is given the powers of the 'Wu Assassin'. These powers are based on the spiritual energy of a thousand great martial arts grand masters. Monks who, way back when, pooled their collective spirits to combat the 5 'Elemental Wu' - Metal, Water, Fire, Air and Wood... Which had been subverted by the bad guys, and subsequently passed down through the generations. Of course, they are all now converging on the West Coast of America, and Kai reluctantly has to fight them to ultimately stop the Wood Wu (the de facto leader) from destroying the World. Again, as it reads it doesn't sound terrible.... Sigh.. Along with Kai as the hero, we have far too many supporting characters. Characters who are bland, boring and whose backstories consume far too much of the show's run-time. If it wasn't for my own sense of completionism, and need to finish what I'd started, I'd have given up after the third episode as I could see the direction it was taking. In the end, it's a show to avoid. Even if, like me, you want so see a blend of martial arts, magic and spiritualism. However, many films (and TV shows that have been made and aired in Hong Kong) have done the job far, far better. Immensely disappointing.