Wu Assassins (Netflix) - 2/5

This show could have been great, and it starts off well. But like so many other shows it loses its way about halfway through. The martial arts is very good, where present, but they use drama for drama’s sake to pad out the runtime, a common trend among Netflix titles. The acting is overall mildly uninteresting, except for an ancient mystic wu assassin character who provides top tier terrible acting every moment she’s on screen. The effects are modern TV level and ultimately not even the presence of Iko Uwais and Mark Dacascos can salvage the show from boredom.

Closest comparison: It’s like Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon by way of The Fast and the Furious, but without the fun.

Setting: Modern Crime
Plot: Martial Arts
Tone: Fantasy

The Night Comes for Us (Netflix) - 4/5

This is a martial arts-heavy protect-the-girl gangster movie, which tells you almost everything you need to know about it. The fight choreography is excellent, for the most part, but those who are squeamish at the sight of blood will want to pass on this one. A few of the fights have the classic one-at-a-time issue and there are definitely some eyebrow-raising “He’s not dead from that?” moments, but the movie deftly avoids allowing those issues to impact the plot at all. The characters are complex and conflicted enough to keep the audience invested and thinking, ticking it up from a 3 to a 4 out of 5.

Content warning: violent, bloody

Closest comparison: It’s like Safe (2012) by way of The Raid: Redemption.

Setting: Crime Action
Plot: On-the-run Action
Tone: Brutal Martial Arts

Stuber - 4/5

This movie is a delightful version of exactly what it wants to be. It’s funny, of course, but also manages to be better than average across the board. The cinematography is exceptional, at least in a few places, and even though the plot is exactly what we’ve come to expect from a basic action flick, the characters keep the audience invested. Honestly, it’s basically just Dave Bautista and Kumail Nanjiani doing exactly what’s expected from the trailer, and it’s a ton of fun.

Content warning: brief male nudity

Closest comparison: It’s Die Hard by way of Superbad.

Setting: Action
Plot: Buddy cop
Tone: Action Comedy

The Raid: Redemption - 4/5

This movie is a non-stop action thriller that achieved its level of fame by having a decent story and excellent fight choreography. It’s visceral and grimy in its realism, keeping most of the martial arts to what the actors can actually physically handle. Some of the fights have the one-at-a-time issue, but by setting most of the scenarios in hallways gives a practical logistical reason behind it and avoids breaking immersion. Instead, the viscerality deepens the immersion and keeps the tension right to the end.

Closest comparison: It’s like an Indonesian response to The Protector (2005).

Setting: Action
Plot: Action
Tone: Action Thriller