It’s the kind of movie that makes sense coming from the co-director of “The Twins Effect II,” though Corey Yuen has clearly displayed he’s capable of much more intricate choreography as recently as last year’s “Shaolin.” The key thing about “Wu Dang” is that, while the action lacks quality, it’s certainly there in quantity: the movie’s runtime tends to fly by as Vincent Zhao and company get into one brawl after the other. Despite a tableu of relationships which are, at the very least, a bit icky, it’s safe to say that “Wu Dang” is inoffensive enough perhaps an entry-level martial arts film for the young’uns. In other words, he’s no romantic lead – which is partially why he excels in action-driven roles like “” or “Fist Power,” instead of family-oriented adventure films like this. “Wu Dang” could use more of this kind of playfulness, but it’s clear you can only do so much when Vincent Zhao seems incapable of projecting more than a monk-like stoicism. In the midst of battle, Vincent Zhao and Mini Rang even stop to engage in a slow-motion ‘dance’ of sorts – while it may not be the big romantic moment that director Patrick Leung was likely going for, it is a nice stylistic touch.
This sequence was featured heavily in the trailers and it’s a moment when the movie really seems to take off. The film’s key setpiece involves Vincent Zhao and Yang Mi teaming up to take on an angry mob in the middle of a two-tiered monastery room.
It’s a bit of a shame when we know actors like Vincent Zhao and Louis Fan still have the moves even though they’re nearing middle-age. The action here seems designed around what the actors could or couldn’t do, rather than in the interest of choreographing some truly show-stopping fights. The actors are clearly assisted by wires and stand-ins – but what’s worse is that the editing is simply too fast to really appreciate the moves onscreen.