The Wrath of Vajra is a martial arts
action film similar to many others in many ways. This does not take away from
enjoying the spectacle of the well-choreographed fight sequences, though there
is little in the film to set it apart as anything more than 111 minutes of
entertainment. It is a combination of many typical themes found in martial arts
films, along with a fighting competition plot to fuel each of the one-on-one
battles.
The unique element of an action star
playing the protagonist who is also a former Shaolin Monk may be all that The Wrath of Vajra has to set itself
apart. Xing Yu stars as Shi Yanneng, a man who returns to the training ground
of the Hades assassins after escaping as a child during World War II. In order
to save his younger brother from the same fate, Shi enters the training ground
to take on a number of the greatest defenders in order to free all of the young
children being trained.
The story falls short on historical
explanations, instead choosing to remain dedicated to the spectacle of the
fights and the contrived emotional struggle of individual characters. This
would have been a fine choice had the film been a bit shorter or contained a
few more fight scenes. As it stands, there is just a bit too much of the film
dragged down by heavy-handed melodrama.
The Blu-ray release includes a
making-of featurette and a trailer. The only other features included are the
English-dubbing option and French subtitles for the film.
Entertainment Value:
7/10
Quality of
Filmmaking: 6/10
Historical
Significance: 4/10
Special Features: 3.5/10
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