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The Wrath of Vajra Blu-ray Review

     Actors: David Kurata, Shi Yanneng, Nam Hyun Joon, Steve Yoo
  • Director: Law Wing-Cheong
  • Format: Blu-ray, NTSC, Subtitled, Widescreen, Dolby, THX
  • Language: Mandarin Chinese
  • Subtitles: English, French
  • Aspect Ratio: 1.77:1
  • Number of discs: 1
  • Rated: Unrated
  • Studio: Well Go USA
  • Release Date: March 18, 2014
  • Run Time: 115 minutes

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            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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