Fistful of Vengeance (2022) User Reviews (143)

Please stop adding super powers to everything

[Plazeebo · 5/10 · 17 February 2022]

Would have LOVED to see a martial flick with Ico Uwais. He has some awesome moves, and while we wait for Season 3 of "Warrior (2019)" or re-runs of Into the Badlands, there really isn't that much Martial Arts for us to enjoy.

This could have been it, but because super heroes are so cool, we have to sit through a lot of cheesy supernatural stuff that really only takes things _away_ from the show instead of adding to it.

Unfortunately poor

[phillip-henry · 3/10 · 18 February 2022]

I really wanted to give this a rave review, I loved the Wu Assassin TV Show but this is a pale imitation.

I felt bad for scoring it so low

The story is poor, it's as if they rushed to out a movie together so that people would remember the Wu Assassin existed , they should not have bothered, the story is disjointed with no character development, characters appear with no real addition to the storyline, the bad guys wear black leather jackets with metal studs and the hood guys wear normal street clothes that's the level this is working at

Poor editing and production make for a film that had potential to come across as poor and Ill-conceived, I'm not if Katheryn Winnick could have rescued this?

The good points are the fight scenes with Uwais and Tan kicking but, they are well choreographed as you would expect from something with Iko Uwais starring

Watch it if you like long decent choreographed martial arts sequences, just turn your brain all the way down to not caring what you watch mode and you'll be ok.

Disappointingly weak and corny with overly choreographed, unrealistic fighting! :-(

[stevebondi · 5/10 · 18 February 2022]

There was a bit of this mediocrity and corniness throughout the Wu Assassins series, but overall the series was much more watchable and cooler than this wrap-up movie! :-(

Iko Uwais deserves better

[sahil-masrur786 · 1/10 · 18 February 2022]

This one is so dreadful. Noisy action without rhythm, villains who aren't threatening enough, no stakes and confusing story with fantasy mumbo jumbo. Iko is one of the best martial arts actors we have and its sad to watch him get wasted in films like this or Snake Eyes. Also putting hip hop music in every fight scene doesn't make it cool, it gets annoying after a time.

This a story on how NOT to make a movie...

[WatchAndSmile · 3/10 · 18 February 2022]

It feels as if a few actors said to each other," I know a guy who does weddings part time, we can hire him to do a movie and I have a story that came to me in a lucid dream when I was drunk, and my 12 years old sister told me she can write a script for it as she studies drama in school, let's all put our savings and make this great movie... 1. Bad , bad fight scenes. They look so bad, it is stunning how they managed to make them bad as it would be hard 2. Cinematography/camerawork is absolutely horrible. One of the worst I've seen this year. Shaky camera, weird angles, bad cuts (too hide poor fight scenes), bad use of extas 3. Script is boring. Story makes no sense and the script is extremely poorly written.

To be honest I could not finish. Gave up midway as there was no sense continuing after a 45 minute torture of amateurish nonsense. Anyone giving this movie a higher than 4-5 rating would be lying. I have no idea how Netflix was involved in this "craftmanship"

Disappointing

[masonsaul · 4/10 · 11 March 2022]

Despite a solid and gleefully wacky premise and a talented cast, Fistful of Vengeance is a disappointingly weak film that's rushed, chaotic and full of clunky exposition, bad one liners and poor visual effects.

The fight scenes are mostly well filmed but that only highlights how weirdly weightless and low energy they are. The soundtrack is extremely distracting with its near constant and random selection of songs from beginning to end.

However, there are a few positives. It's satisfyingly gory and there are brief moments of impressive camera work. Lewis Tan gives the strongest performance with more than enough charm and charisma whilst also being physically capable.

WU Assassins sequel nobody asked for

[sweber3303-590-815866 · 17 February 2022]

It's a campy b grade sequel to the cancelled WU Assassins series, that didn't make it out of season 1.

What's worse is that any fans of the cancelled series won't even know it's a sequel. Because the previews & title don't tell you that. Not even the IMDB description mentions the series.

It's really not worth your time. It does a poor job of explaining itself, and connecting itself to the original series. They kill off the big bad, and you're left not even knowing how they did it.

Underwhelming Sequel to Wu Assassins

[Kenjislamberry · 4/10 · 17 February 2022]

This movie is a straight up cash grab . When i first saw the trailer it looked bad . I was hoping it looked better than it did . Sadly thats not the case . This movie is really bad. They should have given us season 2 instead of this half hearted sorta sequel movie . If you're expecting a direct sequel to the series you're going to be disappointed .

This movie ignores the events of the show . They don't even explain or mention what happened to Ying Ying the first Wu Assassin after she appeared to Kai saying the world still needs the Wu Assassin . Mark Dacascos who played Kun Zi the monk Kai disguises himself as doesn't appear either. Its never explained why he doesn't disguise himself anymore when he fights bad guys .

For some stupid reason they decided to drop the title Wu Assassin from this movie . I don't know why they did that . I noticed a lot of people were confused by this . None of the advertising mentions this is connected to Wu Assassins . The only people who are going to watch this is fans of the show . So don't know why the called Fistful of Vengeance. This movie is a middle finger to fans of the show . We don't get closure for the show . Its so stupid they choose to ignore the events of the show .

The showrunner is not even involved with this movie . I don't know what Netflix was thinking . The only returning characters are Kai Jin , Tommy Wah , Xun Li and Zan . They didn't bring back Li Jun Li as Jenny . They disrespectfully kill her character off screen using either a stand in or a dummy .We only get a brief flashback with Tommy finding her body . Killing of Jenny like this is messed up and unnecessary. The main villains are stereotypical supernatural villains trying to take over the world and Kai and his friends have to stop them . They action scenes are also really bad .Compared to series the fight choreography is terrible and the cgi effects seem even worse . Zans fight with Kai was disappointing. She is easily killed off . She should have been the main villain of this movie . Its sad Wu Assasians ends on wimpier without any closure . Don't waste your time watching this movie . Its non canon to series so you don't need to watch it . 4/10.

This was so bad!

[BabySharkDoDoDie · 3/10 · 21 February 2022]

Okay i watched this only for Iko Uwais & to enjoy him again in action but the action was so dull & slow it felt like he was practicing or fighting with kids as the other cast & bad guys seem too slow & amateurish. The dialogues were fillers & too cheesy. The direction also was not very exciting. Overall this was just a bad watch. And Iko please don't turn yourself into a B-grade action movie star because we know from your previous films that you can do alot better than this.

At least the TV series had an actual story.

[Top_Dawg_Critic · 6/10 · 18 February 2022]

This was a convoluted, incoherent, incohesive and sloppily written screenplay. The scene editing in the cutting room was blender-worthy. Things just happen out of mid-air, other times scenes are missing important factors. Having seen the TV series, there was still too much confusion in this story, so I can imagine how lost most viewers who haven't seen the series would've felt. Even with the usually comfortable 94 min runtime and decent pacing, this felt too long and dragged out with all filler and fight scenes, and hardly any real storyline. And it's a shame, because Iko Uwais' amazing fighting skills even got boring with the same long dragged out and pointless fight scenes. There's a point when even too much of a great thing becomes boring and stale, and this was the case with all the action - pretty much 50% of the entire film, the rest just a cloudy misguided and lazy story, if you can even call it a story. It's also a shame the writing was so bad because of how great the casting and performances were. Even Pearl Thusi's intimate scene displaying her breathtaking and bodacious tatas was hot. The set locations and scenery were outstanding, and the cinematography was on point. But the best part of this film, was the soundtrack. I haven't heard that many great songs in one film for a very long time. I'll be definitely searching out for that soundtrack. Nevertheless, I'm still giving this a very generous 6/10 (2 stars go strictly to Thusi's lovely pair), and it could've been much higher had the writers and director fixed the terrible writing.

whats going on??

[paulwright-3 · 3/10 · 17 February 2022]

Loved Wu Assassin .. wished they had made a second series... this is supposed to be a follow on movie?? Storyline is hard to follow as it does not explain itself very well .. half the time you dont know whats going on .. and such a weak story as well... shame really.

All Action Follow-up to Wu Assassins

[egg_egan · 8/10 · 9 March 2022]

As always, and I don't know why I keep doing it, but I read some reviews for Fistful of Vengeance before first watching Wu Assassins and then this film. Trust me don't be put off the film because of some none action film fans decided to review a film they were never going to enjoy. Wu Assassins wasn't great, I have to agree with that, but it was watchable and at least in watching it first it gave me an understanding of what was going on in the film. However this film is far better than the series and people should not be put off if they did not enjoy the series. Honestly give it a go, it's action packed and fun.

Like I said previously, I always read reviews to see what other people have thought but always end up watching the film whether it has good or bad reviews anyway. I am not saying this film is outstanding, the best action film ever but it is very enjoyable. There is loads and loads of action, so if you are an action junky like me it is a must see. Some of the fight schemes are brutal and to be honest there are so many of them you never get chance to relax before more is coming your way. So glad I watched it. Honestly if you like action, especially that with loads of martial arts in, this is definitely a film for you.

So linear and predictable, could be a ride at a theme park

[A_Different_Drummer · 6/10 · 19 February 2022]

A an amazing achievement but not the one the producers were aiming for. Instead of an action movie, this is more like a travel ad for a Far East vacation, with endless distractions, including bullets that never actually hit anything of importance and tremendous background scenery. Great production values, charismatic and attractive leads, and a story that goes nowhere. Fight scenes are so weak this is practically a family film. ((Designated "IMDb Top Reviewer." Please check out my list "167+ Nearly-Perfect Movies (with the occasional Anime or TV miniseries) you can/should see again and again (1932 to the present))

Haha.. campy.. I guess?

[ladyliliroche · 4/10 · 17 February 2022]

I opted out of Wu assassins (despite wanting to support fellow asian actor from my home country) and stumbled into this movie. Didn't know it was related to that series.

I guess you can call it campy? It felt very b grade movie. Maybe they are looking for that old school Hong Kong movie vibe, but it's not working that much for me.

I also hope one of these days Lewis Tan can star in a movie that I can actually watch in repeat.

Wtf was this

[dgollert-29144 · 1/10 · 17 February 2022]

I was so happy for another iko uwais martial arts movie, but this on ist so so bad, the fights are so bad and the supernatural addition doesnt fit at all. All in all its a complete disaster.

Action and fights are good but Wu Assassins is better.

[cddbvthcn · 5/10 · 20 February 2022]

Great to see the fight scenes in Bangkok. Storyline is weak. Kai and Zan fights are the best. Zan is an interesting character in Wu Assassins. This is an average movie and the series is much better.

Lasted 2 minutes

[andymcallister · 1/10 · 18 February 2022]

Awful doesn't begin to describe it. Worse than b movie level. Love Iko Uwais but he's taking some terrible roles. Put on the raid for the 10th time instead.

Awful...

[leasmith-25365 · 1/10 · 17 February 2022]

The annoyance of the female characters is just too much to get through, a strong black interpol agent that carries the generic distrusting bad attitude & the god awful attempt at a comedic fixer character both ok actresses but let down by dreadful dialog & direction, the rest of the film is just a mess, nothing to care for and not entertaining enough to be a dumb but watchable flick. Avoid another Netflix mess.

Thought I was watching a musical

[bwayne-24033 · 3/10 · 18 February 2022]

Pretty average movie, but I think it was more about just advertising a bunch of songs. Would have received more stars if it was advertised as a musical.

Exciting fight scenes....

[yhlchan-42097 · 7/10 · 23 February 2022]

The story is not as interesting as Wu Assassins but action packed. The fight scenes are cool and exciting. Kai vs. Zan fights are overwhelming and real. The power of Zan is great to watch and intriguing. Expecting season 2 of Wu Assassins to come.

Assassinated My Soul

[nrgigaba · 4/10 · 19 February 2022]

I was hesitant to watch this movie because a few hours before I had binged watched Wu Assassins and hated it. Why would I then watch Fistful of Vengeance you ask? It's because it has Pearl Thusi.

Even beautiful star like Thusi failed to brighten this movie. Did it explain any of the mysteries of the series? No it did not.

EXCELLENT FILM !!!

[sedonjls · 9/10 · 20 February 2022]

No boring moments, Incredible fight scenes. All lead cast are great. Nice location in Bangkok Thai. Truly Asians film are dominating Netflix TOP! It was a great film. Bravo!!!!!! MAGALING , MAHUSAY !

Uwais and Tan Are A Blast to Watch Together

[tkdlifemagazine · 6/10 · 17 February 2022]

Fistful of Vengeance is a martial arts fantasy directed by Roel Reine' Starring Iko Uwais and Lewis Tan. This Netflix original film picks up where the cancelled series, Wu Assassins, left off.

Iko Uwais is, undoubtedly, the most exciting martial arts action star since Bruce Lee. His speed, fighting skill, and personal charm are all the elements that have made him an international superstar with such hits as The Raid, The Raid 2, The Night Comes For Us, and Headshot. Wu Assassins was an opportunity to expose Uwais to a broader audience using Netflix's platform. The show was good; however the problem was that the show did not do a great job of letting Uwais' fighting skills or acting shine. Fistful of Vengeance is a fun ride, but it suffers the same fate. It does a better job of letting Uwais' violent and visceral style come through as this is a more adult vehicle but there is so much more he can do. We have seen it.

Lewis Tan, on the other hand, is a charming and gifted screen presence. Wu Assassins preceded his meteoric rise in the Mortal Kombat reboot but he was very good in it. He is equally good and fun to watch in this one. Tan is solidly Tan.

Lawrence Kao has a more mature and intense role in this film than the series. From the troubled brother trying to find his place he has been elevated to the fulcrum of the "Vengeance" the title refers to as he seeks to avenge the murder of his sister, Jenny, a great part of the original series.

The absence of Katheryn Winnick is palatable. She was one of the best parts of the original series. While there is an attempt to replace her role with a police love-interest for Tan this is an insurmountable task.

The plot is thin and and, mainly, a vehicle for showcasing the fighting, effects, and relationships. The dialogue is a little forced. The Direction and Cinematography are good. The visuals of Bangkok make a great setting. A tight 95 minutes doesn't give you time to ask too many questions about the plot holes. You do not need to have seen the series to watch, enjoy, and understand this one. I think the absence of the Wu Assassins name in the title is intentional to draw in a broader audience.

Fistful of Vengeance is worth watching. It is even more fun if you are a Wu Assassins fan.

This one is available exclusively on Netflix.

Disappointing

[supermellowcali · 3/10 · 18 February 2022]

This is a fighting-chasing movie with a lot of kicking, hacking and cursing... and that's about it. The story is a mishmash of old ideas, as if an AI program grabbed a bunch of popular plot elements and strung them together, resulting in an inexplicable number of machetes, point blank misses, inappropriately sexy outfits, and polite bad guys waiting for their turn instead of attacking at once. Some good aspects: the fighting scenes are fun but waaaay too much, acting is good but only within preposterous context, and the cinematography is fantastic but a waste on this movie. It's probably a 5-star movie (out of 10) but I also deducted a point for the (dammit) "magic kung fu," and another for its lack of humor.

Never rated something 1 star on here until now.

[zachary-68690 · 1/10 · 17 February 2022]

Wanted to watch since I liked mostly all the movies Iko Uwais stars in, but in this film it's a waste of talent. It's all fantasy martial arts with people disappearing and blasting away each other wind pulses.

Disappointed since I expected a martial arts film without the fantasy, but turns out it's a Wu Assassin's sequel, which doesn't get mentioned in the title.

Acting also feels off since all the Asian actors are speaking English so it feels like a dub.