Tag: Kung Fu

Spoiler-Free Review of “Kate” on Netflix: Mary Elizabeth Winstead is a Bad-Ass Queen

**This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!**

“Take control over your own life…”

Kate premiered on Netflix on September 10th 2021. The action thriller film stars Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, and Miku Martineau. It runs for approximately an hour and forty-five minutes.

An assassin based in Japan learns that she has been poisoned and only has 24 hours left to live, as she attempts to take revenge on her enemies while protecting an innocent girl caught in the crossfire. 

Here is the trailer:

Kate follows an action formula we have seen many times before, but it does have the talented Mary Elizabeth Winstead leading the way. Does this film do enough to earn a watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is the best part of the movie.

I am already a huge fan of hers, but wow does she deliver in this film! She is so convincing and bad-ass. I rooted for her the entire time and she could give any other assassin a run for their money. She does not hold anything back, but she also reveals some heartfelt moments as well which made me connect to her character a lot. More please!

Images courtesy of Netflix

Plenty of flashy action to go around.

If you are looking for lots of fight scenes, you are in the right place. I loved the touch of pop music thrown in which channeled The CW’s Kung Fu in a lot of ways. The use of vibrant colors also helped make these scenes really stand out. Mary Elizabeth Winstead certainly got a workout in!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of Netflix

Not super original…

I’ve seen this type of movie before and much like Maggie Q’s recent The Protege, the plot is just kind of okay, which is kind of frustrating because it wastes the talent of these two actresses. Mary Elizabeth Winstead’s Kate is a great character and she is ruthless with her kills, but I’ve seen this type of movie before and it doesn’t really do anything new or unique. It lacks some of the outrageous humor from Crank, but it does have some heartwarming moments thrown in with the unlikely friendship formed.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of Netflix

I’m in about 75 percent…

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is fantastic and deserves a watch. If you are looking for a quick action thriller, you will find plenty to enjoy. I just wanted a little bit more substance from the movie because the character and performance overshadowed the plot.

Overall, this was a fun watch and I would recommend it if you like revenge action thrillers.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Kate in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

PLAY BY THE RULES…STAY ALIVE…

A harmless night of fun turns deadly for six college friends but the game has only just begun. Take a mystery thrill ride right from your own living room. Dash and Seek is out now!

Play if you dare…

Dash and Seek is available here!

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Spoiler-Free Review of the “Kung Fu” Season Finale on The CW: This Show Just Became a Contender

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“Look beyond the duality of good and evil…”

Kung Fu premiered on The CW on April 7th 2021. Season one features thirteen episodes and the season finale aired on July 21st 2021. The series stars Olivia Liang, Shannon Dang, Gavin Stenhouse, and Tzi Ma. Each episode runs for approximately 42 minutes.

Inspired by the 1972 series of the same name, The CW’s Kung Fu introduces us to Nicky Shen, who ends up running away from her family to become a Shaolin monk. After her mentor is killed and a mysterious sword is stolen, Nicky returns home and encounters several new threats along the way while trying to make things right with her family.

Season one brought us a good balance of epic fight scenes, the mystery behind the great power, and some welcomed family drama and levity. The episodes were entertaining, but followed a new weekly case/mission style, which meant that you could easily skip an episode and then return to the show without skipping a beat.

However, as we got toward the later episodes of the season, the mystery behind Nicky’s destiny became more and more intriguing, leading up to the season finale. But does the season finale of Kung Fu do enough to bring us back for season two? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of The CW

The Shen family can hold their own!

Sure, Nicky Shen may be the warrior of the family, but everyone consistently proves their worth and I thought the season finale did a good job of still reflecting Nicky’s family values and connections without overshadowing everything else going on.

It’s part of what makes her who she is and it gives her something to fight for.

There were some really great moments and I have to say that I will always be rooting for the Shen family!

Images courtesy of The CW

All hail Zhilan!

I just need to take a moment to recognize how amazing Yvonne Chapman is at portraying the villainess, Zhilan. I thought that the later episodes of the season did a good job of developing her character more. She could have easily been molded into a typical “bad gal,” but there is a lot of complexity to her character and it actually really enhanced the whole “duality” plot even further.

I think she is truly fantastic and how does she always look so stunning?

Epic final battle.

I really love watching the fight scenes on this show. While most of them involve a pop music soundtrack in the background, the one in the season finale needed to feel different and I thought it was truly fantastic.

There was a true artistry to the choreography behind the fight scene and it was magical watching our two leading ladies face off on screen.

More please!

The Cons:

Images courtesy of The CW

Nice and neat.

I don’t want anything to happen to any of the characters on this show, but things felt a little too nice and neat by the end. A sacrifice needs to be made or something tragic needs to happen to keep Nicky’s fight relevant, but there is plenty of time for that in season two.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of The CW

I’m in!

I’ve truly enjoyed my watch of this show, but the season finale really stepped things up for me. I thought it was really entertaining and the set-up for season two looks like we’re heading in the right direction to keep this show going strong.

Nicky Shen is a warrior worth rooting for and I can’t wait to see what she does next!

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Kung Fu in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!

Spoiler-Free Review of “Kung Fu” on The CW: Meet Nicky Shen

*This is a spoiler-free review so feel free to read on!*

“You make the path that you live…”

Kung Fu premiered on The CW on April 7th 2021 and it will feature episodes that air weekly. The series stars Olivia Liang, Shannon Dang, Gavin Stenhouse, and Tzi Ma. Each episode runs for approximately 42 minutes.

Inspired by the 1972 series of the same name, The CW’s Kung Fu introduces us to Nicky Shen, who ends up running away from her family to become a Shaolin monk. After her mentor is killed and a mysterious sword is stolen, Nicky returns home and encounters several new threats along the way while trying to make things right with her family.

Here is the trailer:

Kung Fu has a lot to offer and its female heroine is likable enough, but there is a lot going on in the pilot episode which has me wondering about the true direction of this series. However, is it worth the watch? Let’s find out…

The Pros:

Images courtesy of The CW

A female heroine to root for.

Olivia Liang portrays our main character, Nicky Shen and she is already doing an incredible job. Nicky Shen is extremely likable and I’m all for a female lead who can kick some serious ass!

I also really like that our main character doesn’t have any special/magical abilities. She doesn’t find herself embedded in a forced upon destiny. Rather, she makes her own decisions and tries to do what is right while still piecing together who she is and making mistakes along the way, which makes her feel like someone you can easily relate to.

Good balance of family & action.

Images courtesy of The CW

While The CW’s Walker failed to meet this balance in my opinion, I think that Kung Fu is already doing a better job of giving us enough fight scenes and action while still focusing on Nicky’s own personal journey. The scenes with her family are relevant and really paint a picture of who Nicky is and where she comes from without overdoing it.

Plus, I enjoyed a lot of the scenes filled with some humor and pop music as well so that the show didn’t feel heavy and overwhelming. It really was a nice touch.

The Cons:

Images courtesy of The CW

A lot going on…

The pilot episode is really busy with set-up, love possibilities, family issues, and a journey of self-discovery with some awesome fight scenes sprinkled in. I liked everything going on, but I was a little bit overwhelmed and I think that as long as the show doesn’t sacrifice character development to further a busy plot, it can find its true path without losing its audience in the process.

Watch out for tropes.

I wasn’t a fan of the voice-over narration, but I can live with it. I also think that the show needs to be careful about its supporting characters falling easily into many tropes we often see especially with some of the DC shows on The CW’s line-up.

Again, there is enough content going on and really enjoyable characters, but we need to allow each one to give us layers so that we become invested in them.

So am I in or out?

Images courtesy of The CW

I’m in about 75 percent…

I actually really enjoyed the show and I really want to root for Nicky Shen. I think the show has a lot of redeeming qualities and it can really become a part of my regular line-up, but it needs to make a few tweaks over the next few episodes to keep my interest.

As long as the show can lean on character development more than a busy plot and avoid relying on tropes, I think it can actually do really well and I’m looking forward to watching more episodes.

I hope you enjoyed the review and feel free to post your own thoughts and theories on Kung Fu in the comments section below. Thanks so much for reading and happy viewing!

Best,

Amy Koto, TV Fanatic Girl

DON’T TAKE THE JOB…

It was only supposed to be temporary…but when Olivia Crewe accepts a new position that seems too good to be true, she soon discovers that twelve other girls previously had the same job as her. Only none of them lasted for more than thirty days. No notice. Nothing…right before they mysteriously disappeared without a trace.

My new supernatural thriller Girl Number Thirteen is out now! I hope you enjoy!

Girl Number Thirteen is available here!

**If you enjoyed this blog, I would love it if you would click the follow button on your way out to subscribe.  Thanks for your support!