The typical CW viewer who checks out the new martial arts action-drama Kung Fu is unlikely to have much familiarity with the original 1970s David Carradine (Kill Bill) vehicle of the same name about a Shaolin monk who travels through the Old West and encounters adversaries on a weekly basis. This is perfectly fine, as this new version of the show is billed as a reimagining and could scarcely be further away from the original. The Kung Fu of today is set in modern times and is processed through the lens of the highly successful Greg Berlanti, one of the main forces propping up The CW with his stable of Arrowverse shows. Together with creator Christina M. Kim, the pair present a female-led adventure story which serves as a camouflage for the fact the series is actually a heartwarming family drama with an emphasis on Eastern philosophy. While the title of the show is generic, the content is quietly revolutionary in the way it presents a distinct Asian American story with an ensemble almost entirely of Asian descent (not to mention the largely Asian creative team and crew). This show is not just a win for representation, but an argument for allowing specific cultures to tell their own stories.
Olivia Liang dazzles Nicky Shen, a young Chinese American college student who disappears to a monastery in China while on a cultural trip that secretly served as a matchmaking endeavor set up by her mother. Nicky is a determined woman who finds exactly what she needs training as a kung fu warrior over three years under the tutelage of her shifu (mentor) Pei-Ling (Vanessa Kai). Her world is turned upside down when the monastery is attacked by the mysterious rogue assassin, Zhilan (Yvonne Chapman), who kills Pei-Ling in the process of stealing a magical sword. This all happens within the first six minutes of the first episode of the series, a sign that this first entry might be a bit overstuffed.
Nicky heads back home to San Francisco to quell tensions with her family and regroup in hopes of avenging her shifu. Her older, tech-savvy sister Althea (Shannon Dang) is on the verge of getting married, while her brother Ryan (Jon Prasida) tries to overcome feelings of betrayal from being left. Her mother (Kheng Hua Tan) serves up massive guilt trips to Nicky about abandoning the family, while dear ole dad (Tzi Ma) is just happy to have his little girl back. It serves as a nice distraction from the debt he is in with the local triad, one of the more rote plot elements introduced here. Then there is the obligatory romantic triangle; Nicky’s ex-boyfriend Evan (Gavin Stenhouse) may have moved in the intervening years, but he seems to still have eyes for Nicky – not good news for his girlfriend! Then there is hunky Asian art historian Henry (Eddie Liu) who quickly becomes a confidant, and maybe something a bit more, to Nicky along the journey.
This is way too much for one episode to handle, and for that reason the initial episode is one of the weakest. The show soon settles into its groove over the course of this gently paced 13-episode season. The show functions in the same capacity as Arrow in many respects with the return of a heroic figure trying to pick up the pieces of their old life while cleaning up their city with the skills they learned in the interim. Many episodes can be boiled down to a more case-of-the-week type narrative; Nicky helps a homeless girl who’s afraid of her mom’s abusive boyfriend, Nicky and crew assist with a Black Lives Matter protest, etc. This never completely goes away, but the backstory of Nicky, her family, and her shifu get more enthralling as you gain more pieces of the puzzle. There are thrilling moments of action in every episode, but anyone who knows anything about martial arts knows that fighting is a purposeful action only to be engaged in when necessary, a philosophy which this show mostly adapts. The elements of spiritualism are handled with respect for the culture from which it stems.
In this debut season, the show does not completely avoid some of the issues that you would expect from a CW series. The relationship drama between Nicky and the men in her life occasionally feels tacked-on just to appeal to a certain demographic. There are moments that sizzle, but typically other aspects of the series are more engaging. Some of the dialogue can also be a bit clunky when it comes to discussing social issues such as anti-Asian hatred and the #MeToo movement, but more often than not it blends in well with the overall narrative. As the season goes along, the characters become more refined and relationships present with a greater depth than the early episodes might lead you to believe. With some of these growing pains falling away and certain COVID filming restrictions loosening up, the second season has an opportunity to continue something surprisingly special.
Video Quality
Kung Fu: The Complete First Season arrives on Blu-Ray with a pleasing AVC encoded 1080p transfer. The levels of detail this presentation manages to eek out is quite striking, as all of the subtle details in the production design are easily identifiable. The series is quite bright and colorful, and there are some magical instances of beautiful colors popping off the screen. Black levels are appropriately deep and give way to a nice amount of detail in shadows. The bright whites of the show do not fall victim to any blooming in this presentation. Skin tones appear very natural across the entire cast. There are no egregious instances of aliasing or compression artifacts detectable here. The show employs some brief instances of CGI at times which holds up well under the scrutiny of high definition. The Blu-Ray presentation should be more than satisfactory to fans of the show.
Audio Quality
This Blu-Ray comes with a decently active DTS-HD 5.1 Master Audio track that creates a lovingly enveloping world. Dialogue always comes through crisp and clear without being stepped on by the score or any sound effects. Action sequences and more kinetic moments are given the appropriate power in the mix with a notable showing in the low end. Ambient sounds are also precisely placed in the rear channels. The narratively-appropriate score of the show often fills the room with music that perfectly complements the character. The audio track does not feature an incredibly complex mix, but it gives the sounds being featured a stellar presentation.
Special Features
- Deleted Scenes: 16 minutes of unused material is provided here including additional moments in China that was jettisoned to get to the action sooner, Evan discussing Nicky with his new girlfriend, a takedown of a mean-spirited protestor, Nicky having a conversation with Pei-Ling about her past and more.
- Kung-Fu – Bond Of Honor: A 16-minute featurette in which the cast and crew discuss the themes behind the show, how it transcends stereotypes into something deeper, real-life influences that were brought to the story, how the story evolves throughout the season, the casting of the show, the importance of having a crew and creative team that is largely of Asian descent and more.
Final Thoughts
Kung Fu takes a classic concept and gives it new life with a contemporary story that balances episodic storytelling with an overarching narrative well. If you go into this series thinking about how great it is that the majority of characters are of Asian descent it might stand out more, but more likely you will be left thinking how incredible everyone is without regards to race. This series offers up big emotional payoffs alongside the action scenes that provide a nice jolt. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a Blu-Ray featuring a strong A/V presentation and a couple of decent supplements. This first season evolved quite nicely from the initial messy episode, so we look forward to seeing where the second season takes us. Recommended
Kung Fu: The Complete First Season is currently available to purchase on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.
