Kung Fu Jungle | 2.5/5

SINGAPORE — Donnie Yen returns with yet another action movie, this time with Bodyguards and Assassins director Teddy Chan.

Kung Fu Jungle doesn’t pretend to be realistic, nor, strictly speaking, does it have to. The movie is set in modern day Hong Kong but tells the story of a martial arts instructor (Yen) who is enlisted by a detective (Charlie Young) to arrest Fung, a vicious killer (Wang Baoqiang). Fung has been brutally and methodically murdering kung fu exponents in his quest to become number one in the field of martial arts. In order words, the film is just an excuse to watch Donnie Yen do what he does best — beat people up.

My main gripe about the movie is the fact that it doesn’t convincingly explain Fung’s drive to be top in the field and his motivation for murdering so many people — beyond the fact that he is a kung fu fanatic and a bit of a nutter. And like in many action movies, the female characters in the movie are more ornamental than they are functional.

Thankfully, where Kung Fu Jungle lacks in plot, it makes up for in its action scenes, which are directed by Yen and mostly obey the laws of gravity. As always, it is a pleasure watching Yen beat dozens of people onscreen. But it’s even better watching him meet his match in Wang, who appears to be equally skillful, though perhaps a little less graceful a fighter than Yen.

And perhaps that is the least we can ask for in a decent action movie.

(PG13, 100 mins)