Into the Badlands

 

                        This was one of the rare few times, I ever look at a TV series and say that "this was one of the few shows I consider to be a true masterpiece in itself", One of the rare few times ever on TV where I can do nothing but binge an entire show through and through and what makes this show great? Well, it contains a good story, good drama as well as great character development, along with great action sequences and finally outstanding martial arts fights. 

                        AMC's goal for "Into the Badlands" was twofold: produce a compelling character drama. and introduce the highest caliber of martial arts filmmaking to a weekly, ongoing series. Left in the hands of creators Alfred Gough and Miles Miller (Shanghai Noon, Smallville), the series stars Daniel Wu as ruthless, prodigiously skilled warrior Sunny, who mentors teenage boy M.K. during spiritual journey across a feudal civilization known as the Badlands. With the help of trained assassins like Sunny, the area is ruled by rival barons, and for decades Quinn has consistently outflanked and outmaneuvered his fellow barons to keep the upper hand. His invincibility, however, begins to fade considering brazen attacks by the newest baron, The Widow, who believes M.K. is the key to her success. As the battle for control of the Badlands heats up, the destinies of the stoic assassin and impetuous teenager become intertwined.

                        In one of the rare and mostly few times when making an epic martial arts or kung fu style of show is really making the fights believable moreover having wide angle lenses so you can see everything. And, Into the Badlands really does that well like even the first beginning part of the first episode the filmmakers and fight choreographers don't hold back when it comes to going full wide camera lens and showing you all the full fight scenes not just using so many quick cuts where you don't see anything. And really that's what makes this show so amazing to watch especially when the fight choreographer, Master Dee Dee Kuma who was a stunt double for a number of Jet Li's movies, as well as choreographer for the Matrix, Kill Bill, and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon was the master mind behind all of the fights in the TV series and the man did an impressive job especially when he makes comedic actor Nick Frost look like an action star. Even actor Daniel Wu who plays the lead role in the show, does most of his own stunts and fighting scenes himself, unlike the other cast members. Moreover, has been learning Wu Shu and other martial arts since he was a young boy and still practices. Speaking of Daniel Wu who's the main star of the show does such a great job playing his character as a sort of naïve and arrogant but also a man who begins to know what the right thing to do and when the time is right to do it especially when it cost him at times. Now as great as Daniel Wu is in the show a lot of credit goes to the two actors who play the main antagonists in the show Martin Csokas and Babou Ceesay, both don't share the screen together but both of them deliver performances in which you as the audience member just can't stand their characters and is wanting to see them die and that's what makes this show great to watch is that you have these TV villain's that you despise through the course of the show moreover what to desperately finish because of the terrible acts these two characters do and want to see them die a horrible death. Now I'm going to do my best and not give away so much because this is a show, I desperately want to recommend it to everyone to watch even though you're going to have to buy it. Although this show was short lived for many reasons, it was out of money and moreover suffered through the Covid attack, the real reason was that it just increased so much story and didn't start off small and work up. Either way this is an amazing Martial Arts show from start to finish moreover up there in the top five or ten greatest shows of all time.