The footage in these trailers shows something that has been sorely missing from Chinese martial arts movies in recent years, actually two things. One, is heart. When a young girl, striking a pose in front of her fellow students, breaks out a huge grin as she briefly imagines herself as a martial arts heroine, it made me think of the French modern masterpiece AMELIE. In interviews I have seen with real wushu students from the mainland, children from humble roots dream a lot about how their efforts to master wushu can better their lives and the lives of their family. These Chinese students pour their hearts into their performances and I can already see that this film tries to capture that.

The other missing element that I see in WUSHU is real skill portrayed realistically. The young actors in the film are real wushu students who do not need doubles, undercranking or wires to enhance their movements. I don’t know how far Szeto, Hung and the rest of the crew went in order to maintain authenticity but so far the film appears to be a hugely refreshing alternative to the excessively exaggerated depictions of martial arts so often depicted in Chinese martial arts movies.

Wang Wenjie. QQ.com.

In recent photos and in the trailers Wang Wenjie looks somewhat like a young Chow Yun-fat, except with much more impressive fighting ability. If he plays his cards right, Wang could end up being the next big international Chinese superstar. Who knows? This film could be to Wang what THE ROAD HOME was to Zhang Ziyi. Only time will tell.

(left) WUSHU director Antony Szeto. (right) Wang Wenjie and Liu Fengchao. Sina.com.cn.

WUSHU quickly became a high-profile project after its young star, Wang Wenjie, put on a wushu demonstration at Cannes which caught the attention of Sammo Hung. Eventually, Hung joined the cast by playing a father figure to Wenjie and co-star Liu Fengchao.

In an interview with Chinese media, Hung talked about being a real-life mentor to the actors who he sees as representative of the real successors to his generation. He expressed disappointment in his belief that Hong Kong can no longer produce young martial arts stars with the potential to measure up to the likes of Donnie Yen or Jackie Chan. Hung lays some of the blame on the fact that many of today’s young stars divide their time between acting and singing careers and do not have time or the interest to master screen fighting. The younger generation in Hong Kong in general lacks the commitment to train hard, unlike their mainland Chinese counterparts where demanding wushu schools continue to flourish and students remain focused on their physical training.

Hung admitted that his own son, Sammy, will never be a martial arts star because he didn’t put enough effort in to train. Coincidently, Jackie Chan’s son, Jaycee, did not learn screen fighting either yet has been attempting to make a name for himself as a dramatic actor.

In the same article, WUSHU producer Collete Koo briefly commented on the film’s non-violent theme, saying that in the past kung fu movies have been too focused on violence and revenge themes which in her view are unhealthy. She says that WUSHU is focused on the lives of students growing up in a wushu school and depictions of martial arts are not about violence or revenge.