Into the Badlands

Martial arts TV series have been relatively rare, so aficionados of chopsocky will probably appreciate this AMC-aired offering, which contains many elaborately choreographed fight sequences, most involving handsome Daniel Wu, a longtime stalwart in Hong Kong films. Wu stars as Sunny, the chief enforcer of Baron Quinn (Marton Csokas), one of a group of warlords battling one another for supremacy in some post-apocalyptic society that has reverted to rural primitivism. In the first episode here, Sunny happens upon a bedraggled teenage boy named M.K. (Aramis Knight), who he takes on as a student. It quickly becomes apparent that M.K. is possessed of an unusual power—rather like a Luke Skywalker in rags—that makes him the target of all the barons, and Sunny quickly falls afoul of Quinn and numerous others (including a group of monks) while trying to keep M.K. safe from their clutches. One can dismiss Into the Badlands (not without justification) as silly hokum, as both the production itself and the acting are pretty cheesy (Csokas chews the scenery mercilessly as Quinn). Wu, however, brings a measure of stoic dignity—as well as a glimmer of tongue-in-cheek humor—to the proceedings, and the action sequences are often exciting. By the time of the cliffhanger close—when both Sunny and M.K. have been captured by different foes and are in transit to separate locations—some viewers will find themselves looking forward to seeing how the dynamic duo will be reunited in the promised second season. Presenting all six episodes from the 2015 debut season, extras include behind-the-scenes featurettes. A strong optional purchase. (F. Swietek)