Movie Review: Malaysian 'Walid' Holds Own With 'John Wick'
LOS ANGELES, July 27 (UPI) -- Martial arts movies may follow the same formula, but they can be as unique as martial arts. Walid , in theaters in New York on Friday, uses Malaysian silat in an action film to shed light on social issues facing Malaysia.
Walid (Meghat Sharizal) teaches spelling and reading to undocumented immigrants who cannot attend public schools. Walid has a personal interest in Ayesha (Princess Kaseh Izwandi).
When Pa Ku (Namran)'s human trafficking ring kidnaps Ayesha, Walid shows he's no master of peace when he has to lead an investigation that Malaysian authorities won't accept.
Walid meets two agents (Sham Putra and Yusran Hashim) and they fight Pa Ku's men to save Ayesha and their kidnapped children. One of Pa Ku's gang members (Jabat Zulfar) joins the heroes after fighting Pa Ku.
The Peace Soldier is a Hollywood tradition. They try to do the right thing without being violent until they are forced to go to war.
John Wick would have left everyone alone if they hadn't killed the dog and stolen the car. Steven Seagal's whole thing is Eastern philosophy, but somehow he still has to use Aikido to defeat the bad guys.
Seagal also displayed social messages in martial arts films as well as environmental and pro-Native American films, which seemed at odds with current Russian relations. Billy Jack also preaches peace and tolerance, but the villains don't listen to reason.
Thus, the first half of Walid shows how he tries to educate the underprivileged, whom his government does not care about, believing that raising a good and intelligent generation will improve Malaysia.
There are some skirmishes early in the film that prove that silat is walking the streets of Malaysia. Finally, the reality of human trafficking compels Walid and others.
Waleed boasts of excellent music production with sharp visuals and solid editing. Sometimes it can be a little more frantic than it needs to be. The combat is surprisingly simple, but never falls on Jason Bourne levels.
Heroes and enemies are great warriors. The winner graphically rolls the loser's leg, which must be a visual effect, but looks very convincing.
The film's climax takes place in a human trafficking warehouse, but it continues to travel to new locations for dynamic changes, including sidewalks and highways.
The longer the fight goes on, the better it will be. Heroes and villains get tired and start fighting.
Waleed is a great vehicle for actors and actresses. The Raid stars like Iko Uwais, Joe Taslim and Yayan Rouhian are about to be dropped by Hollywood.
It was also a powerful vehicle for director Arel Abubakar. Maybe he'll get a ride to Hollywood, but until then, look for some more serious action to come out of Malaysia.
Waleed will visit Los Angeles on August 11.
Fred Topple, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a Los Angeles-based UPI entertainment writer. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012, and a member of the Critics' Choice Association since 2023. Learn more about his career in entertainment.
