Jill Gillespie (Lady Jill) serves as Wakashu’s stunt coordinator and fight choreographer, mirroring John Wick, as founded by stunt veterans Chad Stahelski and David Leitch, all while taking center stage, showcasing to the world the birth of an explosive new action cinema heroine.
Using to perfection the always reliable “unsuspecting master” trope, Wakashu follows Shadow Doll Dragon (Jill Gillespie), a mysterious woman, stalked by a group of men, unaware that she is a force to be reckoned with. The band of adversaries, targeting someone they believe is ordinary, only to find they have just signed their own death warrants.
“…a mysterious woman, stalked by a group of men, unaware that she is a force to be reckoned with.”
What erupts when the gang collides with the action dynamo that is Lady Jill is nothing short of epic. Visually maximizing the contained arena with neon lighting, a combination of dramatic and balletic framing and editing, carpeted with a score that builds off quintessential John Carpenter synth propulsion that breaks out into a techno-sympathy that dances in unison with the lightning strikes exchanged in this blindingly awesome duel.
Taking down enemy after enemy, switching between styles and weapon forms till finally the Shadow Doll Dragon gets to play with her mighty blade. Once her sword unsheathes itself all over for the opposition in the room, indeed all who might be foolish enough to laugh at death, let alone tempt the fates by going toe to toe with a legendary warrior.
This reviewer has both fingers crossed as he prays hard to the movie gods to ensure Jill Gillespie (Lady Jill) takes the electric excellence on display here in Wakashu, and heads for feature film territory and her rightful place as an action star, you’d be stupid to underestimate. SOCK! WHAM! POW! I, for one, am down for more Lady Jill action movies now.
"…the birth of an explosive new action cinema heroine."
