Who doesn’t love a good Kung-Fu flick? Stylish action and spectacular visuals are usually par for the course with this genre. Action isn’t everything, however, and no movie featuring martial arts would get anywhere without proper drama and pathos. With that in mind, Vietnamese filmmaker Quoc Bao Tran and action director Ken Quitugua attempt to deliver intense action rooted in visual storytelling with his short film The Challenger.

Though Tran is known for having a larger focus on story and characters with his films, the plot here is close to nonexistent. The fighters’ relationship with each other is implied instead of explained, with the entire short consisting of an extended fight scene that serves as a subtle character study.

The Challenger isn’t a shallow venture, however. The fighting and kinetic direction add up to an artistic vision similar to beautifully choreographed ballet. Every movement carries emotion and meaning beyond what would usually be just a simulated test of strength or skill.

This is essentially a silent film, where ‘dialogue’ is delivered through combat and body language instead of title cards. When sound is present, it serves only to convey the brutality of the action and to emotionally ground us with the soundtrack. Sadly, this does mean that we aren’t presented with any specific reason why anything is happening or what’s at stake, which could have made the short more impactful.

The Challenger is actually a hype-inducing prologue to a yet-unmade feature film, which is set to be produced in 2016 with the same cast and crew. As such, it’s understandable that the short feels underdeveloped at times. Hopefully, the feature will be a more detailed and nuanced experience. However, on its own, the film stands out with blood-pumping action recommended for any fan of Kung Fu or action in general.