Haymaker II Review: In SUPER COURIER, Timur Baktybayev’s Tribute To Hong Kong Action Shows He’s Ready To Evolve
Super Courier enjoyed its North American Premiere at the second-annual Haymaker Film Festival
Central Asia is back on our radar with Super Courier, the latest project to come from Kazakhstan whose Timur Baktybayev has been making good on emulating as much Jackie Chan-fueled gravitas in his performance as possible. As before with his freshman outing, Kung Fu Rookie, that aspect is brought back into question as to whether or not this is a good formula to stick with, as much of a visible ode to Chan the former was.
Super Courier comes from director Olzhas Ibraev, beginning with a hit-and-run involving a pair of troublemakers. That moment then segues into the story Timur, of a food deliveryman who is hardworking, although he isn’t very good at his job due to getting sidetracked with helping people during his routes. As a result, he’s not on the best of terms with his boss who makes it clear that these distractions are negatively effecting his job performance.
One such moment comes just as Timur pulls into a parking lot and stumbles upon an assault and battery in progress. Alas, Timur can’t turn back and he decides to put the henchmen in their place, utilizing a set of fighting skills he prides himself on having as a principle. Little does he know that the goons’ would-be victim, Adil (Kubaev Nurbolat) is the law man responsible for putting away the son of notorious crime boss, Maulen (Dulyga Akmolda), who is now hellbent on making Adil suffer.
To protect his daughter, Sabina (Shahrizada Serikova) – short of disclosing the truth to her, Adil desperately hires Timur to be her driver, convinced he can protect her against Maulen and his hapless henchmen, led by right-hand man, Kamaz (Yerekbulan Dayirov). Eventually, Sabina is kidnapped and taken to Maulen’s underground casino and club, forcing Timur and his friends to do whatever they can to deliver swift justice to Maulen and his seedy organization, and bring Sabina home alive.
Actress Serikova outlines the film’s kitschy romantic arc for our hero opposite co-star Tamiris Zhangazinova who Timur’s lovelorn co-worker, Aruzhan. Her character is mostly spent trying to quietly throw signals at Timur no matter how dense he is at her social cues. Providing the requisite comedy relief as Timur’s best friend and Aruzhan’s equally-smitten pursuant is actor and comedian Kuttybay Sagyndykov in the role of Yesen. Daiyrov steals the show for most of the way as Maulen’s second-in-command, lending an amiable performance that hones in on some of the laughs.
Much credit goes to Baktybayev and the Kazakh Union Stunt Team for its efforts in the action scenes and set pieces they put together. The action looks just a little sharper and more this time around, even as the action direction’s more risk-averse and paint-by-numbers approach feels like familiar ground to anyone watching. This isn’t necessarily to say that the action still isn’t dangerous – it very much is, and the mid-credit NG reel has plenty to show for it in pure Chan fashion.
For all this and more, there’s virtually no escaping the predictability of Super Courier, for its beat-for-beat attributions to any and all fans of Hong Kong cinema. Baktybayev is living his best life at this point as Gen Z’s answer to Jackie Chan and Sammo Hung fandom, with a film that winks at its intended audience accordingly.
More conclusively though, and with Baktybayev now two-for-two in the fanservice approach to his own proliferation as a Kazakh action star, it’s fair to start considering switching things up. The Chan playbook as a Hong Kong fan tribute is great and all, and Baktybayev has clearly proven himself to be a viable actor with all the makings of a potential star, so an evolution may be worth considering.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!
