The Shadow's Edge

Shadow's Edge. I read about it quite a while ago, and there's something about those old action heroes who refuse to retire. Stallone keeps fighting on, Schwarzenegger pops up now and then, Cruise hardly looks a day older than he did in 1986, and may Chuck Norris rest in peace - another one we thought would outlive us all. Or Bruce Willis, whose fate I mourn.
And Jackie Chan. My heart skips a beat whenever a new Chan film comes out. I've loved his acrobatic martial arts skills ever since I was a little lad. The last one I saw was Ride On, which I thought was really good. It also shares the same director as The Shadow's Edge.

So, about the film, y'all:
When a gang of young, ambitious robbers pull off a daring heist and make off with crypto assets worth millions of dollars, the Macau police are left powerless and humiliated.
For years, the police force has relied on AI and advanced surveillance systems, but when the robbers manage to hack into the networks, the investigators are thrown back to reality.
No one seems to possess the skills required for traditional police work and field surveillance any longer. To resolve the crisis, retired police officer Wong Tak-chung is called back into service to set up and lead a new special unit. Their primary target is the mysterious man known as The Shadow - the elusive leader of the robbery gang. But the closer the police get to their prey, the more the relationships within the gang begin to crumble, leading to a series of increasingly violent showdowns.

I mentioned that it was the same director who brought us Ride On a few years ago.
His name is Larry Yang, and The Shadow's Edge is his sixth film. Those are the only two on the list that I've seen so far. Ride On made a big impression on me. It was stylish, funny, charming and surprisingly emotional. In it, Chan plays a stuntman who, together with his stunt horse, becomes an overnight sensation on social media. It featured plenty of enjoyable scenes and, as always when Chan is on form, some spectacular stunts.

Jackie Chan has starred in many Hong Kong films over the years, as well as a number of American action comedies such as Rush Hour and Shanghai Knights. In recent years, he's taken on slightly more serious roles, in which he's shown he's capable of a really nice emotional range. Take The Foreigner, directed by Martin Campbell, for example. And this latest film, too. Chan has a charm that's hard to resist - it really is as simple as that. He plays the role of Wong with flying colours.

In Shadow's Edge, he comes up against another Hong Kong veteran: Tony Leung Ka-fai, or Tony Ka Fai Leung, depending on the spelling. His filmography is almost ridiculously long, featuring films such as Election, Dumplings and The Lover. He is rock-hard in the role of Fu Longsheng, a calculating criminal with a heart of stone and fists of steel. I've also learnt that Shadow's Edge is a remake of the 2007 film Gun Chung, in which Tony Leung also played one of the leading roles.

Zifeng Zhang is superb as Wong's protégé He Qiuguo, a strong and clever police officer who battles prejudice from his male colleagues. The acting is, on the whole, of a very high standard, as are many other aspects of the film. The film runs for 140 minutes and many have said it's a bit on the long side, but I don't find the running time a problem, as Shadow's Edge is effective, entertaining and gripping almost throughout.

The tension is ever-present, and there's some great banter between Wong and Quiguo. There are some genuinely entertaining, enjoyable scenes where the veteran tries to train his younger colleagues in the noble art of surveillance. One such scene stands out in particular, when the team begins to surround what they believe to be the film's antagonist and make their way through a market to get a closer look. It's really well done and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The same goes for the scene where Wong manages to invite Longsheng round for dinner and he and Quiguo play father and daughter. Nor should we forget the scene at the start when the robbers make their getaway with the loot and manage to outwit the cops with quick changes of clothes and tricks. I find myself smiling at this, even if it is a bit over the top. Overall, Shadow's Edge is a film that's good at building tension.

Halfway through the film, there's a slight shift in tone. Having treated us to spectacular stunts, innovative robbers, a surveillance montage and a bit of harmless bickering, the film changes tack and presents us with violence that, whilst not necessarily very graphic, is at least bloody and brutal. It comes as a surprise. Now, I do like surprises and it doesn't bother me personally, but the difference still feels quite marked.

Overall, The Shadow's Edge is a film that's genuinely entertaining. Despite its long running time, I can't point to more than perhaps a couple of scenes that might have benefited from being cut short. Admittedly, it's wildly over-the-top and there are plot holes, but the chemistry between the main characters and a surprisingly interesting antagonist means I thoroughly enjoyed watching this film. It has its flaws, but overall it's a really entertaining and stylish action thriller that's well worth a watch. And who knows, perhaps a sequel? I'd love to tag along with Wong and Quiguo again.