Walled In’ Shows Hong Kong Action Cinema Is Alive and Well

Hong Kong motion cinema exists in a world of its personal, untouchable by most filmmakers elsewhere. The style’s heyday stays the 80s and 90s, however simply because we will by no means return doesn’t imply Hong Kong has stopped delivering absolute bangers. They is probably not as frequent, they usually hardly ever really feel as gloriously unsafe as they as soon as did (there are laws now!), however you want solely to observe the likes of SPL 2 (2015), Raging Hearth (2021), 100 Yards (2023), or dozens of others to know that motion followers are nonetheless effectively served over the previous decade by style masters in Hong Kong and China. A type of occasional masters is Soi Cheang (Love Battlefield, 2004; Accident, 2009; Motorway, 2012; Limbo, 2021; SPL 2), and he’s again this 12 months with a blistering hit that reaches backwards to remind favorably of the previous with model new thrills. Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is an enormous, brutally entertaining blast that pairs actual coronary heart with a complete lot of ass-kicking.

Hong Kong within the 80s is a rapidly rising metropolis fueled by ambition, cash, desires, and violence, and Kowloon Metropolis — an unlimited, chaotically constructed assortment of interconnected buildings — crams all of it right into a densely populated city puzzle. Also referred to as the Metropolis of Darkness and Walled Metropolis, it’s a neighborhood unto itself with a populace susceptible to treating violence with violence, and kindness with kindness. Into this mess of concrete, steel, and cabling comes Chan Lok-kwan (Raymond Lam), an immigrant on the run from triad thugs who scammed him earlier than he ripped them off. He’s quickly taken beneath the wing of Cyclone (an impossibly cool Louis Koo), town’s “godfather” of kinds who many years earlier defeated and expelled the felony ingredient. Chan finds a brand new life in Kowloon and a doable future, however the previous quickly comes calling for Chan, for Cyclone, and for everybody else round them.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a brand new Hong Kong basic that sees Cheang, his crew, and his total forged on the prime of their sport. An adaptation of the novel/manhua by Yu Yi and Andy Seto, the movie is easy sufficient on its face story-wise whereas nonetheless having fun with a deep ensemble and a few sporadically dense character arcs. There are caricatures and leaps in logic, CG assists and a late character lean in the direction of the fantastical, however all of it really works superbly to inform an enticing story in a novel setting with an abundance of thrilling and extremely entertaining motion.

Flashbacks reveal connections between the outdated guard together with Cyclone, Mr. Large (Sammo Hung), Chau (Richie Jen), and Jim (Aaron Kwok), they usually’re those — together with Kowloon itself — behind the twilight of the title. All 4 get time to shine with performing chops and motion beats, they usually really feel at instances just like the human embodiment of the Walled Metropolis itself. Every one an integral piece of one another’s life, a system at odds with itself even because it seems to thrive, however nonetheless destined for destruction. It’s their previous actions which have ensnared the youths on each side of the ethical divide at the same time as they’re making new mates and enemies of their very own, and people youthful skills are each bit as fascinating right here. Lam does good work because the insular scrapper who finds himself opening up for the primary time, and his combat expertise run the gamut from lightning-quick hits to MMA-style takedowns. He finds three compatriots in Shin (Terrance Lau), AV (German Cheung), and Twelfth Grasp (Tony Wu), every of them displaying charisma and combat expertise on their technique to changing into the brand new warriors and hopeful way forward for Kowloon, a metropolis with no actual way forward for its personal. The quartet may simply carry a movie of their very own, and I gained’t be shocked if we get one. Philip Ng performs King, one of many large dangerous’s stooges who really comes into his personal within the movie’s again half as he explodes with violence and persona.

Cheang, cinematographer Cheng Siu-keung (quite a few Johnnie To movies), and manufacturing designer Mak Kwok-keung (Ip Man franchise, 2008-2019) flip the Walled Metropolis right into a splendidly atmospheric locale and transfer us from towering views to claustrophobic hallways. The skeletal construction right here is the miles of wiring, scaffolding, and tin sheets used for every part from roofs to flooring to partitions. Sensible units, CG mattes, and extra assist deliver all of it to life and provides the movie its personal visible id, and it serves each as an atypical setting and a honest acknowledgement of the very actual lives lived inside these partitions.

A lot of that may be much less compelling if Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In didn’t ship with the motion, however stunt coordinator Tanigaki Kenji (Rurouni Kenshin franchise, 2012-2021) as soon as once more reveals a flexibility and creativity in terms of crafting fights and stunt set-pieces. The result’s quite a lot of top quality motion starting from one on one fights to epic clashes with a number of gamers on display screen directly. Battle types supply up a mixture of fists, ft, and blades, with each messy brawling and much more disciplined expertise on show. There are CG touches and stunt doubles (particularly for the older performers), however none of it interferes with the visceral thrills on show. The motion is comparatively grounded, however Tanigaki isn’t shy about utilizing wire-work to deliver a way of fashion and enjoyable to the proceedings.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In has one eye on the previous of each Hong Kong and the motion style, whereas the opposite appears to be like forward to a promising future. The movie is an enormous, sprawling celebration of the style and skills that might have arguably spent extra time with town’s non-fighters. We get a pair moments of connection between the lead ensemble and these quieter, hard-working of us, they usually land with a welcome splash of humanity. Nonetheless, there’s no complaining about what we do get — a contender for the highest spot in terms of one of the best motion movies of 2024.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is presently enjoying theatrically in Hong Kong and the UK, and it’s scheduled to hit U.S. shores later this 12 months.

Associated Matters: Action, Hong Kong, Sammo Hung

Rob Hunter has been writing for Movie College Rejects since earlier than you had been born, which is bizarre seeing as he is so rattling younger. He is our Chief Movie Critic and Affiliate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast Information’ as his favourite movie of all time. Be happy to say hello in case you see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.