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

CineAsia

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 are able to by no means return doesn’t imply Hong Kong has stopped delivering absolute bangers. They might not be as frequent, they usually not often 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 Fire (2021), 100 Yards (2023), or dozens of others to know that motion followers are nonetheless properly served over the previous decade by style masters in Hong Kong and China. One of these occasional masters is Soi Cheang (Love Battlefield, 2004; Accident, 2009; Motorway, 2012; Limbo, 2021; SPL 2), and he’s again this yr 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 shortly rising metropolis fueled by ambition, cash, goals, and violence, and Kowloon City — an infinite, chaotically constructed assortment of interconnected buildings — crams all of it right into a densely populated city puzzle. Also often called the City of Darkness and Walled City, it’s a neighborhood unto itself with a populace liable 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 below the wing of Cyclone (an impossibly cool Louis Koo), the town’s “godfather” of types who many years earlier defeated and expelled the legal aspect. 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 complete forged on the prime of their recreation. 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 direction of the fantastical, however all of it really works fantastically to inform an attractive story in a singular setting with an abundance of thrilling and extremely entertaining motion. The fights are quick, frequent, and splendidly diverse in fashion whereas utilizing the setting to its fullest.

Flashbacks reveal connections between the outdated guard together with Cyclone, Mr. Big (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 City itself. Each 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 associates and enemies of their very own, and people youthful abilities 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 battle abilities run the gamut from lightning-quick hits to MMA-style takedowns. He finds three compatriots in Shin (Terrance Lau), AV (German Cheung), and Twelfth Master (Tony Wu), every of them displaying charisma and battle abilities on their solution 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 massive unhealthy’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 City 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 all the pieces from roofs to flooring to partitions. Practical units, CG mattes, and extra assist carry 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.

Much of that will 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 relation to crafting fights and stunt set-pieces. The result’s loads of top quality motion starting from one on one fights to epic clashes with a number of gamers on display screen directly, and all of it performs fantastically with the atmosphere as characters sprint throughout roofs, crash via partitions, and extra. Fight types supply up a mixture of fists, toes, and blades, with each messy brawling and way more disciplined abilities 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 carry a way of favor 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 seems forward to a promising future. The movie is an enormous, sprawling celebration of the style and skills. It may have arguably spent extra time with the town’s non-fighters as we solely get a pair moments of connection between the lead ensemble and these quieter, hard-working of us, however they land with a welcome splash of humanity. Still, there’s no complaining about what we do get — a contender for the highest spot in relation to the most effective motion movies of 2024.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is at the moment taking part in theatrically in Hong Kong and the UK, and it’s scheduled to hit U.S. shores later this yr.

Related Topics: Action, Hong Kong, Sammo Hung

Rob Hunter has been writing for Film School Rejects since earlier than you had been born, which is bizarre seeing as he is so rattling younger. He’s our Chief Film Critic and Associate Editor and lists ‘Broadcast News’ as his favourite movie of all time. Feel free to say hello if you happen to see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.