Walled In’ Reveals Hong Kong Motion Cinema Is Alive and Properly

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 will by no means return doesn’t imply Hong Kong has stopped delivering absolute bangers. They will not be as frequent, and so they not often really feel as gloriously unsafe as they as soon as did (there are rules 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 properly served over the previous decade by style masters in Hong Kong and China. A kind of 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 an entire lot of ass-kicking.

Hong Kong within the 80s is a shortly rising metropolis fueled by ambition, cash, desires, and violence, and Kowloon Metropolis — an infinite, chaotically constructed assortment of interconnected buildings — crams all of it right into a densely populated city puzzle. Often known as the Metropolis of Darkness and Walled Metropolis, it’s a group 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 underneath the wing of Cyclone (an impossibly cool Louis Koo), town’s “godfather” of types who a long time earlier defeated and expelled the legal ingredient. Chan finds a brand new life in Kowloon and a potential 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 traditional that sees Cheang, his crew, and his whole forged on the high 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 direction of the fantastical, however all of it really works fantastically to inform a fascinating story in a novel setting with an abundance of thrilling and extremely entertaining motion. The fights are quick, frequent, and splendidly assorted in fashion whereas utilizing the setting to its fullest.

Flashbacks reveal connections between the outdated guard together with Cyclone, Mr. Huge (Sammo Hung), Chau (Richie Jen), and Jim (Aaron Kwok), and so they’re those — together with Kowloon itself — behind the twilight of the title. All 4 get time to shine with performing chops and motion beats, and so they really feel at occasions 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 associates and enemies of their very own, and people youthful skills are each bit as charming right here. Lam does good work because the insular scrapper who finds himself opening up for the primary time, and his battle 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 battle expertise 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 stunned if we get one. Philip Ng performs King, one of many massive unhealthy’s stooges who actually 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 thing 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 identification, 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 might 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 exhibits a flexibility and creativity in terms of crafting fights and stunt set-pieces. The result’s a number of prime quality motion starting from one on one fights to epic clashes with a number of gamers on display screen without delay, and all of it performs fantastically with the surroundings as characters sprint throughout roofs, crash by way of partitions, and extra. Battle kinds provide up a mixture of fists, toes, and blades, with each messy brawling and way 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 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 to be forward to a promising future. The movie is an enormous, sprawling celebration of the style and abilities. It may have arguably spent extra time with town’s non-fighters as we solely get a pair moments of connection between the lead ensemble and these quieter, hard-working people, however they 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 at the moment enjoying theatrically in Hong Kong and the UK, and it’s scheduled to hit U.S. shores later this yr.

Associated Subjects: Motion, Hong Kong, Sammo Hung

Rob Hunter has been writing for Movie College Rejects since earlier than you have 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 if you happen to see him on Twitter @FakeRobHunter.