Cineasia 4K UHD Blu-ray Synopsis: When a cyber-criminal gang disappears with billions, evading capture by outsmarting the Police's formidable 'Sky Eye' surveillance system, they desperately enlist the help of a legend, Wong Tak-Chung (Jackie Chan),  a retired tracking expert, mentors a rookie officer and rebuilds an elite surveillance unit. Their mission: to track down the elusive 'Wolf King' Fu Longsheng (Leung Ka Fai Tony), the mastermind behind the heist. As the police close in, the thieves spring a trap of their own. Brains clash, loyalties are tested, and the ultimate cat-and-mouse game is about to begin... From the award-winning director of Ride On, two screen legends reunite for the first time in 20 years for this blistering and action-packed masterpiece. (141 Mins)

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Chinese Blu-ray Synopsis: A gang of genius thieves steals hundreds of millions of dollars, but escapes unscathed thanks to their superior counter-surveillance skills, outwitting the police's surveillance system. At their wits end, the Macau Judiciary Police recalls Huang Dezhong (Jackie Chan), a retired tracking expert, who trains young police officer He Qiuguo (Zhang Zifeng) and others to rebuild a 'mysterious tracking team', ultimately pinpointing the mastermind behind the thieves, Fu Longsheng (Tony Leung Ka-fai). While the police lay a tight net, the thieves also devise their own schemes, engaging in a battle of wits and strategy - a sophisticated cat-and-mouse game unfolds. (141 Mins)

 

Views: Using their genius of hacking surveillance equipment, overriding hi-tec systems and disappearing into thin air, a criminal gang in Macau have been stealing millions in cryptocurrency from large companies and sending the local police on repeated wild goose chases. But when the police learn that the elusive and deadly Fu Long-Sheng (aka the Wolf King) is behind it all, they call upon the services of ex-officer Wong Tak-Chung – a renowned legend of the force and expert tracker who can help catch this feared shadow. Together, along with feisty female agent He Qiuguo, Wong and his team set out to bring down the Wolf and his pups – but not without suffering some serious consequences along the way...

 

I loved this movie! An updated remake of Yau Nai-Hoi's highly successful Eye In The Sky (2007) which was produced by Johnnie To, The Shadow's Edge sees superstar Jackie Chan return to work with director Larry Yang once again after the pair delivered the highly entertaining Ride On in 2023. And while I thoroughly enjoyed that heart-warming and beautifully made film, it's only fair to say that The Shadow's Edge is a completely different kettle-of-fish altogether. Think New Police Story (2004) meets Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol (2011) meets The Chaser (2008), with the slick direction of any Johnnie To action-thriller and the intensity of Herman Yau's latest blockbuster efforts like Shockwave (2017), Crisis Negotiators (2024) and Customs Frontline (2024). Not since The Foreigner (2017) have we seen Jackie Chan as gritty or emotional as this, leading his team into a deadly game of cat-and-mouse while trying to keep on top of his game – and he certainly does that. As Wong Tak-Chung, Jackie delivers one of his finest roles of the decade; a character that is so good at his job, he makes Tom Cruise's Ethan Hunt (of MI fame) seem soft. Even when he is pulled into the action, this retiree doesn't hold back no matter how much he is outnumbered. Once again, Jackie Chan delivers and at this stage of the game he really shouldn't have to. While many have heavily criticised or shunned his work over the past decade due to questionable choices, mixed roles, and giving less-experienced directors the chance to hold the reigns, I've long respected his decisions and am under no illusions that we are going to get the same kind of films that he gave us many moons ago. In fact, I'm really enjoying the fact that he has accepted these ageing roles – playing the old father figure, the master, and the retiree etc. But perhaps it was the great Tony Leung Ka Fai that stole the show for me as the 'shadow' known as Wolf King, Fu Long-Sheng. Reprising his role as played in the original source material, Leung's involvement almost makes The Shadow's Edge feel more like a belated sequel of sorts – his name slightly changed and his nickname shifting from Hollow Man to Wolf King, or The Shadow obviously. Regardless, it works out either way but I have to say that I've never seen Tony Leung Ka Fai look so terrifying nor play a character so intimidating! In fact, I have to put it out there that this may well be one of my favourite Tony Leung roles to date. Of course, this isn't the first time both he and Jackie have shared the screen. The first was back in 1991 with the action-thriller Island Of Fire co-starring Sammo Hung, Andy Lau and Jimmy Wang Yu. The Twins Effect 2 would follow that in 2004 – although Jackie would only have an extended cameo – and the following year would have them star side-by-side in Stanley Tong's enjoyable action-comedy, The Myth. Both would later cameo in The Founding of a Republic (2009) but it would be The Shadow's Edge that would truly bring them back together – and what an incredible reunion it was!

 

Allowing both Chan and Leung the chance to flex their dramatic chops by shifting from ageing old men to facing off against each other in the brutal finale, The Shadow's Edge sees them joined by a host of new and old faces including cameos by the legendary Melvin Wong – this time starring in a non-action role as the Chief of Police. Similarly, action star Yu Rong Kwong returns for a moment as Jackie's old partner in a flashback and father to rookie female cop, He Qiuguo. Of course, Yu had starred opposite Jackie in Larry Yang's previously mentioned Ride On and before that in Police Story: Lockdown (2013), The Karate Kid (2010), Little Big Soldier (2010) and Shanghai Noon (2000). Japanese martial arts star Kenya Sawada, who made his big screen debut in the brilliant Nipponese fantasy-adventure film Zipang (1990) also appears. Although a regular face of many Hong Kong action flicks, Sawada has starred alongside Chan in films such as Thunderbolt (1995) and Shinjuku Incident (2009), and returns here to trade blows with the star as a mercenary for hire. While popular kung-fu star Yu Xing pops up for a short burst of action alongside him, much of the focus is on the upcoming young stars of the future. Ci Sha is one such actor, last seen in films such as Creation of the Gods 1 & 2 (2023/25) and Raging Havoc with Andy Lau and Nicholas Tse. A self-confessed fan of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan's classics, Sha takes on his biggest role yet as twin brothers Xi Wang and Xi Meng, the latter of which plays as the genius hacker of the Wolf gang. Joining this handsome crew of misfits is Wen Junhui – better known as Jun from South Korean boy band Seventeen, although was born in China. Starring as a child actor in films such as The Pye Dog (2007) and The Legend is Born: Ip Man (2010) as well as a host of TV series, Wen studied wushu after being inspired by Jackie as a martial arts actor. Here, as Hu Feng, he gets to put those moves to good use and looks great doing so as one of Fu's adopted sons. Wushu wonder kid and Karate Kid bad-boy Wang Zhenwei, helps flesh out the crew with The Shadow's Edge marking his 6th Jackie Chan movie after the aforementioned Hollywood hit, Kung Fu Yoga (2017), Iron Mask (2019), Vanguard (2020) and Hidden Strike (2023). And finally, Chinese actress Wendy Zhang Zifeng impresses in the role of pint-sized policewoman He Qiuguo, a troubled character who finds a new father figure in Chan's Wong Tak-Chung. After making her debut as a child actor in the Jackie Chan produced film Wushu in 2009, Zhang went onto star in over 30 films and many television shows, proving to be one to watch out for and holding her own against the many great performers of the film as both a dramatic and action actress. Lang Yueting and Leo Wang Ziyi, who both co-starred in Larry Yang's Mountain Cry (2015), Blind Detective (2013) and Office (2015), also co-star with the former playing the role of the Madam in charge of the control room and Wang as leading officer Wu Yaolei – delivering yet another strong role as he has done many times before in films such as Drug War (2012), Shock Wave (2017), Double World (2020), The Legend of the Cat Demon (2024) and more...

 

While it does have some moments of comedy or decision making from characters that may have the average Western fan asking questions, these are very small hiccups in the grand scheme of things and nothing new to serious Hong Kong film fans like myself. If there was one thing that attracted me to this kind of cinema from the Far East, it was the simple fact that the film-makers steered clear of the same old boring Hollywood formula. And while we see less and less of it today, it still puts a smile on my face when something out of the ordinary happens. Coming in at a whopping 141 minutes, The Shadow's Edge never bores and is genuinely one of the most exciting and intense crime-thrillers I have seen this year. The hard-boiled fight action is handled by the talented Lee Huang – Jackie Chan Stunt Team member and brother to the equally brilliant Max Huang. Having worked with Jackie since Kung Fu Yoga (2017), Huang has turned his talents to many great projects over the years, but none probably as well as what he delivers here in The Shadow's Edge. Fast paced, quick cut, and brutal for the most part, the fight action here will eliminate any doubt fans had in Jackie Chan movies and lays challenge to any of the amazing hardcore action-thrillers from South Korea in the past 20 years. I sincerely hope that Larry Yang delivers more serious pieces like this in the coming years! Brilliantly made and gorgeously shot by Qian Tiantian, The Shadow's Edge also benefits from a fantastic score by Nicolas Errera – a French composer who had also scored Benny Chan's Connected (2008), The White Storm (2013), and Shaolin (2011) featuring Jackie, as well as Larry Yang's very own Mountain Cry (2015). Perhaps one of Jackie's strongest films in recent years, The Shadow's Edge is sure to become a firm favourite for many fans the world over, delivering another solid yet serious piece that can sit proudly next to titles such as Crime Story (1993), New Police Story (2004), Shinjuku Incident (2009), Police Story: Lockdown (2013) and The Foreigner (2017) among others. Having had it's big screen release across the UK & Ireland courtesy of Cineasia, The Shadow's Edge now gets a glorious 4K release from them that should not be missed. It's a solid return to form for this unstoppable action hero. Be sure to stick around for the usual collection of NG shots as the credits roll, revealing a fun but tough shoot that highlights just how many stunts Jackie was still doing at 71years of age. This, in turn, leads to a surprising post-credit scene which gets me excited that we'll hopefully see a sequel of sorts in the very near future!

 

Overall: Intense, brutal and highly entertaining, The Shadow's Edge is one of the most exciting Jackie Chan films in a long time and does not disappoint!

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Watch my unboxing video for the Cineasia 4K release HERE

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Watch my unboxing video for the Chinese Blu-ray release HERE

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