Every community has its stories — tales of victories and defeats, of perilous ends and new beginnings, and of the old guard and the new. Sometimes these take the form of myths and legends born from imagination and other times from some element of truth. For the manga City of Darkness, author Yuyi drew from Hong Kong’s Kowloon Walled City, a densely-packed structure of residential and business spaces that began as a Chinese imperial fort before 1842 and became a place of refuge by the 1980s. In his story, there is good, there is evil, and there is the Walled City, each intertwined to form a battlefield upon which humanity will define itself. Now, adapted by director Soi Cheang (Limbo; Dog Bite Dog) with a script from Chan Taili (Ip Man series), Shum Kwan-Sin (Limbo), Au Kin-Yee (Throw Down), and first-time screenwriter Lai Chun, comes Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In, having its Canadian premiere during Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 ahead of its North American release August 9th, a film that incorporates new school and old school Hong Kong cinema elements that rattle audiences’ bones and souls in equal measure.
Louis Koo as Cyclone in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Arriving in Hong Kong as a refugee, there are few options in order to gain an ID, but you need money for most. After winning an underground fight, a new arrival (Raymond Lam) gains the attention of Mr. Big (Sammo Hung) and his right-hand, King (Phillip Ng), who promptly turns them down. Displeased, the meeting turns to violence with the man (Lam) seeking shelter within Kowloon Walled City. After a rough start, the man discovers that those who need help in the Walled City will find it, working and living within the system overseen by Cyclone (Louis Koo) and his men. But when old grudges mix with political opportunities, the man may find that in order to keep his home, he may need to fight like never before.
In order to approach Walled In appropriately, while keeping spoilers at bay, we’re going to break this film into a few pieces: narrative, cast, and stunt work.
Raymond Lam in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
The first is the weakest part, which isn’t really a ding toward it within the larger view of the film. As constructed by Taili, et. al., the film provides a quick historical overview of the Walled City, introducing characters like Cyclone and how he is significant to the current version of the city, while also establishing the larger historical context. From here, we meet our mystery man, and him being a refugee makes him automatically someone with a greater potential to be out of his depth, which works well when functioning as the audience’s way in to the film’s world. The film utilizing the influx of refugees, as well as the occupation and abdication of Britian, as the initial element, gets the audience to come to understand that what will follow is going to be a mish-mash of characters from potentially different viewpoints from our protagonist, while also functioning with a framework of fish-out-of-water. Each new person Lam’s character encounters adds flavor, while also filling in some gaps by the very nature of how they engage with the space Lam’s character occupies. The further into the film we go, the narrative tightens the circle of characters, demonstrating that everyone we’ve met so far was introduced for a reason. This is not particularly strange for any film, but especially in Hong Kong cinema where characters (such as those embodied by Hung (Warriors Two; Millionaires’ Express)) could be there for a figurative cup of coffee or play a more significant role. Delightfully, Hung’s involvement is on the latter side, getting a chance to demonstrate, for those less familiar with the skilled performer and martial artist, that age doesn’t mean you can’t throw down. All of this is designed and executed in such a way that the audience is almost holding on to the edge of their seats until things start cooling down and they can better settle in. If none of this sounds particularly issue-worthy, you’re right. Even when the conflict of the story shifts into high gear, the structure is such that the audience is able to figure it all out rather quickly due to its structural familiarity, thereby enabling the audience to become surprised by the fallout and what happens after.
Phillip Ng as King in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Making up the cast is a wonderful group of performers from old and new Hong Kong cinema to the extent where, in lesser hands, Walled City could be viewed as an MCU-equivalent with its cavalcade of talent. There’s Hung, as the elder statesman of the film, whose work goes back to the days of Shaw Brothers Studios and Golden Harvest, with Koo (Street of Fury; Throw Down), Richie Jen (Gorgeous), and Wong Tak Pun Kenny (Hard Boiled; Raging Fire) representing the era of 1990s and 2000s Hong Kong action. Joining them as the seconds are Terrance Lau (Beyond the Dream), Tony Wu Tsz Tung (Warriors of the Future; The Goldfinger), German Cheung (Raging Fire), Ng (New Police Story; Enter the Fat Dragon), and Lam (Badges of Fury; The Sorcerer and the White Snake), representing the current batch of Hong Kong actors, stunt performers, and martial artists. There’s so much talent on screen, so much charisma, that one is never bored, their respective performances matching the necessary energy, whether conversational or action-based. It takes a specific talent to make the physical work as important to the story and character arcs as creating a spectacle, and every single member of the cast — in minor or major roles — brings their best.
Richie Jen as Chau in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
This brings us to the stunts, overseen by action designer Tanigaki Kenji (Sakra; Raging Fire; Snake Eyes; Rurouni Kenshin series). Each one tells a story or fills in gaps that dialogue would be too hackneyed, too expository for on its own. How do we know that Lam’s protagonist is someone with skills? Our first meeting with him is an incredible beatdown followed by a chase sequence in which he goes toe-to-toe with several opponents outside and inside the Walled City. This extended fight sequence not only conveys King’s unnatural strength as a fighter, but the hyena-like energy and chaos he brings to each engagement. Likewise, when our protagonist ends up in the city and goes against Lau’s Shin, the way in which Shin moves through the city informs the audience as to Shin’s knowledge base (by motorbike, which requires deftly navigating the narrow passageways, or by foot, which requires knowing the layout of the terrain), conveying our protagonist’s ill-preparedness just by watching how people move around him. This is just the opening sequence and we already know so much about both King and Shin just by the way that they act and react, setting up a high bar that all the stunts that follow must clear — and they do.
L-R: German Cheung as AV, Terrance Lau as Shin, and Tony Wu Tsz Tung as Twelfth Master in TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN. Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is everything that a Hong Kong cinema fan could ever want. It does follow a narrative path that’s tried and true, yet, the way that the film executes this, in combination with its cast and thrilling stuntwork, the narrative is elevated from the expected into the extraordinary. Whether through their words or deeds, this cast of old and new school Hong Kong cinema will move you closer to the edge of your seat with each punch and kick, but it will be their heart that will touch you in ways you couldn’t expect from the outset. Smartly crafted, brilliantly executed, and it’s only the beginning as there are potentially two more films to come: Dragon Throne and The Final Chapter, both undated.
Screening during Fantasia International Film Festival 2024.
In theaters August 9th, 2024.
For more information, head either to the Twilight of the Warrior: Walled In official Fantasia International Film Festival 2024 webpage or Well Go USA webpage.
Final Score: 4.5 out of 5.
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Categories: Films To Watch, In Theaters, Recommendation, Reviews
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