WHAT’S IT ABOUT
The notorious Kowloon Walled City serves as a fortified, lawless safe haven for gangs and refugees alike. But when a skilled underground fighter runs afoul of the most feared Triad boss in Hong Kong.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Given its nostalgic value as a Hong Kong action spectacular featuring arguably the year’s most thrilling action, it’s hard to imagine this summer will see a better crowd-pleaser than “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.”. Unencumbered by the laws of physics or any sense of psychological restraint, “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” is probably the best comic book movie you’ll see all year. Boasting an impressive array of Hong Kong talent, it features an elaborately maximalist production design that leaves most blockbuster movies entirely in the dust. The first of a trilogy, “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” is three equal parts bloodbath, wilfully designed to blow your mind. Leaning -frequently- towards overly labored efforts to please, it’s hard not to like a genre film that tries so hard to please. In this movie, Kowloon becomes a haven for nice-guy loners, including Cyclone, a barber who just happens to be the city’s respected crime lord. Adding to the colorful cast are characters like the media-hungry AV, his loyal cohorts, Twelfth Master, and Shin, but their anarchic yet peaceful little world is encroached upon by Chan, a desperate loner whose only dream is to make enough cash for a fake ID. Chan soon becomes the target of the greedy triad gang boss, Mr. Big, and his loudmouth right-hand man, King. Centering this story is Chan Lok-Kwan, played by Raymond Lam, a refugee who finally makes his way into the Kowloon Walled City into a real-life settlement infamous for its lawlessness, no presence of authority, and high crime rates until authorities finally tore it down. On that side, the film captivates from the outset with an exceptional production design meticulously crafted to evoke the now non-existent space in intricate detail, a remarkable achievement that will leave you in awe. Throughout much of the first half of “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In,” the inevitable confrontation between Mr. Big and Cyclone’s gangs unfolds. There lingers a hint of mystery surrounding Chan’s true identity. But it’s not as memorable as the movie’s fascinating action scenes that pulsate with manic energy, much like one would expect from a comic book movie. As Chan struggles to make his way through the dangerous world, he meets a gangster who plays him- Mr. Big, played by Sammo Hung-and a more earnest martial arts instructor who looks out for the locals named Cyclone, played by Louis Koo. What naturally ensues is a series of confrontations between the two factions that, in terms of physical engagement, take some time to develop. But this distance gives way to the development of characters who are always interesting, moving beyond their near-archetypal nature. When the fists finally collide, chaos erupts in hand-to-hand combat combined with parkour skills that will surely dazzle the senses. Instead of being satisfied with a single key opponent, as earlier described, Mr. Big, the script regales us with an even finer bad guy: his lieutenant King, played by Philip Ng. About halfway through the movie, he inexplicably develops superpowers that render him all but invincible. The shift into the realm of fantasy might be contentious. It can also break up the realism established with previous entries. Still, I encourage you to hold your judgment until you see the climax. “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” is one of those rare intersections of talent guaranteed to change the mind of even the most staunch skeptic- and it truly lives up to its name. This movie also does not end on a cliffhanger. This is the final work in his trilogy, a bookend to the period he described in Walled In, the second part being a prequel that he plans to set in the 1950s and 1960s.
OUR RATING – A RETRO-SPECTACLE 8