The Shadow’s Edge (15) |Close-Up Film Review
Dir: Larry Yang, 2025, Hong Kong, China, Cantonese, Mandarin, English Subtitles, 141m
Cast: Jackie Chan, Zifeng Zhang, Tony Ka Fai Leung
Review by Matthew Morlai Kamara
Alongside his five adoptive sons Fu executes a series of high-risk robberies, culminating in a strike on Macau Tower to steal a cryptocurrency fortune. The heists pull the attention of Wong Tak-chong (Jackie Chan), a retired surveillance mastermind who still trusts in old-school methods. As Wong assembles a team to dismantle Fu’s empire, secrets from the past resurface from personal vendettas to tragic family legacies. What follows is nearly two and a half hours of relentless twists, betrayals, and Jackie Chan doing what Jackie does best, turning action into art.
The set pieces are top-notch, and the café attic showdown is a standout moment in the film – tight, sweaty, furious. Absolutely every punch feels like it’s happening two inches from your face, the camera shots are so close it makes it more mind-blowing. Chan seems to thrive in these small, inventive spaces, making the choreography both breathtaking and enjoyable to watch.
Chan still carries the screen with his trademark blend of humour and grit, while Tony Leung delivers a fabulous performance that gives the cat-and-mouse dynamic real intense. Their chemistry adds gravity to the chaos, making every clash land with emotional and physical impact to their bodies.
I walked out of the film dazed and buzzing with adrenaline. It genuinely felt like I’d been transported into the movie itself ducking, dodging, and brawling beside Jackie. The energy even had me wanting to dust off my PlayStation One for a few nostalgic rounds of Street Fighter and Tekken. Definitely a nonstop action movie to fly kick yourself into.
