The Shadow's Edge Film Analysis: Jackie Chan Remains Watchable as Always in Role of Fisticuff-Prone Cop-Turned-Dog-Walker
Hong Kong action-movie legend Jackie Chan achieved international celebrity fame during the late 1990s-early 2000s, thanks to crossover hits like the Rush Hour series movies. However, roles in western-made productions have grown far less frequent lately, except for a supporting role in The Karate Kid: Legends and occasional voicework in the ongoing Kung Fu Panda series. However in Asia, the septuagenarian actor stays all the time, continuing to do his personal stunts while also working as a film producer and action director.
Story Summary: A Retired Cop and His Canine Companions
Taking place in Macau, this crime thriller film introduces Chan as an "ex" police officer turned a professional dog walker named Wong, who manages a motley group of pooches along the urban lanes. Once the best surveillance man on the police team, Wong's abilities have remained sharp, as shown when he details exactly which of his doggie charges defecated and in what order. Crucially, he can still confront youthful ruffians a third his age, and predictably he winds up fighting with unconventional objects in peculiar settings, such as a hotel laundry room and the crawlspace above a dining establishment.
Action Scenes and Narrative Flaws
It's Chan's fisticuff sequences that render this movie enjoyable, with plenty to appreciate in a production that's always within 10 minutes from a fight or a gunfight. Regrettably, the linking narrative tissue is a dull affair, presenting an convoluted tale about a crime lord known as the Shadow and his duplicitous team of thieves who take a device that enables them to access cryptocurrency, all explained in fast-paced dialogue that will challenge the subtitle-reading skills of viewers who don't speak the dialogue language.
At the same time, the cops are overly reliant on AI supercomputers to solve crimes, which is why they require Wong to instruct them how to conduct monitoring the old way. Charming Zifeng Zhang co-stars as a young policewoman who can pack a killer punch, and who is also the child of Wong's late colleague, who died in the line of duty due to Wong's error. Sentimental flashbacks additionally distend a way-too-long duration, but it's consistently a treat to see Chan, even if he's appearing a somewhat aged these days.
The Shadow's Edge will be in UK cinemas starting 3 October.
