The Shadow's Edge

Tbh I'm not into action movie but TSE is totally worth to watch. Everything was perfect, every detail of the scene, the storyline, and the tensions were truly palpable. Their fighting scenes incredibly amazing. And I can feel the emotion. Especially the sad scenes, really touched my heart, made me cry along, for real. Big applause to all the casts and crews 👏 Great Job 👍💯

On Friday, August 22, the Bright Future of Humanity Global AI Film Competition officially kicked off at the Steven J Ross Theater on the Warner Bros. Studio lot in Burbank, the heart of Hollywood filmmaking. Veteran Hollywood producer Ellen Eliasoph was invited as a special guest and spoke during the forum session.

After the event, casual conversation turned to the recent Chinese box-office hit The Shadow's Edge. The film's director Larry Yang and producer Victoria Hon are close friends of Eliasoph, who later joined a special "Expert Screening" session on August 26 to watch the film.

The film tells the story of a hacker gang that steals billions in cryptocurrency and outsmarts the police AI surveillance system known as "Sky Eye." With no other options, Macau police recruit retired surveillance master Huang Dezhong "Jackie Chan" to mentor rookie officer He Qiuguo "Zhang Zifeng" and rebuild the "mysterious surveillance team." Together, they face off against criminal mastermind Fu Longsheng "Tony Leung Ka-Fai", in a tightly wound game of cat and mouse. Within the framework of a crime-action thriller, the film cleverly weaves in trendy elements of AI and cryptocurrency, while contrasting old-school tailing methods with modern surveillance technology, creating fresh narrative tension.

The film's greatest strength is its pacing. The story unfolds almost like it's in "fast-forward," yet character development doesn't suffer. Jackie Chan's Huang Dezhong turns logical deduction into part of his physical performance-"action in sync with thought"-delivering exactly the kind of high-energy summer spectacle audiences crave. While calling it Chan's best performance in a decade might be overstating things-his acting and action remain firmly in his signature style-this is certainly the best project he has been part of in the past ten years. Director Larry Yang's brisk pacing and light comedic touch also mesh perfectly with Chan's current on-screen persona of "retired but not resting."

Tony Leung Ka-Fai, as always, delivers an outstanding performance. His portrayal of Fu Longsheng is chilling, cunning, and nearly unhinged, carried off with great ease. Surprisingly, his action sequences are even more intense and plentiful than Chan's, raising concerns about whether the 67-year-old star could endure such physical demands. Yet whether in action or dialogue, his face-offs with Chan generate riveting tension, especially in three key scenes-the elevator, the market, and the home confrontation-all of which are highlights of the film.

The film also carries forward the aesthetic of "Hong Kong street realism." Many pivotal moments unfold in everyday settings: subtle probing in an elevator, psychological sparring in a marketplace, and veiled confrontations over a shared meal. These lived-in details bring the characters vividly to life. The fraught intimacy between Fu Longsheng and his son Xiwang-expressed through a bowl of noodles or the act of shaving-captures the delicate balance of affection and menace in their relationship.

Among the younger cast, Zhang Zifeng avoids being overshadowed. As He Qiuguo, she maintains a strong presence even between heavyweights Chan and Leung, her lively performance showcasing a positive generational handoff.

That said, in films headlined by Jackie Chan, younger actors often struggle to shine. The "wolf pack of adopted sons," touted in the film's promotion, feels underdeveloped. Aside from CiSha, who plays dual roles as Xiwang and Ximeng, other young actors-including Wen Junhui "Jun of Seventeen" have little screen time.

One behind-the-scenes detail stands out: Jackie Chan reminding Zhang Zifeng to thank the stunt performers "No matter what you do, learn to be a good person first." That off-screen lesson may be the film's most touching moment.

Overall, The Shadow's Edge blends old-school and modern storytelling with down-to-earth human touches. It retains the familiar hallmarks of a Jackie Chan action film while reviving a long-missed sharpness. At over 140 minutes, it does feel a bit overlong-tighter editing could have made it flawless-but the overall experience is exhilarating. A post-credits scene hints at a sequel, and if one comes, I'll be eager to watch. Ultimately, the film's success rests on Larry Yang's skill as both writer and director.

After a slew of stinkers over the past couple of years like Kung Fu Yoga, Bleeding Steel, Ride On, and Panda Plan, we all thought that Jackie Chan doesn't have what it takes anymore. Lo and behold we have The Shadow's Edge, a remake of 2007's Eye in the Sky. It promises the showdown we all dreamed of: Jackie VS the legend Tony Leung (who also appeared in Eye in the Sky), but given the stinker streak he got, anticipation and expectations are kept at a lukewarm level.

Surprise, surprise, this is arguably Jackie Chan's strongest film since 2017's The Foreigner. Even in their late 60s, this movie shows why Jackie and Tony are still legends for a reason. The supporting cast are also decent, with excellent performance by Zifeng Zhang in particular. The story is convoluted but fairly easy to follow, with the usual double crosses and in particular, really gritty and brutal action and violence, in particular from Tony Leung side. There are some comedic moments but they're few and far in between, but it doesn't detract an otherwise very serious Jackie Chan movie.

If there's any criticism, it'll be it's length. At over 2 hours, you kinda wish it trimmed down a good 20 minutes or so. The editing also leaves a lot to be desired with aggressive zooms, out of place sound effects, and jumpy quick cuts, very clearly to mask Jackie and Tony's sluggishness in combat (though the credits very clearly shows them doing most of the stunts, as do the supporting cast, so that's definitely appreciated). The CGI for some scenes in the first half is insultingly bad in the first half, which is weird considering how well the rest of the movie looked, and it has pretty shameless sequel bait *and* AI glorification, which I can tolerate the former, but boy does the latter actively detract the movie.

Criticisms aside, The Shadow's Edge is a very competent, very well made movie, that finally leverages Jackie Chan's underrated dramatic acting scenes, and absolutely uses Tony Leung to its maximum potential. It is absolutely Jackie Chan's best movie since The Foreigner, and Tony Leung's best performance in a while. I do hope for Jackie in particular, he keeps this newfound momentum, because after years of stinkers and surrounding himself with CGI animals and slapsticks, I think it's time for him to go all in for the dramatic.

Its really good! Its full with action scenes. The storyline is really good and there's some of funny part too, All of Shadow's subordinate is handsome, there's a big plot twist at the last scene and the ending like there's gonna be for the second one. I hope they're doing second one soon. Hu Feng is really handsome. All of the character is have a good acting skill and the part Shadow team run from the police and disguise its really cool!!

Chan and Leung Electrify in Kung-Fu Thriller 'The Shadow's Edge'

Jackie Chan makes a powerful return to the spotlight in "The Shadow's Edge," a gripping police thriller from writer/director Larry Yang. The film is anchored by two legendary performances, beginning with Tony Leung, who delivers a tour de force as a man of shifting identities. His portrayal of these various "characters" is both haunting and utterly compelling.

Playing opposite him, Jackie Chan embodies the stoic, skilled role of an old-school surveillance agent who serves as a mentor to a new breed of officers. He brings a quiet authority and gravitas to the film.

While the film's middle act is light on combat, it invests heavily in character building and story progression, a choice that pays off handsomely. The narrative is more than strong enough to carry the audience to the explosive finale. The final 30 minutes are a breathtaking showcase of non-stop action and masterfully choreographed kung-fu. A particular highlight is Tony Leung's stunning knife fight, captured with excellent and innovative camera work, including some impressive overhead shots.

A special shout-out is deserved for the talented young actors, who execute their own excellent fight scenes and stunt work with precision.

I was fortunate enough to see "The Shadow's Edge" during its extremely limited Connecticut run at the Marquis 16, Congratulations to Jackie Chan, Tony Leung, and Larry Yang on a remarkable film.

Check it out for sure, it's great to see on the big screen.