The Shadow's Edge Film Analysis: Veteran Star Jackie Chan Is Still Engaging as Always in Role of Fight-Ready Cop-Turned-Dog-Walker
HK action film icon Jackie Chan reached international celebrity fame in the late 1990s-early 2000s, thanks to crossover hits such as the Rush Hour series films. However, roles in western-made productions have grown far less frequent in recent years, except for a supporting role in Karate Kid: Legends and occasional voicework in the long-running Kung Fu Panda franchise. But in Asia, the 71-year-old performer works consistently busy, still do his personal action sequences while also serving as a producer and action director.
Plot Overview: An Ex-Officer and His Dog Pack
Set in Macau, this cops-and-robbers movie presents Chan as an "ex" cop who becomes a dog walker named Wong, who manages a motley group of dogs through the city streets. Once the best observation agent on the force, Wong's abilities have remained sharp, demonstrated when he recounts exactly which of his doggie charges relieved themselves and in what order. More importantly, he remains able to confront youthful troublemakers one-third his age, and predictably he ends up battling using unconventional props in peculiar locations, including a laundry facility and the crawlspace above a restaurant.
Fight Sequences and Story Weaknesses
It's Chan's hand-to-hand combat sequences that make this movie enjoyable, with quite a bit to appreciate in a production that's always within 10 minutes from a brawl or a shootout. Unfortunately, the linking plot elements proves a dull affair, presenting an overly complicated yarn about a criminal mastermind called the Shadow and his deceitful crew of robbers who steal a device that enables them to access cryptocurrency, all explained in fast-paced conversation that will test the subtitle-reading abilities of viewers who aren't fluent in the dialogue language.
Meanwhile, the cops are too dependent on AI supercomputers to investigate cases, which is why they require Wong to instruct them how to perform monitoring the traditional method. Likable Zifeng Zhang appears as a young female officer who can deliver a killer punch, and who is also the child of Wong's late colleague, killed in the on duty due to Wong's error. Emotional memory scenes additionally lengthen a overly extended running time, but it's always a pleasure to see Chan, although he's looking a little aged these days.
The Shadow's Edge will be in British theaters from 3 October.
