Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024) Review

“Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” Theatrical Poster

Director: Soi Cheang Pou So
Cast: Louis Koo Tin-lok, Sammo Hung Kam Bo, Richie Ren Yin Chi, Raymond Lam, Philip Ng Wan-lung, Terrance Lau, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Aaron Kwok
Running Time: 125 min.

By Paul Bramhall 

There’s been a few attempts to bring an adaptation of the manhua comic City of Darkness to the big screen over the years, probably the most well known being the version that was set to star Donnie Yen rumoured to be coming in 2013, and for a while there it seemed like it was never going to happen. Thankfully it did (minus Donnie Yen), arriving on screens more than a decade later in the form of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. The later part of the title refers to Kowloon Walled City, a lawless Jenga like block of buildings crammed into 2.6 hectares that was eventually demolished in 1993, and featured in a number of Hong Kong productions during the time it was still standing. From the gritty Shaw Brothers crime thriller Brothers from the Walled City in 1982, to the finale of the Jackie Chan starring Crime Story in 1993 taking place in the already abandoned remains.

While the walled city itself has already been gone for more than 30 years, it’s clear no expense has been spared to bring its sunlit starved alleyways and ramshackle multi-level microcosm of society to life, and its difficult to think of a more fitting director to helm a tale set in such an environment than Soi Cheang. As a director Cheang has always been most at home in the more gutter level tales of crime and violence, with his mid-2000’s double whammy of Dog Bite Dog and Shamo remaining career high points. An invite into the fold of Johnnie To’s Milkyway Image followed, so it was a surprise when in the mid-2010’s he turned his attention to the colourful Monkey King trilogy, which were a world away from the darker recesses many of his movies take place in. Those darker recesses have come back with a vengeance in recent years, with 2021’s Limbo and 2023’s Mad Fate reflecting a director still unwilling to make compromises.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In sees Cheang return to the martial arts action genre for the first time since helming SPL II: A Time for Consequences in 2015, and this time Jackie Chan Stunt Team member Nicky Li is swapped out for Donnie Yen protégé Kenji Tanigaki as action choreographer. Tanigaki has come into his own in recent years since handling the action on the 5 Ruroni Kenshin (2012 – 2021) movies in his native Japan, and even made his own directorial debut with the Donnie Yen starring Enter the Fat Dragon in 2020. As a choreographer he’s arguably at the top of his game, and here he’s given one of his broadest canvases to work with in terms of the environment, as well as getting to work with kung-fu cinema legends like Sammo Hung.

The plot of TOTW:WI (as I’ll call it from here on in) is set in the 1980’s and involves a recently arrived in HK refugee from the Mainland played by Raymond Lam (Detective vs. Sleuths, Badges of Fury), who’s been scraping along by making money in illegal fighting tournaments. In the opening his latest beatdown captures the eye of triad leader Sammo Hung (King Swindler, Eastern Condors), who offers to grant Lam his wish of a Hong Kong ID card if he joins their organisation. Lam refuses and ultimately ends up cheated out of his winnings, his retaliation drawing the ire of Hung’s lackeys, led by an almost recognisable under a thick mullet Philip Ng (Undercover Punch and Gun, Birth of the Dragon). Lam ends up on the run and inadvertently stumbles into the maze-like labyrinth of the walled city, overseen by a rival triad in the form of a grey haired and gravelly voiced Louis Koo (Warriors of Future, Paradox).

After receiving a beating for entering their territory unannounced, once it becomes clear Lam’s only intention is to make money Koo and his inner circle take a shine to the unexpected newcomer, allowing Lam to eke out a living for himself within the walled city working various part time jobs. However when it comes to light he may have a connection to a bygone era of the city when it was ravaged by violent turf wars, it only becomes a matter of time before the delicate balance of peace is disrupted, and violence returns with disastrous consequences.

At over 2 hours Cheang allows the narrative plenty of room to breathe, and after a couple of blistering fight scenes within the opening 15 minutes, the first half of TOTW:WI mostly spends its time with Lam adapting to his new environment. It’s a wise narrative decision, allowing the audience to get to know Lam’s character, while becoming familiar with the walled city and its many inhabitants in parallel. The set of the walled city feels like a character in itself, with the cramped alleys, plethora of small businesses, and darkened enclaves creating a fully realised world that feels lived in, and proving that tangible surroundings that can be touched and felt will always trump CGI. Cheang and his team gradually immerse the audience in the walled city to a point that, despite the first half being lite on the action front, it’s possible to forget it’s a production sold on the promise of martial arts beatdowns.

When the action eventually does hit in the gradually escalating latter half there’s little to be disappointed about, although that statement comes with a sizable caveat that the aesthetic very much reflects its manhua origins. While the choreography in the opening scenes goes for a hard-edged approach, with broken glass punched into faces and shoulders dislocated, later on the comic book leanings come more to the fore in a way that felt reminiscent of 2006’s Dragon Tiger Gate, another manhua adaptation. That’s not necessarily a negative, however for those hoping the action would reflect the same gritty style of the surroundings it takes place in, there may be a disconnect. TOTW:WI is far from the second coming of kung-fu cinema that some were hoping for, but anyone expecting that from a Soi Cheang movie was probably in the wrong place to begin with.

What’s undeniable is how much of a pleasure it is to see Sammo Hung back in action, a living legend of kung-fu cinema (and HK cinema in general for that matter), most had willingly accepted 2016’s The Bodyguard as his action swansong, so to see him throwing down again 8 years later is a joy. Yes he’s doubled (he’s 72!), however Tanigaki’s framing of his tussle with Louis Koo disguises it well, and the fact he’s playing the kind of villainous triad role that we haven’t seen him in since the likes of Sha Po Lang and Fatal Move is just the icing on the cake.

If any criticism could be made of TOTW:WI it’s arguably that it’s somewhat overlong, with the actual plot not being introduced until close to halfway through, and it’s one that’s reliant on buying into a massive coincidence (although for those familiar with the source material, this may be a non-issue). Similarly for those who go in blind (referring to people who have trailer allergies like me), Philip Ng’s ascension to villain of the piece doesn’t feel entirely warranted, having spent much of his screentime split between spitting out threats or bursting into fits of laughter. As the close to unbeatable righthand man of the big bad, think Billy Chow in Pedicab Driver or Wu Jing in Sha Po Lang, he’s perfectly cast, however once his role switched up to be the main bad guy the emotional investment to see him get beat wasn’t quite there.

Still, these are minor gripes in what for the most part is an entertaining throwback to the kind of movie Hong Kong was once known for. Throw in supporting roles from the likes of Aaron Kwok (Project Gutenberg, Port of Call) and Richie Ren (Trivisa, Bodies at Rest), and if anything Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In proves that Hong Kong cinema is far from dead. So far Soi Cheang hasn’t put a foot wrong in the 2020’s, and here’s hoping it continues that way.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is coming to UK & Irish cinemas from 24 May from Cine Asia. Later this year, U.S. audiences can expect a release from Well Go USA.