Film Review: The Shadow’s Edge — Familiar Jianghu Spirit with a Long-Awaited Edge
By Richard Ren / Art Critic & Freelance Writer / LAPost / August 27, 2025
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 (捕风追影). The film’s director Larry Yang (杨子) and producer Victoria Hon (韩肯) 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—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.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt34610311/review/rw10755593/?ref_=tturv_24
