Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In

[Drunk Monk]

TWILIGHT OF THE WARRIORS: WALLED IN

Best martial arts flick I've seen in years. How often do I say that?*

I confess that I'm biased. It stars Philip Ng, a personal friend, who I've watched rise up from a US martial champion to a Hong Kong martial arts star. He's working with Sammo Hung a lot now (who has a part in this). Phil is an overthetop psycho villain with impenetrable Iron Shirt skills. 

This is directed by Soi Cheang who won me over with his brilliant Monkey King adaptation. This is an homage to that unique Hong Kong genre of triad films. It's based on a manhua (that's canto for manga) by Andy Seto that was novelized. It premiered at Cannes this year, and is the second highest grossing flick in Hong Kong of all time right now.  

Laden with draconian codes of 'ethics' and a wuxia underpinning, these are brutally ultraviolent, gritty and merciless. Think of the John Woo/Chow Yun Fat classics. Set in the notorious walled Kowloon city in the 80s, it's a dark and claustrophobic tale of an immigrant who falls into the triads. With echoes of Scarface, it's layered with backstory melodrama and vengeance, peppered with tasty ultravi with next level action choreography. The cinematography is crazy, heightening the action with a sanguineous panache and insane wirework. Like a classic wuxia, the Kung Fu masters have superhero superpowers, punching each other through cement walls and flying across rooms, but it's done with great effect, frenetic and furious but followable sequences that are fresh and clever. Luved it. 

Totally D00M recommended. 

I reached out to Phil just now to compliment him on it and ask for an interview. 



*once every few years, I reckon.

[Drunk Monk]

I reached out to Phil just now to compliment him on it and ask for an interview. 

Phil responded right away. He's all in. 

Man, if I ever get back to Hong Kong, he's offered to take me around a bit. That would be a trip. All I can remember from that last '91 trip was sitting in a topless joint featured in some James Bond movie with the CFs.

And before you jump to any conclusions, it was LCF's idea.

And it was...

...regrettable.