A refugee arrives in Hong Kong, trying to obtain a fake ID from the Triads. However, since they are crooks, they trick him, and he ends up stealing a bag of drugs. He hides in the Walled City, where it doesn’t take long before he gets into trouble. But the mighty leader of the city takes him under his wing because they share a past.
Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In offers a generic story, but the movie has that good old Hong Kong action charm that’s been missing for many years. There are plenty of fight scenes, but if you look closely at the choreography, you’ll notice that the flow is disrupted and replaced by quick cuts.
Despite this, the energy is there, and you will find yourself hating one of the most irritating movie villains in history. Because of how much you will hate the laughing villain, it makes the fight scenes more engaging, as you hope the good guys will kill him. He’s like a stubborn mosquito you can’t get rid of.
However, that’s not easy, as it turns out he’s a supervillain, almost like one from a Marvel movie.
You have the usual outsider with a hidden past that even he doesn’t know about, along with the classic bond between real men—none of whom wear lipstick like the “flower boys” from South Korea.
The story is weak, but as I mentioned, it is saved by how irritating the villain is, who both looks and acts like a fool.
One thing that stands out is that the protagonist never evolves as a martial artist. Usually, in these movies, the protagonist becomes stronger and learns something important about martial arts. However, here, the only one with special abilities is the long-haired, laughing villain.
As for the actors, one of the leading roles is played by Lazy Koo. The lazy man can’t fight, so it gets ridiculous when he faces off against action legend Sammo Hung. And while Sammo Hung can’t move like he used to, the fight between the two is saved by the hope that the good guys will prevail, since Sammo Hung’s nearly invincible right-hand man is incredibly annoying.
If you’ve missed energetic Hong Kong action and martial arts movies with themes of brotherhood, then Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is worth checking out. The story may not be great, but it’s still a fun and engaging journey.