Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In
I adore martial arts films and while wuxia will always have a place in my heart, it was wonderful watching a down and dirty classic martial arts throwback, but with an interesting neo-noir twist. Director Soi Cheang’s story of warring gangs in the walled city of Kowloon is a fast paced genre bending powerhouse. The fight scenes are fantastic, the gangster drama and power plays are well told, and it’s frankly just cool to see Sammo Hung kicking ass. The characters are all fun and memorable but the best part of Twilight of the Warriors is Kowloon itself. The city looked lived in, with each corner or pathway presenting its own stories and history, almost like a video game setting. The unique architecture also allows for some incredibly inventive fight choreography, all of which is visceral and wild. Twilight of the Warriors is an excellent martial arts film, showing how the genre is still going strong.
