User reviews

"Walled In" is adapted from a comic book, and it shows at times with its larger-than-life characters, setting, and seemingly superhuman feats during battle scenes. The Walled City of Kowloon was a real place, running with little government intervention, which adds an aura of mystique and allows for creative liberties.

Stuck in development hell since the 2000s, the studios saw huge potential in this film and bet big on it. They assembled some of Hong Kong's finest crew and production team, even creating a replica of the Walled City for shooting.

The action sequences are fine but not groundbreaking. There are too many quick cuts intended to show the hectic and intense nature of the fights, but this detracts from clarity, unlike the more appreciable choreography seen in "Ip Man."

Louis Koo and Raymond Lam, both veterans of the trade, successfully helm the film. Koo brings an enigmatic and benevolent image, while Lam offers an effortless everyman appeal. The supporting cast does their part well, with Philip Ng being particularly lauded for his rare villainous turn as the nearly unbeatable big bad.

The film seems to suffer from catering to too many characters and their different motivations, resulting in a predictable storyline. However, for kung fu fanatics like myself who enjoy the action as much as the Hong Kong brand of drama that comes with it, this is a long overdue and very welcome dose of ass-kicking goodness. Hopefully, it starts a new wave in the years to come.

I didn't read the book or comic so I watched it without prior knowledge. This movie got really great set pieces remind me of old shops I have visited in Hong Kong when I was little. The set pieces and art directions is top notch and respect to they chosen to film close ups of it all during the end credits.

But story wise it is a run off the mill revenge and triad story, so if you were gonna to expect some interesting story it quite lacks it. Next to that the more interesting stories were happening around the main story, with people working in the walled city and especially the little girl doing all kinds of odd jobs was more interesting then the all the main character combined and also the only character you really feel most for. But also it feels like we are missing a whole prequel movie that was shown in the flashbacks moments, to understand the main story a lot better.

The movie has a lot of over the top action, but also comic characters who are over the top with special moves. But for me the final fight felt it dragged on for too long.

For me for I wished they made another movie with these set pieces, but too bad all of it is long gone as they were filmed several years ago. I would rather watched a less triad involved simple romantic or coming of age stories set in the walled city.

I didn't make it to Hong Kong til 1994 so this famous Kowloon walled city had already gone but it's legend hadn't. It was the equivalent of a large block of properties, within properties - a mass of alleys, corridors and tunnels in which the law was enforced in a very different way from the outside. This story starts with a battle that sees control pass from "Jim" to "Cyclone" (Louis Koo). There's now a truce of sorts that exists between the bosses and the outside world, but that's about to be thrown into turmoil by the arrival of "Lok" (Raymond Lam). He works hard to get an official ID card but is fleeced by "Mr. Big" (Sammo Hung) and escapes with a bag of his cocaine into the walled city. That's where he encounters it's ruler and his sidekick "Shin" (Terrence Lau) and where his willingness to work and his fortitude ingratiates him with the boss. On the outside, "Cyclone" has a business relationship with "Chau" (Richie Jen) who has really only one purpose left in life. That's to avenge the murder of his family by the now dead "Jim". The focus of his revenge is that man's own son - but nobody nows what happened to him. Well, swiftly you can add two and two and get "Lok". Loyalties are now tested, friendships challenged and forged whilst the fragile peace is soon in tatters. With battle lines drawn and ambitions clear, it's all out war and the action mounts up. This is a sold end-to-end martial arts film with plenty of nimble and lithe combat; acrobatics and bodies that must be made of skin-clad tungsten steel. It's got a little bit of mysticism and embodies human nature, whether benign or not, quite entertainingly and by not just throwing itself about, but by at least trying to create and develop the characters. The denouement takes it's time and does become a bit repetitive, but as a quickly paced drama it really does fly by for two hours. Honour amongst thieves - but always sleep with your back to the wall.

This film featured a star-studded cast, such as Hong Kong film veteran Sammo Hung and Louis Koo, while TVB drama fans would be familiar with Raymond Lam and Wong Tak Bun. Heavenly King Aaron Kwok made a minor appearance as a guest star.

Those who love kungfu fighting and gangster movies, this may be suitable for you. Fight scenes are aplenty, especially after the 2nd half and towards the ending. Since this movie's original sources was from a novel and comic ("manwa"), there are fight scenes which are over the top and illogical. But I wonder, wouldn't it be better for the overall movie if they just made the entire show more realistic by omitting those fanciful effects?

Main strengths of the movie:

1) The main setting of the movie featured the Kowloon "walled city"/slums which was depicted in a realistic manner, and camera angles were panned well. This area has historical significance in Hong Kong. I thought it was a unique idea to bring these to the big screen.

2) The beginning part of the movie was done well too, with the main characters in the "walled city" being quickly introduced and building up the suspense between the various factions of power.

3) The main theme of loyalty and brotherhood was consistently emphasised and showcased. The movie direction was clear.

Flaws of the movie: The lack of a solid ending was the Achilles' heel. It was just too convenient to resort to the conventional style of good vs evil. Too many fighting scenes led to deprivation of screentime for character development, especially the villain played by Philip Ng, who could had offered more.

Conclusion: It is an interesting film if you're longing for some Hong Kong martial arts movie. But this isn't near Hong Kong's best.

Only giving it a 6. Maybe a repeat watch and it will become a 7.

Whole movie feels rush and by the time the movie ends it doesnt feel satisfying.

Could be better if the movie have a longer running time or probably split to 2 part. Too many fight scenes but unfortunately no memorable ones. There should be some tense buildup prior to a fight scene think of SPL Donnie vs Wu Jing at the rooftop or Winter soldier elevator fight.

Cinematography and colorful character is wonderfully done. Raymond Lam is convincing as the hero and much better than his role in New Kungfu Cult Master.

The movie need a prequel to explain on the flashback in depth.

I expected great fight scenes, great backdrop, some over acting, and a bit of fun. I got this.

The beginning was a good setup for the film and drew me in immediately. The main actor was very good.

The first half was actually better than I expected. It was well paced and gave you a good understanding of the character and how he finally felt at home with a new family while also not losing out on some action scenes. Plus, the environment was wonderfully dystopian and looked just what I imagined Kowloon would have been like.

The second half, OH MY, was a whimsical, non-sensical, over-the-top, non-stop fighting fest. It certainly wasn't 'The Raid' standard but it was still a fun watch.

Overall, totally worth a watch.

Finally I can see silver lining in HK movie after all these ten years. This is what a signature movie of HK style should be like. I'm delighted to see a movie that is so "Hong Kong". Old plot is never outdated, it is about how to present in a modern way. The brotherhood of the gangsters were so touching. No MSGs, no grandstanding, no too much focus on the old movie stars - this is just what we, the audience, want.

The Kowloon Walled City is always a mysterious legend to me, I must give credits to the production team for building such a beautiful replica of the city. No matter you like the plot or not, I suggest everyone who like HK culture or miss the old HK to watch this in the theatre.

Coming out of Hong Kong, this film will remind you of some of the Jackie Chan movies you have grown up watching, but in a setting like never before.

The trailer looked AMAZING! Some of the action sequences were brutal, especially since they were set in the Kowloon Walled City. The film isn't just mindless action but it takes its own sweet time following the characters and making you care enough for them (which is rare in mindless action films) but that ends up being the plus/minus for the film.

There was less action that I expected and a lot more character building, but whatever action was in it was enjoyable, minus the climax fight which...made it seem like it was out of a superhero movie, which this wasn't. That said, following the characters was enough to give the climax a pass. With a better final fight, I think the film would have been a GOOD action-drama, but in certain ways it still ends up being that.

Would recommend for a one time watch, especially if you're an action lover.

How a True HONG KONG MOVIE SHOULD BE !! WATCHED IT TWICE IN LAST WEEK ...and Finally a movie I actually watched from beginning to end in one go and not losing interest or gets bored !! Something I haven't done in ages !! Great story . Great acting and most importantly BEST MARTIAL ARTS fights in ages!! Gritty and have heart and just bring back so much memories of the good old 80s .. you can see each and every person involved have gave their heart and soul for this movie !! I didn't hold much hope for any movie now says as been dissatisfied with movie after movie as of late... 10 out of 10 !!!!

Strong Art and cast but Poor Script. All going downhill when the veteran actor die .the fight get messy ,unlogic at the end , it's kill the excitement that the lead actor had unlimited lives ,and no explanation why the F4 get stronger after fight. Xingyi portrayer is so handsome and charming in this movie.

I still can't believe that Chan Lok Kwun is Cheng Zhan Son. It's should be Wangjiu.he many angles look like Arron kwok.

It's seems that this movie got a meaning to passing torch to younger actor but the script can't put a good development to the 4 young actor. Worth a watch if u don't care Abt the story line.

Just Got out of a Screening of Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In.

Positives -

• 📜 The Premise is based on a book called City of Darkness, and the Film itself has Different Gangs Taking Over the Walled City for their own Interests.

• 🙋🏼🙋🙋🏻Characters. Sammo Hung = Good, Louis Koo = Great

Philip Ng = Outstanding. Everyone else was Solid.

• 🌆 The Walled City was such an Experience and Excellent to Watch and Be in. It was Gritty and Claustrophobic as Hell. The Filmakers did so well to Replicate The Real life Walled City in Kowloon

• 🔉Sound Design and Impact Impact Sounds were very good. The Cyclone Sound design was such an experience. Utilising the Surround sound in the Auditorium.

• 🥊⚡ Some of the Battles were Insane, with Absolutely Brilliant Bodily Movement, it had the Perfection of Running in a couple of the scenes. Philip Ng was Outstanding.

1 Negative -

• The Scene with the Ak47s was too much, they should of kept it to 0 Guns in the film.

Overall, the film has many Outstanding Moments.

I went in to this with much hope after seeing the dark looking trailer with its ominous audio score.

It looked like it might be gritty and fast-paced much like The Raid, yet set in the legendary city of darkness that is Kowloon Walled City.

At first it seemed like I'd get what I was hoping for as the movie quickly introduces the main characters through a no-nonsense and brutal storyline that brings them together.

Then... It all just falls apart from there.

The Kowloon walled city set is amazing, yet overly bright and well lit for a place renowned for its darkness.

The fight scenes are well executed but poorly shot where you can rarely see moves clearly.

And, after this - it just gets absurd.

There are characters upon characters introduced, storyline after storyline, and every time I thought it was approaching a final fight, the film would introduce ANOTHER way to extend the story and ANOTHER reason there needed to be another fight.

But that's not the worst part, because only 30mins into the film it just starts to become absurd!

What could have been a straight-forward, no-holes barred, fast paced fight film with a simple story and an epic location, ends up being a long, overly complicated, fanciful, bore that has ridiculous moments and bizarre storyline additions that made me regret spending money to see it in the cinema.

This could have been an absolute classic had it been dark and simple, yet will quickly be forgotten as it's just not good, and utterly disappointing.

Soi Cheang's Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In throws us into the heart of the Kowloon Walled City, a labyrinthine sprawl of crime and community in pre-handover Hong Kong. Lost and adrift, Chan Lok-kwun (played by a capable newcomer) stumbles into this hidden world, forced to navigate its treacherous alleys and forge unlikely bonds with its denizens. While the fight choreography is undeniably impressive-think balletic brawls with a dash of Jackie Chan-esque acrobatics-the narrative itself struggles to find its footing.

The film's greatest strength lies in its historical context. Cheang masterfully recreates the claustrophobic chaos of the Walled City, a place where desperation and resilience go hand-in-hand. The production design is phenomenal, capturing the grimy underbelly of the city in meticulous detail. We see makeshift markets, overflowing with life, nestled beneath the looming concrete jungle. This immersive world-building is further enhanced by the film's colour palette. The muted greens and browns that predominate, punctuated by bursts of neon signage, perfectly reflect the harsh realities of life inside the walls.

However, the plot itself feels a tad derivative. The wide-eyed outsider finding redemption within a community on the fringes is a well-trodden path, and Twilight doesn't offer much that's fresh. Philip Ng's portrayal of the main antagonist, who consumes scenery with gusto, comes off more like a caricature than a fully developed foe. The film also suffers from some pacing issues, particularly in the second half. The frenetic energy that propels the first act gives way to a drawn-out final showdown, complete with an overuse of CGI that detracts from the otherwise impressive fight choreography.

That being said, the performances elevate the material somewhat. Louis Koo exudes quiet charisma as a wise mentor figure, and Raymond Lam brings a relatable vulnerability to his role. The camaraderie between the young leads is believable, even if their characters lack depth. The editing, while occasionally frenetic, keeps the action sequences engaging, even if it sacrifices some clarity in the fight choreography.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a visually stunning and well-acted homage to a bygone era. It falters with a predictable narrative and some reliance on special effects, but the film's heart lies in its exploration of a unique historical setting. Fans of Hong Kong action cinema and anyone interested in the Kowloon Walled City's legacy will find much to appreciate here. However, those seeking a groundbreaking story or innovative action sequences might leave feeling a little shortchanged. Overall, Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a fun, albeit familiar, ride through a fascinating world, but it doesn't quite reach the heights of the genre's best.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024), is the latest theatrical release from Well Go USA Entertainment, hitting US markets last week.

The story takes place against the backdrop of actual historical events in the late 1980's as The Triads controlled the Kowloon Walled In City within Hong Kong, until the agreement between Hong Kong and Britain led to its demolition. This densely populated, and, largely, lawless territory was run by Organized Crime families.

The film vividly paints the picture of what the living conditions and social mores of living and surviving in this environment were like. If this was the only basis of the film it would still have been pretty interesting; however, this film is much more than that. The movie is an action packed, martial arts dram and action film starring some of the most legendary and exciting Hong King Action stars to ever appear in film.

The foundation of the plot involves the fracturing of the relationship between the crime families as the result of the re-emergence of a decades old incident that flares upon due to the presence of a stranger with a significant past.

Louis Koo and Sammo Hung provide familiarity, credibility, and excitement to this film. Their fight scene is one of its highlights. I really enjoyed watching these two legendary action stars scrap.

The script, acting by a large and diverse cast, and Direction are extremely high level and laudable. They exceed the genre and Pareto be commended. This is good filmmaking. The story is engaging and the cinematography captivating. Sir Cheang's Direction helps enhance the Walled City as a character.

The fight Choreography is terrific. To be clear, it is Hong Kong Style; meaning much of it is "over-the-top" and, somewhat, supernatural. That is ok. The audience is in on it, and it is so well done that we can not help but enjoy it.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (2024), will keep the average martial arts movie man engaged throughout, but it will more than thrill the lover of the heyday of 20th Century Martial arts action filmmaking.

I recommend it. See this in theaters, but see it again when it gets released on demand and digitally.

ABSOLUTELY LOVED this amazing movie. The details of Kowloon Walled City in every single room, graphic details and colour. I could almost smell the streets of that city. It talks about the essence of loyalty in brotherhood, and about taking back what was stolen from them. MUCH LESS TO SAY THE ACTORS LOUIS KOO, RAYMOND LAM, TERRANCE LAU - how can they be so handsome but yet so subtle at the same time????? The movie gave me so much anxiety but also pride in humans, and most importantly it isn't like those kind of those over glorified comic hero where they try to create something out of nothing. They were inspired from real humans and the history of hong Kong.

This is not just a martial art movie. The story is rich with the human values of loyalty, community, belonging, what it means to be a leader in the context of an over populated walled up city. The authenticity of the movie's portrayal of the Kowloon Wall city is mind boggling... down to the details of family business and crafts that sustained the Wall city in everyday life.... the famous Bbq pork rice of the Wall City.... the famous fish skin dumplings.... the local store.... the famous hand made fish balls.... the double meaning of 'fish ball girl' in the movie.... Only a Hongkonger would get that! And only HongKongers who grew up in that generation can reproduce the Wall city with such authenticity physically, culturally and spiritually.

The martial arts aspects are of course dramatised for entertainment value, and pleasingly, martial art aficionados will still be able to identify the genuine characteristics of different styles of martial arts used in the movie.

The story itself has enough depth and interest to hold most audiences, without being overly complicated. There are moments of good humour that reinforce the characters human side.

A thoroughly and surprisingly well made and entertaining movie. I did not expect such high quality production from HK as I thought the film industry there was slowly dying.. I'm so glad to be wrong, and look forward to the Prequel and Sequel!

Having a extremely long development hell process since the 2000s, Walled In has a really great concept and could have been a great action flick, but unfortunately, it falls under the categories of following some of the bad aspects of cheesy Chinese cinema and results with an ordinary, unsocial, and bland adaptation of a good comic book.

Recently, modern Hong Kong cinema hasn't been very impressive as I loved watching the original classic Hong Kong flicks. Here, while there are some great action moments and some really well-done fights, it's themes and character arches have been over-done in the past which causes the movie to feel aimless and disconnected with itself.

Relying way too much on the action and causes some of the good character moments and themes to feel slow and boredom. It is nice to see Louis Koo and Raymond Lam back on the screen providing some good performances and including some nice production sets, but I find myself feeling nothing at the end.

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In is a colorful blazing fury of fisticuffs that spins the infamous Hong Kong landmark into an entertaining pop art mythology.

Director Soi Cheang, cinematographer Cheng Siu Keung, and production designer Kenneth Mak strike the perfect tone, crossing Hong Kong nostalgia with a wuxia comic book aesthetic.

The story chronicles the rise of Chan Lok-Kwan, an illegal immigrant and bare-knuckle boxer surviving on the streets of 1980's Hong Kong. Getting in trouble with local gangster Mr. Big, Chan finds refuge in the Kowloon Walled City, a lawless territory outside of British Hong Kong, and is taken in by gang boss Tornado and his underlings.

The British Government announcing the demolishing of the Walled City ignites a gangland war, settling personal vendettas and seizing the Walled City.

Kenji Tanigaki's inventive fight choreography is fluid and powerful, slightly exaggerating the character's comic book fighting abilities just right.

The Kowloon Walled City set is exquisitely detailed, keeping with Soi Cheang's trademark of arranging garbage into intricately beautiful backdrops.

The set design and fight choreography are well integrated and tell the story visually, with the characters scurrying through the cement crevices, alleyways, and scaffolding.

Raymond Lam, largely known as a TV actor, shines in an iconic movie role and establishes himself as a solid action lead. As Tornado, Louis Koo gives solid support, building a memorable character separate from the star persona created from ubiquitous film appearances. Richie Jen's mob boss is the weakest link, lacking grit and veering into dress-up pantomime territory. Phillip Ng steals the show as the crazy laughing villain King.

The one flaw is a gaping plot hole, an unexplained story contrivance of "how did that character know that?" The error wasn't obvious to me until after the film ended, but it hangs there like a jigsaw puzzle missing its last piece.

Walled In is no masterpiece, but a well-executed crowd-pleaser that has entered the zeitgeist at the exact moment for the audience.

In its quieter moments, Soi Cheang directs the audience's eyes toward the lives of the Walled City residents. Even though this is an exaggerated comic book film, it nostalgically refers to real history where people lived and struggled in these harsh conditions. This is the film's heart; it works in a "look how far we've come" way.

Locally, the film's been the talk of the town, and everybody I know has seen it, some even more than once. It achieves a classic status that Hong Kong people will remember fondly, like a Bruce Lee film.

Get ready for a wild ride because this movie hits you with non-stop adrenaline from the very start! The action sequences are intense, and the fight scenes? Absolutely thrilling. But what truly blew my mind was the sheer scale of the project. They actually rebuilt the Walled City, and it's beyond impressive - the attention to detail is insane!

Now, like most epic Chinese films, you get all the classic elements: characters flying through the air, a hilariously over-the-top villain, punches and kicks that sends you flying through brick walls and crazy spiritual power. The difference here is that they've really mastered it this time-although, I'll admit, there were a few moments that went completely over the top, almost to the point of being ridiculous!

There was a point where I couldn't tell if the characters were supposed to be superhuman, because the stunts were absolutely insane. Turns out, they're regular people, except for the villain who's got some kind of mystical voodoo protecting him. So it begets the question, how are they so strong?

But the ending? Total letdown. It felt rushed and disappointing, almost like the villain got robbed of his moment.

This film is trash!

= Cast = It is no secret that Louis Koo is (and has been) trying to pass the torch to the newer generation but this young cast simply wasn't able to carry the movie. I have absolutely nothing personal against Lau Chun-him, but asking him to play a rough-neck / gangster just doesn't cut it. Perhaps he'd be better suited for a gigolo or pimp (aka Goo Yeh Jai) type of role. Pfff~ At this point I wouldn't be surprised to see Keung B (Keung To) play Big Brother B in the next remake of Young and the Dangerous. :scoffs:

In recent years, many on-screen villains elected to follow (or imitate) a psychotic Joker but imho eccentric portrayals/renditions are extremely hard to imitate. For it to work, you'll need to put your own unique spin to it, and that takes a very high caliber actor to pull it off. I am sorry, but Philip Ng has failed. Like they say: often imitated, but never duplicated".

= Visual Effects = The visual effects are very poor. It looked like something that came out of an early 2000s HK movie. The action and the visual effects aren't in sync, and as such don't look/feel natural; the depiction of superhuman feats performed where characters bounce across the screen and smashing into each other during fight scenes really ruined the film for me. It's just awkward! (For a fuller and better description on this point, please read the review titled "Ruined by countless silly fight scenes" by user andy-57995)

= Action & Choreography = Passable at best. In the "Making Of"s I can see that a lot of effort has been put in, but the crappy visual effects killed it.

= Cinematography = I'll give the cinematography a B because it does a good job at setting the tone.

= Story = As other users have indicated, the story was interesting; *some* of the characters are developed nicely and their relationships were well structured. Though, there were no romantic scenes and there are very few memorable interludes. Also, while I know it may sound a tad weird when i say this, but I can't help to mention that this film is missing a rape scene. If you are a fan of this genre in Hong Kong cinema, a rape (or attempted rape) scene is a signature of this genre tracing back to at least the 1970s. Why do I even mention this, you might ask? It's because I feel that it's a travesty that so many reviewers online are saying that this movie brought back old-flick vibes from the golden era of HK cinema. We will never again find certain elements or portrayals incorporated into a HK triad film, simply because the government won't allow it. This is an irrefutable fact. Anyway, I'll leave it at that.

= Other thoughts = · After the clash between Louis Koo and Sammo near the end, the film lost all steam. The final fight scene is fk'n silly, looks goofy and the whole thing is cringy af to be perfectly honest with you. This brings back to my point about the young cast not being able to carry the movie on their own.

· Sammo Hung's still got it. For someone who is 72 yo and needs a cane to walk, he's pretty impressive. They don't call him Dai Gor Dai (Big Brother Big) for nothing.

3/10 is a fair rating!

... while being closed in! So no pun intended as always. There are probably a lot of things that happened in Hong Kong that I was not aware of (this getting two more movies - I think a prequel and a sequel if I am not mistaken) ... and what a great story, but also location to shoot this in.

Having so many great characters (and actors obviously) is helping. The movie starts with a lot of action scenes - but then there will be a lot of story points and character growth the movie has to go through .. so I reckon those who expected this to be ... b... to the walls as they say (I won't write the b-word since some may deem it offensive, but you understand) ... might be a bit disappointed ... to say the least.

But if you stick until the end ... well the movie offers a lot! Really amazing action and stunt stuff! Can't wait for the other movies to come out ... and curious to see how the sequel will work ... I can imagine the prequel ... but what else could there be? This seems to have an end ... as in, we are done .... well I'll be here to weigh in on that.