Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In (Chinese: 九龍城寨之圍城; lit. 'The Siege of Kowloon Walled City') is a 2024 Hong Kong martial arts action film directed by Soi Cheang, and starring Louis Koo, Sammo Hung, Richie Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Philip Ng, Tony Wu and German Cheung. The film was based on the novel City of Darkness by Yuyi and the manhua of the same name by Andy Seto. Having been in development since the 2000s, production for the film officially began in November 2021 and wrapped in April 2022. The film was released in Hong Kong and mainland China on 1 May 2024, and was selected to be in the Official Selection (Midnight Screening) of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, as part of screened out of competition. The film received critical acclaim. The film became the second-highest-grossing domestic film of all time in Hong Kong. The film was selected as Hong Kong’s official entry for Best International Feature Film at the 97th Academy Awards, but was not nominated.

Plot

The film is set in 1980s Hong Kong. It follows the story of Chan Lok-kwan, a troubled youth who accidentally enters the notorious Kowloon Walled City. Lok-kwan, a refugee from the mainland, is trying to survive by participating in underground fighting rings. He seeks to buy a fake ID to improve his life but is betrayed by Mr. Big, a local crime syndicate boss. In a desperate move, Lok-kwan steals drugs from Mr. Big and flees to the Walled City, where he encounters Cyclone, the local crime lord who rules the area with a mix of authority and compassion. In the Walled City, Lok-kwan learns about the order and chaos within the community and forms bonds with Cyclone and his gang. On the other hand, Mr. Big and his gang try to take over the Walled City, leading to intense battles. Also Chan Lok-kwan's father is revealed to be Jim, the notorious 'King of Killers' who murdered triad leader Dik Chau's family. Now, Lok-kwan must pay for that.

Cast

Louis Koo as Cyclone (龍捲風): a martial arts master who strives to protect the safety and stability of the residents in the Kowloon Walled City. Sammo Hung as Mr. Big (大老闆): a crime lord who is solely focused on maximizing his wealth and personal interests. Richie Jen as Dik Chau (狄秋): a high-ranking member of the triad, as well as the biggest landlord in the Walled city. Raymond Lam as Chan Lok-kwan (陳洛軍): a refugee who settled in the Walled city but became entangled in the chaos within and faced the imminent demolition of the city. Terrance Lau as Shin (信一): the loyal second-in-command of Cyclone's outlaw gang who later becomes a companion to Chan. Kenny Wong as Tiger (Tiger 哥): Twelfth Master's boss and the head of the Temple Street gang. Philip Ng as King (王九): Mr. Big's right-hand man. Tony Wu as Twelfth Master (十二少): a katana-wielding member of Cyclone's outlaw gang who later becomes a companion to Chan. German Cheung as AV (四仔): a kickboxer in Cyclone's outlaw gang who later becomes a companion to Chan. Chu Pak Hong as Woman Beater (九索): a woman beater who dabbled in prostitution and drugs. He was beaten up by the Kowloon 4 (Lok-kwun, Shin, Twelfth Master and AV). Fish Liew as Fanny (燕芬姐): a Walled city local who works in a fishball stall. Cecilia Choi as Jim's wife (蘇玉儀/占妻): Jim's wife and Lok-kwun's mother. Jozev Kiu as Double Blade (阿七): owner of a char siu rice stall in the Walled city. Aaron Kwok as Jim (陳占/殺人王): the notorious 'King of Killers' who was ultimately defeated by Cyclone. He is also Chan Lok-kwan's father. (special guest appearance)

Production

The project had been in development since the 2000s, where it was set to be co-directed by John Woo and Johnnie To and star an all-star cast of Chow Yun-fat, Andy Lau, Tony Leung, Sean Lau, Louis Koo, Anthony Wong, Sun Honglei, Anita Yuen and Zhang Jingchu, with Nicolas Cage, James McAvoy, Li Baotian, Jang Dong-gun, Li Bingbing and Zhang Fengyi making special appearances, as shown on a teaser poster, although nothing was confirmed. On 13 April 2013, Media Asia announced the project was to be titled Dragon City and set to be directed by Derek Kwok and starring Donnie Yen, who would also serve as action director and producer through his production company, Super Hero Films, and was set to begin production in September of that year. After seemingly stuck in development hell for several years, Media Asia once again announced the project on 28 February 2021, with Soi Cheang set to direct while Koo, Richie Jen and Zhang Jin are set to star. Principal photography for the film officially began on 22 November 2021, as was revealed in a post on the film's official Facebook page, although the cast was not revealed yet until the film held its production commencement ceremony on 30 November, which was attended by Cheang, producers John Chong and Wilson Yip and cast members Koo, Sammo Hung, Jen, Raymond Lam, Terrance Lau, Kenny Wong, Tony Wu, German Cheung, Philip Ng, Chu Pak Hong and Chung Suet Ying. Koo revealed that two replica sets of the Kowloon Walled City were built for filming, while actual magazines, record albums, televisions and commercials from the 1980s will be used as props. All the main cast spent a year training to prepare for the film's fight scenes. On 3 April 2022, filming was officially wrapped and the film went into the post-production process.

Release

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In was theatrically released in Hong Kong and mainland China on 1 May 2024. The film became the highest-grossing one in Hong Kong by July 2024, earning $105 million HKD, and surpassed the record for the most-viewed local film with 1.59 million viewers. It also topped the mainland Chinese daily box office, earning $95 million USD by the end of May. The film was also selected to be in the Official Selection (Midnight Screening) of the 2024 Cannes Film Festival, where it was screened on 16 May 2024. It also released in the UK on 24 May 2024. The film was also showcased at the 23rd New York Asian Film Festival on 28 July 2024, as the closing film of the festival. The film had its Canadian premiere at the 28th Fantasia International Film Festival on August 1, 2024. It will also be showcased at 37th Tokyo International Film Festival in Gala Selection on 1 November 2024. It was featured in the Limelight section of the 54th International Film Festival Rotterdam to be screened in February 2025.

Reception

= Box office

= Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In grossed a total of US$111,456,536 worldwide, combining its gross from Hong Kong (US$13,729,253), mainland China (US$94,345,074), United States, (US$336,023), France (US$367,979), United Kingdom (US$136,272), Australia (US$468,253), New Zealand (US$50,037), Vietnam (US$1,978,004) and South Korea (US$45,641).

= Critical reception

= On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 92% of 37 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.8/10. The website's consensus reads: "An action-packed homage that nails the nitty-gritty choreo-crazed daze of '80s Hong Kong cinema to masterful effect." Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 77 out of 100, based on 10 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Awards and nominations

The film received a total of 14 nominations in the 43rd Hong Kong Film Awards, making it the second most-nominated film of the year, behind The Last Dance.

See also

Sammo Hung filmography List of submissions to the 97th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film List of Hong Kong submissions for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film

Notes

References

External links

Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In on Facebook Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In on Instagram Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In at IMDb Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In at Douban (in Chinese)