Introduction
The Shadow’s Edge is a modern crime thriller that blends intense action sequences, martial arts, and police procedural drama. The story revolves around the clash of traditional human skills versus modern technology, the concept of mentorship and legacy across generations, and the enduring issues of loyalty, betrayal, and justice.
The Shadow’s Edge peaked at an 8.2 Douban rating. It is considered a success, especially for a Jackie Chan film. It was his second-highest-rated film on Douban behind Police Story (1985)
The article title refers to any form of reunion. The veteran actors, Jackie Chan and Tony Leung, collaborated in the 2005 movie The Myth (神話). Jackie Chan acted in Director Yang Zi’s 2023 movie, Ride On (龙马精神). Tony Leung reunited with his bandit role in the 2007 Hong Kong movie, Eye in the Sky (跟踪), from which this movie is loosely adapted. In the film, Huang Dezhong meets Fu Longsheng again after the latter disappeared from a series of heists he committed twenty years earlier. Finally, Huang Dezhong also reunited with He Qiuguo, whom he had known since she was little. Every reunion is a good reunion.
A good reunion
Movie Info
Movie title: The Shadow's Edge (Native title: 捕风追影)
Alternative titles: Bu Feng Zhui Ying
Genres: Action, Mystery, Crime
Release Date: 16 Aug, 2025
Duration: 2 hr. 21 min.
Director: Yang Zi (杨子)
Screenwriter: Yang Zi (杨子)
Original Soundtracks
The titles contain links from YouTube channels. The images are the official track cover.
“Escalate” by Caelan Moriarty. The link is with English lyric.
不息 (Endless) by Zhang Yuan (张远). The link is an MV of the film BTS.
My favorite OST is the hip hop song “The Law of the Pack”! In the movie, you can hear it when the criminal gang starts their heist, with the police in pursuit. The song uses sharp rhythm to portray the arrogance and ambition of the gang. In the Official MV, following the tense rhythm of the music, the high-energy duel between the two camps kicked off.
The background music is provided by Nicolas Errèra. The composer brings a gripping, high-stakes intensity to the film with a score that pulses beneath every twist and turn of this action-packed heist thriller. His music adds emotional resonance and momentum to a film that blends tension, grit, and heart.
Trailer
Synopsis
The cunning and treacherous thieves challenged the Macau Judiciary Police in multiple dimensions. The Judiciary Police, which was in a tough battle, invited back the tracking expert Huang De Zhong who had retired for many years to join forces with the young elite of the Criminal Investigation Department of the Judiciary Police.
Under the collision of traditional tracking techniques and high technology, the police and the criminals fought wits and courage, and launched a cat-and-mouse game-like duel between good and evil. (Source: MyDramaList)
Characters
Main Characters
Jackie Chan (成龍) as Huang De Zhong / “Gou Tou”
A retired surveillance expert of the Macau Judiciary Police. He is a man of courage and responsibility. Facing criminals, he remains calm, wise, composed, and decisive. After returning to duty, he mentors young officers like He Qiuguo and restructures the “Mystery Surveillance Team.” Employing unconventional tracking methods, cutting-edge technology, and exceptional adaptability, he led his team into a breathtaking cat-and-mouse battle against the criminal gang.
Zhang Zi Feng (张子枫) as He Qiu Guo / “Xiao Zhu”
Rookie officer, righteous, brave, stubborn, and never gives up. He Qiuguo, petite in stature, is often teased by colleagues in the Criminal Investigation Division for being relegated to logistical duties and not taken seriously. She yearns to become a true police officer. While conducting surveillance, she nearly botched an operation by rescuing two kidnapped girls, but this incident deepened her connection with Huang Dezhong and resolved a long-standing emotional conflict.
Tony Leung (梁家辉) as Fu Long Sheng / “Ying Zi”
The mastermind behind the criminal gang, codename “Shadow.” Fu Longsheng repeatedly orchestrated major crimes yet always evaded police capture. He adopted several children, grooming them to be his accomplices to form the gang. He showed particular favor toward his eldest son, Xi Wang, treating him distinctly differently from the other adopted children.
Ci Sha (此沙) as Xi Wang | Xi Meng / “Si Ji” | Xi Tai
Xi Wang (right) is a member of the gang and a skilled killer, as well as the adopted son of Fu Longsheng, along with his twin brother Xi Meng. Xi Wang has deep feelings for Fu Longsheng, and is loyal and values friendship.
Xi Meng (left) is also one of Fu Longsheng’s adopted sons, a genius hacker, and Xi Wang’s twin brother. He is smart and has technical talent, but he has some concealment and calculation for Shadow.
Supporting Characters
Team Huang Dezhong (besides He Qiuguo), from left to right: Wu Yao Lei (Wang Zi Yi), Liu Jin Xiao / “Alpaca” (Zhou Zheng Jie), and Wang Xue Mei (Lang Yue Ting).
Team Fu Longsheng (besides Xi Wang and Xi Mei), from left to right: A Wei (Wang Zhen Wei), Hu Feng (Jun), Xiao Xin / “Xiao Feng Gou” (Lin Qiu Nan), and Zai Zai (Li Zhe Kun).
My Rating
My rating for this movie is based on MyDramaList’s scoring system, which is from 0.0 to 10.0. For any drama/movie/show I completed, I give a minimum rating of 6.0 to appreciate the hard work of the production team, and to adjust to MyDramaList’s overall score base. From 6.0, this drama has additional scores of:
0.5 for some in-depth story about He Qiuguo, and the Xi twins.
1.0 for Jacky Chen and Tony Leung’s acting, and the action.
1.0 for the chasing and fighting cinematography.
My final rating is 8.5/10.
Review
Story and Plot
Typical of action crime films, the story is about a battle of wits between the good (Huang Dezhong) and the bad (Fu Longsheng). The film’s central conflict is the cat-and-mouse game between the law and the criminals, and their rivalry drives the plot and creates narrative tension. Especially, considering that the protagonist and the antagonist have ‘met’ in the past.
Macau Judiciary Police squad
Adding to that is the modern AI technology, specifically the city’s new “Sky Eye” surveillance system. It’s pitted against the traditional, analog surveillance methods implemented by Huang Dezhong. The retired surveillance master also teaches a new generation of law enforcement officers on how to outsmart criminals by relying on classic skills and observation. The film also explores a mentor-mentee relationship between the veteran Huang and the rookie officer He Qiuguo.
I found the story engaging, fast-paced, and full of satisfying plot twists.
Characterization and Acting
Jackie Chan’s performance as a stoic, dramatic character has been well-received. Tony Leung’s portrayal of the menacing villain is widely considered a scene-stealing performance, providing a strong counterweight to Chan.
The action sequences are amazing, gritty, brutal, and well-choreographed, a departure from Jackie Chan’s usual slapstick style. Both Jackie Chan and Tony Leung, in their late 60s and 70s, performed impressive stunts, with Leung’s knife fight and Chan’s practical action work being particular highlights. Particularly, Jackie Chan, as usual he did his own stunts. Post-credit bloopers confirm the use of real stunts over CGI for many scenes.
Xi Wang and Xi Mei
Actor Ci Sha, who played the twins Xi Wang and Xi Mei, with a complex and “tangled bond” of love and hatred. The tension between the brothers’ differing roles (physical assassin vs. tech expert) and their relationship with their criminal “father” forms a central part of the film’s character dynamics, balancing action with emotional depth.
The film also features younger actors who played the police officers as well as the gang members. Unfortunately, some of the supporting cast members receive less development due to the film’s focus on its two leads. I wouldn’t mind if they showed more of Fu Longsheng’s adopted sons, lol, because they are both skilled and good-looking.
Fu Longsheng and his criminal adopted sons (minus Xi Wang and Xi Mei)
Visualization
The Shadow’s Edge uses a dynamic, modern cinematography style that relies on fast-paced editing, kinetic camera work, and close-quarters shots to create tension and excitement. In the close-quarters combat, many sequences are shot from very close up, creating an intense, in-your-face feeling during the action, particularly during scenes like the teahouse brawl between Jackie Chan and Tony Leung. Cinematographer Qian Tiantian (钱添添) employs the CineAlta V2 and smaller cameras like the FX3 for a fluid and energetic visual experience, while the editor uses cross-cutting to maintain a relentless rhythm.
The film’s visual language emphasizes the gritty, modern-day setting of Macau, contrasting its glamour with a darker, more brutal action style. The film leverages Macau’s distinctive architecture, using it as both a backdrop for spectacular action sequences and a symbolic representation of crime and commerce.
Wynn Palace, an integrated casino resort and five-star luxury hotel located in Cotai, Macau, was one of the filming locations.
Conclusion
Overall, the film uses the framework of a crime thriller to explore how enduring human values like honor, experience, and good mentorship remain vital, even as the world around them rapidly changes with new technology. The characters grapple with themes of duty, personal codes of honor, and the complexities of loyalty in a world marked by greed and moral dilemmas.
Mentor and mentee
Moreover, while technology is a powerful tool, it cannot completely replace human intuition, experience, and the “old-school” wisdom of seasoned professionals. The protagonist Huang serves as a mentor, hoping to impart traditional wisdom and a strong moral code to a new generation of law enforcement officers.
Overall, the film is considered a strong action thriller that successfully blends old-school action with a modern crime narrative. It performed well at the Chinese box office, as well as internationally, and discussions for a sequel are reportedly underway.
Ending Spoiler
How is the ending?
Happy ending, the Macau police force won. Fu Longsheng was arrested. Xi Wang and Xi Mei died. The rest of Fu’s criminal sons were also arrested.
A sequel?
After the ending credits, with BTS of the action scenes, we met Xi Tai, the third brother of Xi Wang and Xi Mei. Aha, they are not twins but triplets. He was adopted by a foreign couple. In their adulthood, they contacted each other again to plot against Fu Longsheng and embezzle 1.5 billion in cryptocurrency. Upon learning that his brothers were dead, Xi Tai, who had been operating from overseas, used the internet to put bounties on Fu Longsheng, Huang Dezhong, and He Qiuguo.
Xi Tai
