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HK action-movie icon Jackie Chan achieved international celebrity status in the late 1990s-early 2000s, thanks to mainstream successes like the Rush Hour films. However, appearances in western-made productions have grown far less frequent in recent years, except for a supporting role in Karate Kid: Legends and occasional voicework in the ongoing Kung Fu Panda franchise. But in Asian markets, the septuagenarian performer stays consistently busy, continuing to perform his own action sequences while also serving as a film producer and action director.

Plot Overview: An Ex-Officer with His Canine Companions

Set in Macau, this cops-and-robbers movie introduces Chan as a "retired" cop who becomes a professional dog walker named Wong, who manages a motley group of dogs along the city streets. Once the top observation man on the police team, Wong's skills have not faded, as shown when he details exactly which of his doggie charges relieved themselves and in what order. More importantly, he remains able to confront young ruffians one-third his age, and as expected he winds up battling with unconventional objects in unusual locations, such as a hotel laundry room and the crawlspace above a restaurant.

Fight Sequences and Story Weaknesses

The Chan's hand-to-hand combat sequences that make this movie enjoyable, with plenty to appreciate in a film that's never more than 10 minutes from a brawl or a gunfight. Unfortunately, the connective narrative tissue proves a bore, featuring an overly complicated yarn about a crime lord called the Shadow and his deceitful team of robbers who steal a device that enables them to access crypto, all discussed in fast-paced dialogue that will test the subtitle-reading abilities of viewers who aren't fluent in the dialogue language.

At the same time, the cops are overly reliant on AI supercomputers to solve crimes, which is why they require Wong to instruct them how to conduct surveillance the old way. Charming Zifeng Zhang co-stars as a young female officer who can pack a killer punch, and who happens to be the child of Wong's now-deceased colleague, killed in the line of duty because of Wong's error. Emotional flashbacks additionally lengthen a way-too-long duration, but it's consistently a treat to watch Chan, although he's appearing a somewhat rough around the edges nowadays.

The Shadow's Edge will be in UK cinemas starting 3 October.