The Shadow's Edge review Jackie Chan as watchable as ever as fisticuff-prone cop-turned-dog-walker

"This Macau-set cops-and-robbers thriller even has a little fun by introducing him as a retired cop turned dog walker called Wong, surrounded by a motley pack of pooches that he marshals expertly through the streets. Once the best surveillance man on the force, Wong's observational skills have not faded a jot, as he proves by recounting exactly which of his doggie charges pooped in what order. More importantly, he can still take on young ruffians a third of his age,"

"Unfortunately, the connective narrative tissue is a bore, an overly complicated yarn about a criminal mastermind called the Shadow (Tony Ka Fai Leung) and his duplicitous team of thieves who steal a whatsit that allows them to access crypto, all discussed in rapid-fire dialogue that will challenge the subtitle-reading skills of viewers who don't speak the language. The cops, meanwhile, are overly reliant on AI supercomputers to solve crimes, which is why they need Wong to teach them how to do surveillance the old way."

Jackie Chan remains active in Asia film, performing his own stunts while producing and choreographing fights. He plays Wong, a retired cop turned dog walker in Macau whose surveillance skills remain sharp, down to recalling which dog pooped when. Wong defeats much younger opponents using inventive props and cramped settings, generating frequent action and shootouts. The plot centers on a convoluted criminal mastermind known as the Shadow and a team stealing a device to access crypto, narrated in rapid-fire dialogue that can strain subtitle readers. Overreliance on AI by the police necessitates Wong teaching traditional surveillance. Zifeng Zhang co-stars as a formidable young policewoman and daughter of Wong's late partner.

Read at www.theguardian.com