A legendary demon hunter (Jackie Chan), tracks down beasts that enter the human dimension, assisted by a lawman protégé and a motley group of friendly monsters.
Fantasy films are a rarity for Jackie Chan. Normally, the actor sticks to action-comedy and away from the CGI-infused stories of demons, monsters, and magic, although seeing him take these jumps late in his career is refreshing.
“The Knight of Shadows” follows Chan’s character, Pu Songling, a demon hunter who with the help of a young protégé and a group of friendly demons, investigates a strange force which seems to be taking the lives of those in the physical world in order to enter it and cause mayhem.
The moments that Chan is memorable in this film are when he is allowed to do his thing, his signature comedic approach being injected into any scene regardless of the trope it is supposed to have.
The script in this film can be seen as weak yet Chan makes it his own by interjecting seemingly with perfect comedic timing. Also, where the script fails, the visual effects seem to shine which all lend support so that the film doesn’t fall on its face. The color used in this film is ridiculously well thought out. Your eye always knows who is who with all of our main characters being brightly lit and noticeable while the background and nefarious individuals are dark and seemingly unwelcome.
The movie has something for everyone which isn’t a bad trick to have in one’s toolbox. There is action and comedy as well as romance and drama, all of which work together to create a storyline that is interesting and palatable. Sometimes, in some films, you get storylines that take themselves too seriously. These rooms would have worked a lot better if there were a few quips to break the tension. Other times, films feel weak and light because there is no drama, just punchline after punchline. With “The Knight of Shadows,” each scene offers a range of emotions. The love story, a forbidden one at that, would work half as good if the comedic take that Chan brings wasn’t mixed in with the drama.
It is nice to see Chan seemingly take larger leaps away from what he did for the first two-thirds of his career. Even in this film, there is very little in the way of martial arts yet Chan still shines through with his emotional and literal magic. It’s a far cry from the buddy cop films like “Rush Hour” or his Bruce Lee impersonations that were apparent early in his career. Chan has been growing considerably as an actor, even in his late years and it is nice to see. “The Knight of Shadows” feels like it’s going to be missed by the masses and it’s a shame because the film is very good for what it is. Let’s just hope it gets its time to shine.
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