CITY OF DARKNESS

(Taiwan 1999) 

Original Title: Hei Se Cheng Shi 黑色城市 (aka) Black City; Dark City

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Directed by Lin Wan Chang Produced by Lee Shin Action by Yam Pak Wang Starring: Donnie Yen, Colin Chou, Billy Chow, Kim Marie Penn, David Cho Shiao Hu, Chen Chi Chiang, Chang Yi Teng, Chiang Yang, Li Luo, Henry Lu Reviewing: YouTube Release Genres: Martial Arts / Action / Comedy

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Rating - 3.5 / 5

Synopsis: Three unknowingly related teens come together to fend off a crazed Triad boss who is out to find them, no matter what it takes. He is determined to take each of their pendants which, combined, should lead him to some hidden treasure. Thankfully, the teens find support from a couple of tough cops who promise to stop the gangsters. (92 Mins)

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Views: Although it was made during a period of uncertainty in Hong Kong and Taiwanese cinema, City Of Darkness is brought to life by plenty of late 90s calamities, broad Hong Kong humour, and fast martial-arts action! Also known as Dark City or Black City, this 1999 action-adventure has often been shunned for its low production values and is one of the less talked about titles on Donnie Yen's filmography. Still, City Of Darkness oozes the energy of a late 80s Taiwanese or Hong Kong action-comedy, offering up no less than 3 highly entertaining and well choreographed fight scenes within the first 20 minutes that include a dance-fight in a nightclub with an electric guitar used as a weapon, a crazy bicycle chase that leads to a trade in moves between two young heroes, and a fun supermarket showdown that introduces Donnie Yen's character to the story. The plot revolves around 3 youngsters who are unknowingly related and each in possession of a pendant that, when combined, shows a map to the legendary Holy Wall treasure. But their paths soon cross when a local triad boss sends his men out to locate each of them, intent on finding the treasure for himself – no matter what it takes. Thankfully, the 3 siblings gain the protection of 2 kick-ass cops who agree to protect the kids and help them find the treasure before it falls into the wrong hands!

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Although unknown by many, City Of Darkness had quite the team behind it such as producer Lee Shin, the same man behind the Polly Shang classic 18 Jade Arhats and Alexander Lo Rei's Life Is A Bet, as well as working on titles such as Joseph Kuo's Rikisha Kuri, Shaolin Kids, and The Blazing Temple, along with The 18 Bronzemen and its sequels. But it would be as the producer of Iron Monkey 2 and Death Games, that Lee would be able to call on some favours for what would be, ultimately, one of his last projects next to Colin Chou's Tricky Guys. The directing duties are handled by Lin Wan Chang, a Taiwanese actor recognisable for his roles in Jackie Chan's Shaolin Wooden Men, Dragon Fist, Half A Loaf Of Kung Fu, and Fantasy Mission Force, where he plays the escaping prisoner while doubling his duties there as the martial arts director also. In fact, Lin would choreograph almost 40 films during his time in the industry including the bizarre 8 Strikes Of The Wildcat, Pink Force Commando, A Book Of Heroes, Funny Family, Island Of Fire, Come Fly The Dragon, and the popular Kung Fu Kids series – two of which he would also direct, along with Alexander Lo Rei's Young Kickboxer before City Of Darkness which would also be his last. The fast and furious martial arts action is choreographed by Yam Pak Wang who also cameos throughout the film. Making his debut in A Book Of Heroes, the Taiwanese martial-artist would go on to appear in many films such as Funny Family, Lucky Seven, Aloha Little Vampire, Gunman From Nowhere, Revenge In Fury, Young Kickboxer, and the Kung Fu Kids series, as well as choreographing the action on Death Games and this, which proves to be highly entertaining for the most part – albeit for a few wire-assisted moves that could have been avoided.

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While he had been making a name for himself as a no-nonsense action hero from the mid-80s, in films such as Drunken Tai Chi, Tiger Cage 1 & 2, In The Line Of Duty 4, Once Upon A Time In China 2, Cheetah On Fire, Iron Monkey, and many more including TV shows like Kung Fu Master and Fist Of Fury, the amazing Donnie Yen's career started to wobble just a decade later when films like Circus Kids, High Voltage, Satan Returns, and the aforementioned Iron Monkey 2, failed to excite fans and critics alike. In a bid to turn things around, Donnie soon took control of his own projects as director, producer, choreographer, and star with 1997s underrated Legend Of The Wolf quickly followed by the fun Ballistic Kiss and Shanghai Affairs the following year. While the turn of the century would see him star once again alongside Jet Li in Zhang Yimou's groundbreaking epic, Hero, and Hollywood hire him to choreograph the action in films such as Highlander: Endgame and Blade 2, Yen would start to see a complete change in his filmography with bigger roles on both sides of the globe that helped him become the superstar that he is today. Of course, just before it all took off, Donnie still had time to fit in City Of Darkness – perhaps his last hurrah to low budget action-cinema, or as a favour to the team behind the camera. And although his role here is more of a supporting one than leading man, Donnie still impresses and adds even more excitement to the fun cast on offer.

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He is partnered with a feisty police officer who is played by the Li Luo, a Taiwanese actor who had only made his feature film debut a couple of years before in Crazy Mission alongside Kara Hui and Dick Wei, and went onto star in films such as Final Judgement, Red Lips, My Dad Is A Superstar, and The Outsiders. Both stars play protectors to the teens in trouble, wonderfully played by the handsome Chen Chi Chiang – the child star of films such as Hello Dracula, Child Of Peach, and Magic Of Spell, although perhaps more recognisable to the western audience as Son Goku in the unofficial early 90s Dragon Ball movie, Dragon Ball: The Magic Begins. He is joined by original kung-fu kid, David Cho Shiao Hu, star of the Kung Fu Kids series, Young Kickboxer, Dragon Kid, and Fist Of Legend 2: Iron Bodyguards where he was renamed Jet Le with one E for the western market. Both stars entertain and are hugely impressive in the action department, proving to be the stars of the show by delivering some incredible moves and stunt-work that is sure to impress even the most hardened action fan.

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Facing off against Yen for the first time ever, and playing the hard-as-nails bad guy of the piece, is the ever popular Colin Chou – also known as Ngai Sing to many and a martial-arts star in his own right who has fought against the biggest and best in the business. Building his filmography in films such as Encounters Of A Spooky Kind 2, Licence To Steal, Blade Of Fury, Kung Fu Cult Master, Bodyguard From Beijing, My Father Is A Hero, Dr. Wai & The Scripture With No Words, and Don't Give A Damn among many others, Chou, like many Hong Kong film stars, had a bumpy ride for a number of years after the Hong Kong handover with mostly low budget productions such as this, Death Games, Challenge, Final Judgement, and Roaring Dragon Bluffing Tiger keeping things going. While he had the chance to shine in bigger budgeted films such as Ringo Lam's Victim and the hilarious No Problem 2 with Yuen Biao, Colin Chou would be wowing uninitiated audiences in the west in the Matrix sequels that would see him play the scene stealing Seraph, to great acclaim. Much like Donnie, this would see his career take a turn for the better with more and more bigger productions being offered, including a bigger budgeted rematch against Donnie Yen in the highly praised Wilson Yip action-thriller, Flash Point, almost a decade later.

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While he saves his martial arts skills for the grand finale, Chou hires a few highly trained assassins to do the dirty work for him such as the incredible Billy Chow and beautiful Kim Marie Penn. Although the three of them had just worked together on Lee Shin's aforementioned and hugely entertaining Death Games, each of the actors had shared the screen a number of times throughout their careers. Considered one of the greatest bad guys of Hong Kong cinema in the late 80s and early 90s, Canadian kick-boxer Billy Chow has often impressed in films such as Eastern Condors, Dragon's Forever, Paper Marriage, Pedicab Driver, Lady Reporter, Magic Cop, Fist Of Legend, and many more, racking up almost 80 film credits during his time in the industry. Interestingly, Billy and Kim Marie first starred alongside each other in Middle Man, the 5th film of the In The Line Of Duty series, which was only her second film in Hong Kong. During her decade in the business, the blonde bombshell would only star in a small number of Hong Kong films including Fun & Fury, Police Story 3: Super Cop, Oh Yes Sir, and Knock Off, with City Of Darkness being her last. But perhaps its the final person in the trinity of assassins that steals the show overall – played by the hugely talented Chang Yi Teng – the impressive martial arts actor who wowed audiences as Little Rat in A Book Of Heroes and as a hard-as-nails thug in the brilliant Lucky Seven. Through to the turn of the century, Chang would star in films such as Gunman From Nowhere, Young Kickboxer, Queen Of Gambler, Requital, Drug Tiger, and Hector – often with many of his co-stars and as the action director. Chang would also make his directorial debut in the year 2000 with the adult thriller Call In – also know as Red Lips – which would star Li Luo as his leading man.

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Helping fill out the cast is prolific actor Henry Lu Yi Lung, here starring as the double-crossing police chief. Since making his debut in 1973's Avengers, Lu went on to star in many of Jackie Chan's Lo Wei titles including New Fist Of Fury, Killer Meteors, Shaolin Wooden Men, as well as kung-fu films such as Triumph Of Two Kung Fu Arts, Ten Brothers Of Shaolin, My Blade My Life, Shaolin Invincible Sticks, Queen Bee, Pink Squad Commando, and many more. Taiwanese actor Chiang Yan – recognisable from films like Jimmy Wang Yu's Furious Slaughter and Shaw Brothers films like The Tea House, The Flying Guillotine, Super Inframan, Spiritual Boxer, Killer Clans, and Challenge Of The Masters – also appears as the father of the teens, with bit players like Chang Chung Yu, Chen Hsiang, and Li Kuan Ting filling in the roles of random thugs and bad boys.

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With such an impressive team and strong cast behind it, one can't deny the likeabilities and positive attributes of a film such as City Of Darkness. Yes, it's somewhat crazy at times. Yes, it's random and outrageous. But does it entertain with it's over the top martial arts action that don't disappoint? Absolutely. So with that said, fans of madcap action comedies such as Mismatched Couples, A Book Of Heroes, and Heroic Fight will no doubt love what's on offer here in City Of Darkness – long overdue a restored Blu-ray release to let fans see it how it was meant to be!

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Overall: Funny, fight-filled, and boasting a great cast of recognisable stars, City Of Darkness is an underrated gem that deserves to be seen!