Synopsis
Yang Zi's self-written and directed crime action film, starring Jackie Chan and Zhang Zifeng, with a surprise appearance by Tony Leung Ka-fai. A genius thief in Macau steals billions in assets, prompting the long-retired tracking expert Huang Dezhong to come out of retirement and reassemble a mysterious tracking team for a high-IQ showdown with the criminals.
Overview
"Chasing Shadows" (English title: The Shadow's Edge, originally titled Extreme Heist Tracking) is a crime action film written and directed by Yang Zi. It was released in mainland China on August 16, 2025. The film stars Jackie Chan and Zhang Zifeng in leading roles, with a surprise appearance by Tony Leung Ka-fai, a special recommendation by Cisha, and starring roles for Wen Junhui, Zhou Zhengjie, Wang Ziyi, Lang Yueting, and others.
The film received excellent reviews after its release, maintaining a solid Douban score of 8.1, and has been hailed as Jackie Chan's best work in a decade. Its total box office revenue reached 1.265 billion yuan, ranking sixth on the 2025 annual box office chart, making it a phenomenon of the summer season.
Plot
A group of genius thieves steal hundreds of millions of assets in Macau, escaping cleanly with superior anti-surveillance skills and even outsmarting the police's Sky Eye system. At a loss, the Macau Judiciary Police recall the long-retired tracking expert Huang Dezhong.
Huang Dezhong trains young police officer He Qiuguo and others, reassembles a mysterious tracking team, and eventually identifies the mastermind behind the gang, Fu Longsheng. As the cat-and-mouse game intensifies, the two sides engage in a high-IQ battle of wits and courage.
The film is adapted from the classic film Eye in the Sky, with localized changes made to the original story framework. The setting is moved to Macau, incorporating more action elements and high-tech crime techniques.
Cast
| Character | Actor | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Huang Dezhong | Jackie Chan | Long-retired tracking expert, leader of the tracking team |
| He Qiuguo | Zhang Zifeng | Young police officer, Huang Dezhong's apprentice |
| Fu Longsheng | Tony Leung Ka-fai | Mastermind behind the gang |
| Ximeng/Xiwang/Xitai | Cisha | Gang members |
| Hu Feng | Wen Junhui | Gang member |
| Other team members | Zhou Zhengjie | Young police officers |
| — | Lang Yueting | Starring role |
| — | Lin Qiunan | Starring role |
| — | Wang Ziyi | Starring role |
Box Office Performance
"Chasing Shadows" was released on August 16, 2025. Within 11 days of release, its total box office surpassed 600 million yuan, eventually reaching a cumulative total of 1.265 billion yuan, ranking sixth on the 2025 annual box office chart.
In terms of reviews, the film scored 8.1 on Douban, 9.7 on Taopiaopiao, and 9.5 on Maoyan, achieving the highest ratings for a domestic action crime film in the past decade. Audiences have praised it as Jackie Chan's best work in nearly 20 years since New Police Story.
Production Background
Director Yang Zi previously directed works such as Adoring. Originally titled Extreme Heist Tracking, "Chasing Shadows" garnered significant attention during production.
Jackie Chan plays a seasoned, semi-retired tracking expert in the film, marking a comeback after a series of poorly received works like The Legend. Zhang Zifeng portrays a young police officer, showcasing the talent of the new generation of actors. Tony Leung Ka-fai's surprise appearance adds considerable appeal to the film.
In terms of action design, the film returns to Jackie Chan's signature style of realistic, on-location fight scenes, reducing reliance on special effects. This allows audiences to experience the familiar flavor of Jackie Chan's kung fu films while incorporating suspenseful elements of modern crime cinema.
References
- Douban: https://m.douban.com/movie/subject/36600459/
- Baidu Baike: https://baike.baidu.com/item/捕风追影/65321905
- Wikipedia: https://zh.wikipedia.org/zh-cn/捕风追影
Comments (0)