Enemy Shadow (1995)

Genres - Action, Adventure, Thriller  |   Run Time - 120 min.  |   Countries - United States  |   MPAA Rating - NR
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Synopsis by Robert Firsching

Remembered primarily by Hong Kong cinema buffs as the film in which Jade Leung's back was burned in a stunt accident (the sequence remains in the film), this standard crime story endured numerous additional production setbacks, the main one being the replacement of its director, Chang Tung-chuen, midway through filming with Peter Mak. The result is not as erratic as might be expected, although its artistic pretensions and stentorian narration tend to undercut its impressive action scenes, choreographed by Dion Lam. The film stars Jade Leung as Jade, a rookie policewoman whose boyfriend is murdered by a group of bank robbers disguised with masks. Consumed with guilt at her inability to save him, Jade drifts into the drug squad, but is also guilt-stricken when she must arrest people, as she is unable to detach her emotions from her work. Jade then quits the police force and runs into the smooth-talking criminal Panther (James Pak), who slowly lures her into his world. Even so, Jade's boss, Officer Choi Chi-ken (Kenneth Chan), gets her to spy on Panther, with whom he is secretly in league. Jade's divided loyalties and skewed moral compass in the face of personal events, as well as Panther's growing emotional attachment to her, form the basis for the tragic events which follow.