Like many recent Hong Kong releases, Tracing Shadow provides some decent, if totally forgettable, entertainment. The film doesn't really deviate too much from the usual formula, but the charisma of star/co-director Francis Ng helps to move matters along smoothly.

Francis plays Chang, a formidable Manchurian swordsman who has moved south in order to avoid the tumult of war. While visiting a small town, he runs into Xin (Pace Wu), a beautiful ninja who is trying to steal a map that will lead to the emperor's treasure. A trio of thieves is also after the map, and after they wound Xin and the map is seemingly lost, her and Chang begin a platonic marriage, eventually settling into the town and adopting a daughter, Xiao (Xie Na). After the map returns with the appearance of Lord Xu (Jaycee Chan), both old and new friends and foes descend upon the town.

Much of the comedy in Tracing Shadow is derived from the fact that the three thieves are played by lookalikes of Jackie Chan, Andy Lau, and Jet Li. Of course, since Jaycee Chan is Jackie's son, that's also thrown into the mix. When you add in some small cameos by stars like Nic Tse, Tracing Shadow could have quickly become an over-stuffed self-referential mess.

But Francis and his co-director, Marco Mak, display a deft touch for comedy that, for the most part, thankfully forgoes the usual over-the-top nature of Hong Kong comedies that can make western viewers cringe. While there's nothing out-and-out hilarious presented here, at least Tracing Shadow isn't going to make you go for the fast-forward button, either.

Well, maybe that totally isn't the case, because Xie Na does sometimes subscribe to the "make it funnier by yelling" at points. Thankfully, the screeching is fairly contained to the beginning portion of the film, and she does settle down as the picture rolls on. For the most part, it's the lone sore thumb that really sticks out in a presentation of otherwise solid comedic acting.

The straight-to-video release of Tracing Shadow in Hong Kong is a bit surprising, especially since it was financed by one of HK's biggest production companies, Emperor Entertainment Group. While it's nothing great, Tracing Shadow is a perfectly serviceable little film that should provide some chuckles for fans of Hong Kong comedies, and is worth checking out if you like Francis Ng's work.

RATING: 6