Marco Mak's "The Wall" is a tired, triad tale that doesn't pave any new ground or set any trends. What makes the movie tolerable is veteran actor Jordon Chan along with Mak's ability to get some good performances from the rest of the cast. Chan plays an ex-con trying to start a new life after being incarcerated for over a decade. All the typical cliches of attempting to go straight against the tide of old ties and associations in the criminal life are used throughout the movie. The lame script wasn't helped at all by the pedestian camera work and lazy direction. Patrick Tam is Chan's old childhood friend who has made a name for himself in the triads. At first Chan tries to avoid any dealings with his past, but cannot separate himself for long.

The film's small budget proved that shoddy sets and unimaginative locales are limiting. There are several scenes where voices were looped in post production that clash with the synch sound work, in particular with Cherrie Ying, diminishing the production values. "The Wall" is passable entertainment, with a by-the-numbers script that telegraphs all of the major plot elements to the point of tedium. The film needed a jolt of energy, but never received any resuscitation from being choked by its own inertia. Mak needs to cut his teeth and be more daring, instead of just hitting "The Wall."