"The Return of the Lame Hero" opened during China's National Day holiday as one of the few recent films to depict the fight between police officers and pickpocket gangs.

The cast and crew of "The Return of the Lame Hero" pose for a photo at the film's premiere in Beijing, Sept. 26, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Maxtimes Culture]

Director Tong Zhijian helms the film starring Wang Anyu, Zhang Tian'ai and Wang Yanlin. The story follows Bi Zhengming (Wang Anyu), who dreamed of police work since childhood but suffered an unexpected disability on his first day. Determined to prove his worth, he goes undercover in a theft gang. With guidance from his captain, he works to uncover the group's secrets and destroy the operation.

Set in 1997, the film depicts pickpocketing and police anti-theft operations in detail on board China's green trains. Named for their distinctive color, these green-painted trains were a major mode of transport from the 1950s to the 1990s, serving as an affordable travel option unlike the sleek, silver-white bullet trains common today.

At the film's Sept. 26 Beijing premiere, Director Tong explained how the action sequences were tailored to each character's identity to create authentic behavior. "Fights between thieves have one style, while battles between police and thieves have a completely different style. The action designs on set were actually quite simple and practical — we just made them appear slightly more spectacular through post-production editing," he said.

Lead actors Wang Anyu and Zhang Tian'ai said the specialized thieves' terminology and techniques in the film surprised them. "When the director introduced these details to us, he explained that they were all authentic practices from that era," Wang said.

The actor also noted that making this film, especially with the National Day holiday approaching, aims to remind everyone to stay vigilant while traveling.

The film marks TV star Wang Anyu's feature film debut. "My character, Bi Zhengming, is full of contradictions," Wang said. "He experiences many events and internal struggles during his growth, but he ultimately remains good-hearted and capable of making his own choices. He's driven by a fierce desire to prove himself, yet to successfully infiltrate the theft ring, he had to master some sleight-of-hand tricks." He revealed that before filming, the director gave him a coin to practice with over and over again.

Zhang Tian'ai, who plays the thief ringleader, said, "I did not portray my character as an absolute villain; in fact, she always retains a kind-hearted side."

She added: "This is the first antagonist role I have played in my career. What makes this character compelling is that even while operating in gray areas, she maintains her own principles. Her complexity was my biggest motivation for taking this role."

"The Return of the Lame Hero" opened Oct. 1, the first day of China's National Day holiday.