Hidden Strike was released on Friday, July 28, 2023, on Netflix. Directed by Scott Waugh and written by Arash Amel, the film showcases the journey of two men, Jackie Chan’s Luo and John Cena’s Chris Van Horne, who initially get off on the wrong foot, but soon realise that they have a common.
Hidden Strike was disappointing from start to end. While the plot seemed like it had potential, the overall execution was a comedy of errors. Furthermore, if an action film has mediocre stunts, there is no point in giving it a watch.
The synopsis of Hidden Strike according to IMDb reads:
“Two ex-special forces soldiers must escort a group of civilians along Baghdad’s “Highway of Death” to the safety of the Green Zone.”
Hidden Strike review: Jackie Chan and John Cena’s lackluster chemistry is a bummer
While the makers of the film hired the iconic Jackie Chan and John Cena to play the lead roles, the end product turned out to be unsatisfying.
The film takes place somewhere in the Middle East in a dystopian setup, whrer several individuals were caught in a violent oil war.
Yutime Chinese Oil Refinery had been taken over by a dangerous goon named Owen and the scientists who were working in the refinery been told to evacuate and reach the green zone.
However, to reach there, they had to go through a road that was infamously called The Highway of Death. The reason was simple. The road was dangerous and prone to lethal sandstorms. However, the company announced that a man named Dragon Luo (Jackie Chan) volunteered to ensure the scientists’ safety.
Meanwhile, there was another group that wanted to steal the oil for themselves. This group included several mercenaries, among whom, one was Chris (John Cena).
Chris came from a village that was poor and suffered from the scarcity of water. He wanted to improve his home’s living conditions. His brother Henry was also with him.
Dragon Luo himself had an ulterior motive. It was to reconcile with his estranged daughter Mei, who was one of the scientists in the project. She blamed her father after her mother abandoned them. Lou and Chris soon teamed up and made it their mission to stop the oil heist and save everyone around them.
Unfortunately, the entire film failed to deliver. Aged 69, Jackie Chan’s action sequences looked slow and shabby. Of course, he is way past his prime, and starring in action films might not be the brightest idea.
The chemistry between Chan and Cena was initially working, but as the film progressed it felt monotonous and dull.
Jackie Chan does a convincing job when it comes to emotional roles, but it is best to leave action to the Vin Diesels and Chris Hemsworths. There were even instances when it looked like John Cena could have handled things on his own.
Bottomline, the script was just subpar. There was nothing substantial to act. Chan and Cena both looked lost at times because they simply had nothing to work with.
Furthermore, not too much effort had been put into CGI as there were times it just looked lazy.
Hidden Strike is certainly a one-time watch. While it is not recommended to walk into it with heavy expectations, it’s a decent weekend afternoon film.
More from Sportskeeda
Categories: Trending
Source: newstars.edu.vn