Hidden Strike tries to bring that same old charm to the screen that Jackie Chan films were known for, but sadly, it isn’t able to do that. The jokes fell flat, the action was nothing out of the ordinary, and as far as the story goes, it’s better we don’t talk about it because there was nothing there to discuss. We understand that often the story is not the strong suit of films like these, but at least a film should do the courtesy of having some conflicts that hook you or intrigue you. The writers have no clue what they are showing, and there is absolutely no detailing in the screenplay.
We are nowhere expecting full-fledged research to be carried out, but at least the makers should give us basic details, some rational explanations, and a little background about the motives of the characters. Hidden Strike gives us an idea about the backstories of the characters in not more than two lines and then leaves the heavy lifting to be done by action sequences helmed by John Cena and Jackie Chan. The most disappointing bit for me was that the humor lacked luster, and it did feel like the writers just took inspiration from films of the same genre to create similar situations but we’re never able to execute it in an impactful manner. As far as performances go, John Cena and Jackie Chan try their level best to bring some sort of chemistry on screen, but without the screenplay backing them, even they become helpless in the end.
What Is The Film About?
Hidden Strike revolves around a private contractor who went by the name of Luo Fenghad taken on the mission to extract the Chinese people who were stuck in the Middle East. Feng had undertaken this dangerous mission because there was somebody there who was very close to his heart. So let’s find out if Luo is able to save the day and bring back the Chinese people.
What Did Owens Want From Chris?
Chris stayed in a small village near the Yutime Chinese oil refinery, and he adopted the orphans who stayed there and looked after them. Chris used to run special operations with his father, but in a tragic accident, he lost him a couple of years ago. They were passing through the highway of death, where they were ambushed by enemies, and though Chris tried his level best to keep his father safe, he wasn’t able to do so. After that incident, Chris’ life has completely changed, and he just wants to do some good and be with his adopted children.
Chris really loved spending time with those kids, as it reminded him that there was still some innocence left in the world that was worth fighting for. Chris’ brother Henry came to meet him as he had to pay his brother for some operations they had conducted together in the past. Henry asked him if he would be interested in doing a job that would pay them five times more than what they actually get. Chris told him that he was not interested, but Henry was not in the mood to give up without convincing his brother. He cooked up a fake narrative and said that the mission was for Unicorp, a company operating in the area, and the main agenda was to teach the guy a lesson who had given arms to a rebel group.
This rebel group had been responsible for the deaths of people known to both Chris and Henry, and Henry knew that if Chris heard about it, he wouldn’t be able to say no. When Chris went back to his village, he realized that there was a shortage of water. Owen, a friend and a repairman told him that he could strike a deal with Unicorp, but it wouldn’t come cheap. Not left with any other option, Chris decided to team up with his brother and take part in that mission that was going to pay them handsomely. He still didn’t know who was running the mission or what they were expected to do.
Meanwhile, in Hidden Strike, the Chinese refinery workers were being escorted to the green zone by Luo Feng and his operatives when they were attacked in the middle of the desert. Chris and Henry had created an artificial sandstorm using a jet engine and made sure that they took two buses under their control. When Chris reached the base where they were supposed to drop off the buses, he realized that the entire operation was being run by Owen Paddock, the repairman who had met him earlier. Owen told Chris that he was doing all that only because he felt that for 16 years, he had been exploited and oppressed by these capitalist masters. He had no qualms about his actions, and he believed that he was doing the right thing.
Are Luo Feng And Chris Able To Stop Owen?
Dr. Mei was Luo Feng’s daughter, and she had not been talking to him ever since he had left her mother. Feng wanted to tell her that it was her mother who had left him in the first place, but Dr. Mei held him accountable and was not ready to reconcile with him. Feng had agreed to come on this dangerous mission only because he loved his daughter and was not ready to abandon her in a time of crisis. Ying Cheng, the head of the refinery, was taken into custody, and after realizing that two buses, numbers 8 and 11, were missing, Feng decided to go and find them.
Feng found Chris, and he believed him to be one of the perpetrators. They almost killed each other before he realized that Chris was also against Owen and didn’t want to be a part of the kidnapping mission. Owen wanted to steal the hundreds of gallons of oil that were present in the Chinese refinery, and he was ready to go to any extent to get that. Owen took out all his anger on Henry, and he killed the poor guy, placed his body in one of the warehouses, and made it look like the Chinese were responsible for it. But since Chris met Feng, he realized that it was Owen who was playing all the petty games and was responsible for his brother’s death. With time, Feng realized that not only was Chris interested in his daughter, but he was also an exceptional human being. He was taking care of all the children, and Feng had never met a man who was so selfless. Feng didn’t tell him this explicitly, but he had started respecting him, though he was still quite possessive of his daughter and always kept an eye on Chris.
Owen had been able to coerce Ying Cheng to give him the codes that he needed to access the oil storage container. Feng and Chris risked their lives and entered the facility to face hundreds of soldiers who were there to stop them. During Hidden Strike‘s ending, Feng and Chris make a near escape, and they are able to get the better of Owen and kill him. Owen failed in his mission, and he fell from the cliff. Feng and Dr. Mei thought for a moment that they had lost Chris, but miraculously, he was able to defy the odds and save himself. Feng and Dr. Mei had a reconciliation of sorts, and even she realized that her father was not as bad a man as she had expected him to be. Probably, if there is another oil war, Chris and Feng will join forces again, but until then, Chris has to find a way to impress Feng and prove that he is worthy of his daughter.
