Hidden Strike

Jackie Chan has had some unwatchable stinkers as of late. Movies where it physically pains you to sit through. And having judged this movie by its trailer, it seemed the perfect movie to follow suit. Well, turns out it's not as bad as I expected it to be.

Hidden Strike has one massive plus and a lot of minuses. The plus is obviously its action choreography; which was very well done with nods to Chan's signature style of action-comedy. It seems to work when it hasn't in any of Jackie's recent movies. Anyone remember Vanguard?

The minuses are plenty. First off, and what's obviously striking about this movie is how fake the whole movie looks. The CGI looks dated and it severely hinders the movie's enjoyability. The second is the very thin plot, but then again, hey, it's a throwaway action movie... What could I even expect? Forgettable plot, forgettable villain, poorly written characters; especially the daughter... I mean, what's up with Jackie Chan movies and poorly written father-daughter relationships huh? It of course wasn't as bad as Ride On, but still... Just put in a little bit more care into your writing, people!

As much as I genuinely like John Cena, it feels like he just lacks the chemistry that Chris Tucker and even Owen Wilson had with Jackie Chan. The "bro"ness of the movie didn't seem too organic and that's a shame, because John Cena is a pretty good actor as he is a worker. For John Cena to come across as lacking in chemistry is something I never thought could happen.

In any case, Jackie Chan's Hidden Strike... Is it worth your time? Well, if you're a die hard Jackie Chan fan like me, then yes, absolutely... Why wouldn't you want to watch a Jackie Chan movie that's not the literal worst like all of his recent stuff these past 10 years? But if you're just a casual fan... Then it might or might not work depending on your taste of action movies. If you don't mind generic mindless action with a lot of guns and explosions, then maybe check it out.

Engaging action, nice story, all brought down by less than ideal chemistry between the two lead players and poor direction.

The action has a Fast and Furious vibe, mixed with some Jackie Chan style sense of humor. It is a blast of fun if you enjoy either (or both) of those styles.

The storyline, while not totally innovative, is relatively fresh still. It is also quite convincing enough for this genre.

What brings the movie down is the lack of chemistry between the characters including the Cena and Chan. The pairing is brilliant; you just hope a little more time was invested in nurturing their relationship on and off screen.

While the story was good, and the action was engaging, the transitions from one stage to the next needed better coaxing and smoothing. Something better direction can fix.

Overall, I am left highly anticipating the teased sequel!

Fun, Not Good, But Fun. There is more wrong here than right, but it has a fun tone and a lot of action. Jackie Chan is Always fun to watch regardless of the vehicle. This is true even as he ages, and even as the project is not great. He is fun here. John Cena is larger than life. This is part of the charm and appeal of the pairing; however, it is also part of the problem. He is too animated for what should be a more serious tone to this action thriller. The special effects are good, although too much computer generation at times. The fights are decent. Always something interesting with Jackie Chan. There is a problem with the balance of violence here. There is a lot of violence but there is a real aversion to killing which doesn't really fit the otherwise violent tone. There is stuff here for young people, but many missed opportunities for sure.

Like Jackie Chan. I like John Cena. But they were not good in this. I would liken it to a James Bond movie with Rodger Moore. It was...bad. Just all levels of ridiculousness, and not in a good way. Also, wow, Jackie Chan has really messed with his face too much...

The humor was really forced...The plot didn't make sense and also felt very rushed? I'm sure they had fun making this but it's one of those things where I spent less time focusing on the movie than wondering who came up with the idea for this and how did they get the buy in to move ahead with actually making it? I guess watch it if you're bored or want something on in the background...

80' style plot? Check. Schlocky dialog? Check. Bad CGI? Check. World's greatest martial artist showing he still has it? Check. Pro wrestler-slash-action star whipping up on the bad guys? Check. It was cheesy and campy and I liked it! Expecting a thought provoking thriller? Go see a Christopher Nolan film. Want a Friday night popcorn / check brain at door movie that's just fun to watch? Stop browsing what's new to stream and enjoy this guilty pleasure. Jackie Chan and John Cena have some surprisingly good and funny chemistry. Much better than I expected, but then I didn't have super high expectations. Glad I didn't, because this film delivered.