Week-end à Taipei

This movie is either written by a kid or by a low budget Xbox 360 video game writer And weirdly it's not that bad, it's really not good either Also I don't understand why it's shown in English when the actors have the worst accent possible.

The story is very basic, the actors are not really good, thankfully it's not too long, which makes it okay to watch if you want to clear your mind and not have to think too much.

It's cool to see Taipei and Taiwan.

There are a lot of flashbacks and the way to show that the characters are in the past is to have them have long hairs, in the past they all have long hairs and in present all short.

The visuals - Colour, Composition, Editing - Were beyond my expectations for a simple action movie. At times the scenes resemble paintings, and the respect for emphasis and symmetry is endearing to see on the big screen.

The audio work was similarly very thrilling, and the soundtrack, while not melodic or memorable, was very accurate and worked well with the tone of the visuals. The textures of certain parts are very lovingly rough and reminiscent of the sound of car engines and tires scraping the floor, which compliments the central theme of driving well.

If there were one thing that could be so repulsive that it shoots down the rating from a Nine or Ten star, it would wholly be the writing. The dialogue is dry and surface-level, almost child-like, and not for any aesthetic purpose. It is childlike because it struggles to enter the minds of the characters that push the story forward. The way events are structured are almost ridiculous, and the motivations for the antagonist are so flimsy I almost caught myself talking out loud, to the two other people in the cinema. As if a kind of Ironic "Divine Joke" from god itself, the only place where the Child-Like writing ability is appropriate is... The child actor himself. Frankly, the only saving grace for this film is if modern technology could remove the dialogue in it's entirety, perhaps it will even earn itself an extra star!

In summary: To enjoy the film in it's entirety requires an extensive lobotomy.

Marketed as a "throwaway" foreign action film with veteran action/thriller star Luke Evans, I went in with low expectations. To my surprise, this was a better than expected action flick with great action sequences.

What with an assassin-like lead in a foreign country, with heavy family theme overtones, the movie had heavy Taken vibes. Similarly, prominent car action sequences in a foreign country - including Fast and Furious regular Sung Kang by the way - clearly gave off Fast and Furious vibes.

The first and last quarter of the movie had top-notch edge of your seat action, gratifyingly up to the standards of legendary co-writer and co-producer Luc Besson.

The middle 50 percent of the movie, unfortunately, does get bogged down in complicated relationship entanglements between Evans, the bad guy Kang, and Kang's wife. In an almost James Bond-ian, if not Gilda-esque, plot point, the -ex of the good guy is now the wife of the bad guy - which is always a problem.

The movie relies heavily on a series of massive and incredulous coincidences and contrivances, yet, to be honest, I was willing to overlook these flaws in deference to the overall entertainment value of the flick.

If you're looking for a light action flick, perhaps only a notch below a Jason Statham flick, then you will like this movie.

Picture a guy who shoots faster than a Call of Duty sniper and drives through Taipei's streets like he's in a Need for Speed DLC. That's Luke Evans in Weekend in Taipei. Seriously, the man's a machine. He's so intense even red lights seem to give him the right of way.

Opposite him is Gwei Lun Mei, a driver so skilled she could drift circles around Vin Diesel and leave him in the dust. Her character, Joey, is a whirlwind of style and speed, giving you chills with just the sound of her car starting. But don't be fooled-she's got a Kill Bill side to her: soft yet deadly.

Luc Besson, true to form, serves up an explosive cocktail of action and romance. He's firmly in his comfort zone, but honestly, that's all we want. It's cinema that hits hard, packed with chases, explosions, and dialogue as subtle as a rocket in GTA. The plot? Simple. But let's be real-who's here for the plot?

The real star, though, is Taipei. The city is filmed like a character in its own right. Neon lights everywhere, narrow alleyways, and buildings practically screaming, "Come have a car chase here!" Between the fights, you could almost believe you're in an open-world Yakuza game.

The film's strength lies in its explosive blend of action and romance. One moment, you're hooked on a fight scene where Luke Evans is smashing jaws; the next, you're hit with a ridiculously cheesy exchange between two ex-lovers still hung up on their breakup. It's so cliché it's brilliant.

Weekend in Taipei is like a four-cheese pizza at 3 a.m.: you know it's not gourmet, but damn, it feels good. With punchy action scenes, a visually stunning city, and a romance running on pure adrenaline, this film is a guilty pleasure at its finest. Don't expect a Palme d'Or, but buckle up for a hell of a ride.

I am a fan of this action movie genre, but there are so many below average action movies that I didnt expect much at firsthand, but after having watched it I can confirm that this movie is quite an enjoyable action flick.

The good: I NEED riveting action, chases and fights. And THAT is exactly what I got. Not the best, but good enough for me to have a fun time watching it.

More good: what's even more to like is that the characters are credible. The acting is solid (not earthshattering good, but solid) and it has got characters and a storyline I can believe in. THAT matters to me, because even in an action flick like this I WANT the characters to be credible.

Any bad? Dont expect action heaven, this is just another action movie but a really solid one. Recommended for the fans of this action genre.