amours

I watched Hidden Strike because I saw that Gong Jun was part of the cast, and I honestly wish I had just fast-forwarded to his scenes and skipped the rest of the film. Although I managed to watch until the end, I still felt that I could have used my time more productively. I didn’t have high expectations in the first place, so I was not necessarily disappointed but it doesn’t mean the film couldn't have tried to be better. 

Luo Feng and Mei’s relationship was probably the best that the film had to offer. They had a difficult relationship, because Mei blamed her father for abandoning the family when her mother fell ill. In the film, Luo Feng gained back her trust by protecting and helping her. Even so, this aspect of the relationship was underdeveloped because the story decided to focus more on the interactions between Luo Feng and Chris. However, even they were pretty flat: the characters worked towards a common goal, but I had yet to see a true friendship form. 

Some of the jokes were chuckle-worthy but others felt awkward either because of the pacing or the poor delivery. The film put its focus on action and CGI and forgot to give time to character development. When Luo Feng and Mei were first discussing her mother's last moments, the only thing the audience sees is Luo Feng’s eyes getting a little misty. And when Chris’ brother dies and he finds his body, the scene gives him thirty seconds to grieve before it reminds the viewer that this is just another brainless action film and shooting begins. 

Overall, I wouldn’t recommend Hidden Strike unless you are really into Jackie Chan or John Cena. The film wasn’t the worst I have seen but I had a lot to improve. If they had only removed Chris’ character altogether and focused more on the father-daughter relationship, I think I would have been way more satisfied with the results. All in all, I give the film two stars out of five.