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.
