Uncovering the Brilliance: A Critical Review of Hidden Strike (2023) – Perspectives From the Balcony

Hidden Strike (2023) Review

The Long Wait for Hidden Strike

Hidden Strike, originally titled Project X-Traction, has recently appeared on Netflix after sitting on a shelf for five years. With a star-studded cast that includes Jackie Chan and John Cena, and a whopping budget of $80 million, one can’t help but wonder why this film spent so long in obscurity. Such delays in release often indicate issues with the film’s quality, and in the case of Hidden Strike, this may very well be the case.

The Plot and Characters

Set in “the near future,” Hidden Strike follows the story of Luo Feng (played by Jackie Chan), who leads a team of mercenaries tasked with evacuating employees from a Chinese-owned refinery in Iraq that is under attack by rebel forces. Among the employees is Luo Feng’s estranged daughter, Mei (played by Chunrui Ma). Simultaneously, Chris Van Horne (played by John Cena), an ex-Marine looking for money to repair the water system in his village, discovers that the terrorist responsible for the deaths of his father and squadmates is on a bus convoy heading for The Green Zone. In a predictable turn of events, Chris ends up joining Luo Feng’s team to attain the necessary funds and exact revenge.

Unfortunately, Hidden Strike fails to develop its characters beyond cliched and underdeveloped stereotypes. Both Chris and Luo Feng lack depth, with only a few scenes attempting to give them any semblance of complexity. Even the villain, Owen (played by Pilou Asbæk), falls flat, as his character arc and usage of Chris’s brother for manipulation are nothing more than tired tropes. The only purpose seemingly served by Chunrui Ma’s character is to provide eye candy and a damsel in distress for Chan’s character to protect, while Cena’s character is left with little to do besides looking intimidating and throwing people around.

The Lackluster Action and CGI

Director Scott Waugh and writer Arash Amel fail to deliver the incredible action sequences that would have redeemed Hidden Strike from its predictable and uninspiring storyline. Instead, viewers are treated to lackluster scenes that seem more befitting of a low-budget direct-to-video thriller rather than a major international co-production with a star-studded cast. Even the CGI falls short of expectations, looking shoddy and unimpressive even at a lower production level.

It is worth noting that Jackie Chan does manage to salvage some good stuntwork and delivers an inspired fight sequence where he battles on overhead pipes while Cena uses a length of piping to assist him. However, even these moments of brilliance cannot save the overall mediocrity of the film. A later scene where Chan fights in a sea of industrial foam comes off as silly rather than amusing.

A Plodding and Dull Waste of Time and Money

In the end, Hidden Strike proves to be nothing more than a plodding, dull waste of time and money. It neither attains the status of a lost gem held up by circumstance or international politics nor achieves the unintentional charm that comes with shelving a film due to its sheer awfulness. Even for those already subscribed to Netflix, Hidden Strike is not worth the time or effort to check out.

Conclusion: A Plea for Forgiveness

Interestingly, a couple of years after filming Hidden Strike, John Cena found himself in hot water with the Chinese government for referring to Taiwan as a separate country. Perhaps now Cena should be seeking forgiveness from the audience for his involvement in this lackluster film. Hidden Strike has emerged on Netflix in North America and Europe, but our advice would be to avoid it.