Two different generations come together in one special action film. John Cena and Jackie Chan star in Scott Waugh‘s Hidden Strike. The synopsis of the 2023 film is: “Two ex-special forces soldiers must team up and escort a group of civilians working for an oil refinery along Baghdad’s “Highway of Death” to the safety of the Green Zone.” This action/adventure sees Chan working with one of the biggest stars of the genre.
There’s an old-school feel to Hidden Strike with hints of Fast and the Furious. It’s always great to see Chan and Cena kicking some major butt in an action film. Hidden Strike is directed by the same man who finished Expendables 4. There isn’t an official release day for the film. The upcoming feature also stars a mix of diverse talents such as Pilou Asbaek, Zhenwei Wang, and Max Huang. Here are the top five moments of the Hidden Strike trailer:
An Oil Plantation Explodes
It took over five years for Hidden Strike to be finally released. Admittedly, some of the scenes in Hidden Strike feel out-of-place and fake overall. However, the effects seem more hit than miss. The giant explosion, in the beginning of the Hidden Strike trailer looks great. This action/comedy doesn’t waste time in getting into the nitty gritty of its premise and tone.
As previously mentioned, there’s an old-school feel to Hidden Strike — the simplistic plot, the buddy action-comedy, and the over-the-top nature when it comes to its set pieces. Given the first scene with John Cena and Jackie Chan (who looks like he’s barely aged since the 90s), the duo provides some solid chemistry that should produce a decent film.
Gear Up For Some Sandstorm Action
There’s a cool wasteland sequence that’s strongly reminiscent of Mad Max: Fury Road. The modern George Miller classic set the bar high on what action films should be. It’s great that the 2015 feature has inspired plenty of influences, though hopefully, this isn’t a bland copycat of the Oscar nominee. Nevertheless, the action here looks pretty smooth. Though we don’t see the entire sequence, it does showcase the versatility of set pieces that the John Cena/Jackie Chan vehicle has when it comes to action set pieces.
There Are Genuine Moments With Comedic Gold
When Cena first made his transition over to Hollywood with The Marine in 2006, the former WWE superstar seemed destined to become the next action icon for the modern generation. However, the biggest issue is that Cena was starring in a not-so-great feature film. The actor’s break role was actually in Trainwreck. He was absolutely hilarious as the musclebound buffoon Steven, and it helped showcase his natural charisma in comedy.
Long story short, Cena’s comedy timing in the Hidden Strike trailer is spot on. Giving covert names to his new teammates also helps gives their characters some definition. The guy who looks like he just hopped off the set of David Ayer’s Suicide Squad as an El Diablo extra is hopefully given more dimension than badass with a gun.
The Villain Is Introduced
It’s nice to see the actor who played Euron Greyjoy gets some spotlight here. There appears to be some dimension to Pilou Asbaek‘s character as he’s not evil because the script demands him to be. Could he turn out to be the Hans Gruber of the modern era? This is likely a stretch, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible for Hidden Strike to have a strong villain.
Every great action hero has a memorable villain. There needs to be a personal drive within the character where he views his actions as a good source for the world. Even greedy characters like Hans Gruber have their unique worldview where they’re doing nothing wrong. Let’s hope that Owen Paddock has a strong justification for his twisted actions.
A Truck Flips Over Another Truck
The action overall looks great, though it’s definitely some inspiration from the Fast and the Furious franchise due to how over-the-top the series has become. That brings us to the truck flipping over another flipping at the tail end of the trailer. Logically, it doesn’t make sense. However, this action set piece is going for a cool moment more than real-world common sense. It’s definitely a fun action set piece, but hopefully, the film isn’t buried with too many illogical action sequences.
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