Hidden Strike is an action film starring Jackie Chan, John Cena and Pilou Asbæk, directed by Scott Waugh and written by Arash Amel and it's certainly a fun ride...if you can make it past the first 30-40 minutes. The film depicts a team of mercenaries escorting civilians across what is called the "Highway of Death" in Baghdad, Iraq, which is surrounded by nothing but desert, and bad guys try to stop them for a certain reason (can't include to avoid spoilers).
Upon first watch, I swore that this was a Michael Bay movie. The action, the explosions, the gun fights, it all looks like something out of a Michael Bay film. Mixed in with the action is great on-screen chemistry with Cena and Chan. The comedy in this film is top notch and there is a decent twist (not a HUGE twist, but still a twist) that make it a bit more interesting to watch. This all makes this film one to watch, however, the beginning is such a drag that, when you get to these good moments, you're almost a little bit too bored to actually enjoy the rest of the movie. Now with that being said, don't believe the reviews that tell you that this movie is "so bad that it's funny/good". Those are people who are expecting an old late 90s-early 2000s action movie starting Jackie Chan. This is a 2023 Jackie Chan film and, while it's not going to live up to, Rush Hour or Shanghai Noon, it still hits on multiple levels, including Chan never missing a beat.
When you look at the films Arash Amel wrote before this, you'll see a wide variety of work. Erased in 2012, an action thriller, Grace of Monaco, a biographical film starring Nicole Kidman, The Titan, a sci-fi thriller, A Private War, a war film that surrounds the Syrian Civil War and the film right before this one, Rise, which is a biography about the life and the rise of Milwaukee Bucks megastar Giannis Antetokounmpo. This film is an amalgamation of his work before this. It mixed the action of Erased and A Private War with the biographical/historical story writing of Grace of Monaco and Rise. Amel's writing in this film is very well done. The comedic parts hit the way they should, and part of that might be because of Cena/Chan's delivery.
Scott Waugh builds this huge world that matches the story, the needed scenery based on the subject matter. His previous films, 6 Below and Need For Speed, each had action of their own and Waugh took the action scenes from Need For Speed and upped the ante in this film. The film is very well shot and, for a movie that is pretty good for about an hour of its hour and 42 minute runtime, I would throw this in the category of a film that I would recommend seeing on Netflix. Is it going to be someone's favorite film ever? No. But it will be a very enjoyable experience....eventually lol.
