‘Hidden Strike’ is a new mystery thriller film now streaming on Netflix. Directed by Scott Waugh, this exciting comedy action flick stars Jackie Chan and John Cena in the lead roles. They play two former soldiers who face nonstop danger as they travel through the deserts from the Middle East. Written by Arash Amel and edited by Scott Waugh, the film is packed with comical punches and action set pieces that are sure to give you an adrenaline rush. While the script does not take any effort to go beyond the genre conventions, the rapport between the leads keeps the boat afloat. The film is watchable largely due to the comical banter between John Cena and Jackie Chan.
*Spoilers Ahead*
Hidden Strike (2023) Plot Summary & Movie Synopsis:
What is Hidden Strike about?
‘Hidden Strike’ is primarily about two old companions teaming up for a mission with a shared motive. The film begins by giving us a background to a rescue mission. An oil refinery in Iraq owned by Chinese firm Unicorp gets attacked by some mercenaries. It leads to several oil workers getting trapped in the facility. That is why a private security team volunteers the high-risk mission of rescuing these people to extract them from the Highway of Death back to the Green Zone. Luo Feng (Jackie Chan) leads this unit and meets Professor Cheng to understand the situation on the ground.
Meanwhile, a former US Marine, Chris Van Horne (John Cena), learns from his brother, Henry (Amadeus Serafini), about the convoy that was responsible for an attack on them years before. Chris currently stays in a village near the oil refinery and helps orphans lead a better life through his facility. The past incident where he, unfortunately, lost his father gave his life a complete switch. Now, Henry asks him to do a job that will pay him much more that will help him to provide support for the young orphans. Since Chris is reluctant, Henry tries to manipulate him into helping their mission. For that, Henry uses his friend Owen Paddock (Pilou Asbæk) as a repairman to make him see the value in the mission.
Rescue Mission
With Dr. Luo Mei (Ma Chunrui), Feng begins the process of rescuing the besieged oil workers through buses. Along the way, they suddenly get attacked, which puts their mission at risk. Chris and Henry create an artificial sandstorm to get Feng’s buses under their control. After a relentless fight, Feng manages to get his bus out of the storm but loses two buses. With Chris’ support, Henry manages to get hold of five workers, including Professor Cheng, who has the authorization codes for the oil refinery.
Back at their base, Chris realizes the reality of their mission and Owen’s hand in orchestrating it. So, he confronts Owen about the abduction. Owen says that he is doing this because he felt exploited and hurt by his superiors for over 16 years. Owen tells him that he plans to reactivate the refinery and profit further. Since Owen feels no remorse whatsoever, Chris leaves. However, that leads to Owen ruthlessly shooting Henry down. Soon after, Feng finds out Chris’ location and confronts him. However, he soon realizes Chris’s orphanage and his earnest intentions to help the children from their deserted village.
Chris’ Intentions
After a bare-knuckle fight, Chris and Feng realize that they both are working with a similar motive. Once they have a back-and-forth about what they do in the present, they decide to join hands to fight against the evil forces. Back at his base, Owen tries to intimidate Professor Cheng into sharing the codes for their operation. He also threatens to murder her son. After that, the son himself ends up sharing a crucial part of the intel about the bag that contains the USB key and the codes to the refinery.
Meanwhile, with Mei, Feng meets the young kids at Chris’ orphanage and gets impressed by his old friend’s good work. He opens up about Mei, who is angry at him for leaving the family. Feng shares how Mei’s mother is the one behind his leaving. Since Mei was not aware of this, she held a grudge against him for years and stopped talking with him. Feng also accepted this mission to not leave his daughter during this time of crisis. She overhears this dialogue, and it gradually improves their relationship.
Hidden Strike (2023) Movie Ending Explained:
Does Owen succeed in his evil mission?
Owen sends his men to look for Professor Cheng’s bag with crucial information about the refinery. Chris ends up giving it back so that he can protect his village. Eventually, Owen gets Professor Cheng to get access to the oil storage container so that he can fulfill his goals. Meanwhile, Feng and Chris drive back to the refinery to defeat Owen’s army. While Feng relentlessly fights with Owen’s men, Owen drives away. Dr. Mei arrives there with a car to follow Owen. After defeating Owen’s soldier in the facility, Feng joins Chris and Mei. Together, they successfully manage to thwart Owen’s plans. As a result, Owen fails in his cruel mission and eventually gets killed.
Do Feng, Chris, and Mei manage to survive in the end?
Once Owen falls down the cliff, Feng and Mei think that Chris has also lost his life. They stay in shock for a while, only to realize that their friend has managed to survive despite all the difficult odds. It also gives a chance to the father and the daughter to reconcile. In the end, they manage to get back to the village and help the villagers. While we don’t know what lies in their path ahead, it is clear that their bond will keep growing stronger and stronger.
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