Displaying items by tag: Pilou Aesbak

HIDDEN STRIKE

US/China, 2023, 102 minutes, Colour.

Jackie Chan, John Cena, Pilou Asbaek, Chunrui Ma, Wenli Jiang, Amadeus Serafini.

Directed by Scott Waugh.

There are quite a number of strikes in this action film, none of them particularly hidden!

This is a Jackie Chan film and that is what the audiences go to see, not a serious study in world politics…!

And, fans will not be disappointed. The location is Iraq, the desert, oil refineries, the Green Zone, ships and harbours waiting oil transportation. Which means that there is an underlying plot, relevant to the 21^st-century, oil supplies, the Middle East. And there are international developments.

Jackie Chan, very agile turning 70, full of enthusiasm, fighting stunts, some gymnastics and athleticism. And he is joined by film star and former wrestler, John Cena, tall, weightier, strong. At first antagonism, then a collaboration.

The film was directed by Scott Waugh, familiar with this type of action film, Expendables 4, Runner.

1. Audience expectations, the presence of Jackie Chan, his long career, fights, stunts, choreography? And joined with John Cena?
2. Topical issues of the 2020s, oil production, Iraq, Chinese collaboration, exploitation and stealing of oil?
3. The locations, the desert, the oil plants, the production lines, the underground tunnels, the ship waiting?
4. The situation, the Chinese presence, the threats, international gangs, the stealing of the oil, the evacuation of the workers, Professor, codes for the oil, the buses, leader, the rescue, the attack?
5. Jackie Chan, his presence, in command, the expedition, the evacuation, the buses, the attack? In the plane, the orphanage, the confrontation with Chris, suspicions, the orphans, the two banding together, the common enemy?
6. Chris, his history, private security, the death of his father, working the orphanage, the friendship with the children, Old McDonald’s Farm, the village, the need for water, mercenaries and the consequences for the village?
7. Paddock, his work in Iraq, the oil, his sense of the injustices, leading the attack, merciless, the death of Chris’s brother, the capture of the Chinese, shooting hostages, the pressure on the Professor, the tracker for the bag, the mercenary group attacking the orphanage, the confrontation, the bag, the codes, the ship waiting, the tunnels, the movement of the oil?
8. Dragon Luo, his daughter, her presence, alienation, memories, the photos? His work with Chris, the strategies? The huge vehicle, barging through the oil refinery, the daughter following in the car?
9. The centrepiece with all the fighting, the choreography, the inventiveness, the fight with everybody covered in foam, the chase with the desert, going over the cliff, calling out for help, Chris climbing up…
10. The villain, his going over the cliff? The rescue, the water and the well, the future of the village?

I.S.S.

US, 2023, 95 Minutes, Colour.

Ariana DeBose, Chris Messina, John Gallagher Jr, Masha Mashkova, Costa Ronin, Pilou Asbaek.

Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite.

I.S.S. stands for international space station. The film takes place in the near future, building on the rapport between Russia and the United States after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

The audience accompanies two new appointees to the station, played by John Gallagher Jr and Oscar winner for West Side Story, Ariana DeBose. She is involved in medical studies. They meet the American commander, played by Chris Messina, and three Soviet astronauts. They have been trained to survive on the space station and to learn each other’s language to communicate.

The premise of the drama is that war breaks out on earth, each team receives a message to beware of the others and to take over the spacecraft. What follows is some drama, conflict, deceptions, some violent outbursts of mistrust.

This is a film for those who enjoy films in space, thinking back to 2001, A Space Odyssey, and through the decades to more recent films like Gravity, Ad Astra, First Man…

1. The title, international Space Station, the initial explanations, bonds between Russia and the US, collaboration in space, scientific and medical investigations?
2. The plausibility of the plot, the reality of space stations, Soviet and American alliances, the possibility of war, nuclear disaster and consequences?
3. The visuals of the space station and shuttle, the interiors, the exteriors, floating through space, the overview of earth? The musical score?
4. Entering into the action, Kira and Christian, the shuttle, their training, English-language, Russian language? Christian and his talk about his family? The arrival, the welcome, adjusting, speaking English, the attempts in Russian? Gordon Barrett, in charge, personality, the welcome, his relationship with moronic? The two Russians, personalities, skills, Liosha and Kira and their shared interest in medical research, the animal specimens, their deaths?
5. The work in collaboration, friendliness?
6. Kira seeing the eruptions, the vastness, each side receiving messages to take charge, the Americans hesitating, the Russians in action?
7. The conflict and strategies, the Russians, stating the antenna was broken, Gordon going out, no breakage, the loss of communications, his going into space, Nikolai and his control, Liosha and his change of heart, bringing Gordon back?
8. Weronika, the relationship with Gordon, her upset, her getting Kira on side, to save the new medical research, Kira feeling betrayed, Christian and the attack, her confronting the Russians, the news of Gordon’s death, upset and anger, Christian hitting her, her death? Gordon’s arrival back, grief?
9. Christian, talking about his family, taking the research, preparing the shuttle, curate discovering this, the confrontation? The fighting with Nikolai, Nikolai and his sense of duty, the struggle, suspension, each killing the other?
10. Liosha and Kira remaining, having to bond, preparing to leave – and not knowing where they would land or what the future will be?
11. An addition to space exploration films, memories of Cold War, Cold War reigniting, conflicts, sense of duty, loyalties?