HIGH FORCES (危机航线) (2024)

Genre: Action/Thriller
Director: Oxide Pang
Cast: Andy Lau, Liu Tao, Qu Chuxiao, Zhang Zifeng, Guo Xiaodong, Jiang Mengjie, Wang Longzheng, Zhang Yang, Zhang Yao, Eric Chou, Bai Ge, David Wang, Jiang Chao
Runtime: 1 hr 59 mins
Rating: PG13 (Some Violence)
Released By: Clover Films
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 10 October 2024

Synopsis: Gao Haojun is a former Special Police officer. One time while subduing robbers who were robbing a jewelry shop, Gao accidentally blinds his daughter, Xiaojun, which shatters his family and is guilt ridden as a result. After his wife, Yuan, leaves him with their daughter, Gao resigns from the police force and becomes an international security expert. Years later, Gao bumps into his ex-wife and daughter while boarding the luxurious Airbus A380. However, during the flight, 12 hijackers seize the plane and hold its 800 passengers hostage while at over 10,000 feet in the air. As the hijackers mercilessly kill passengers on the economy class, Gao steps forward and engages in a battle of brains and brawns against the hijackers where Xiaojun also secretly assists her father by providing him intel.

Movie Review:

Universe Entertainment sure has a cordial if not happy relationship with director Oxide Pang. Collaborating since two decades ago with Ab-normal Beauty to the sequel to The Storm Riders to Aaron Kwok’s Detective series, Pang has enjoyed a steady directing career with the HK movie production and distribution company. After last year's Flashover, Pang returns to helm another action oriented action thriller starring superstar Andy Lau.

The much delayed High Forces stars Lau as a bipolar disorder suffering former police officer, Gao Haojun. After causing a freak accident which caused his daughter, Xiaojun (Zhang Zifeng ) to lose her eyesight, Gao left his wife (Liu Tao) and daughter to become a security expert with an airline. Coincidentally, the three of them board the inauguration flight of a luxury airline launched by CEO Li Hangyu (Guo Xiaodong) except Gao is in economy while mother-and-daughter is in business class.

Before long, a team of hijackers led by Mike (Qu Chuxiao) starts killing the crew and passengers onboard. They demand Li to wire transfer a sum of US$500 million or risk more passengers being killed. Expectedly, Gao jumps into action with the help of a fellow stewardess. Will Gao save the day or let Mike and gang escape via their prior prepared parachutes?

The basic plot of High Forces is almost idiot-proof and near impossible to fail but somehow Pang manages to mangle everything on hand. Just take a look at Passengers 57, Air Force One or Liam Neeson’s Non-Stop. All excellent undemanding action movies that do the job at the end of the day.

Yes, High Forces did offer more or less a decent prologue establishing our leading man as an imperfect individual who learns to be a better father, husband and generally a better person after the tragic accident which took her daughter’s eyesight. To be honest, the narrative wastes no time introducing our equally ahem bipolar disorder suffering antagonist, Mike and Qu Chuxiao is at least serviceable as the main bad guy who can’t kill enough to satisfy his bloodlust.

And what exactly makes a hijack movie ticks? The action of course right? And that’s exactly where the problem lies. While Andy Lau is no longer in the peak of his youth, he still makes a believable action hero in Shockwave and The White Storm 2. Pang who also serves as editor for whatever reason decides to pull off a Paul Greengrass approach applying gritty, shaky-cam and haphazard quick edits to almost every fight and tussle between Guo and his opponents. To be honest, we can’t really comprehend what is going with the various violent ordeals. Hence, it’s tough to be immersed in the action if it’s so poorly done in postproduction.

To make matters worse, the entire finale reminds one of an early 90’s Hollywood action movie with a tinge of Marvel thrown in. We are not sure if credited writers Sun Chan and Bai Yu are responsible for it or the higher management at Universe demand a heavily CGI aka amateur effects wham-bang finale. Either way, it’s horrendously embarrassing and totally ridiculous. Basically, you got to really watch it to believe this nonsensical and questionable approach. High Forces in fact completed filming three years ago. On hindsight, Universe should just release this straight to streamers.

Movie Rating:

(Oxide Pang has been delivering duds for years and this one is no exception)

Review by Linus Tee