GoMovieReviews Rating: ★★★1/2
Rated: MA15+
Directed by: George Huang
Written by: George Huang & Luc Besson
Produced by: Virginie Besson-Silla & Luc Besson
Starring: Luke Evans, Gwei Lun-Mei, Sung Kang, Wyatt Yang.
‘Who’s the snitch?’
The opening of, A Weekend in Taipei is the city shown in a fast-paced montage of images of the street life; to dead fish on the pavement, motorbikes, toys and temples – all shot in contrasting saturated colour to black and white to introduce the style of the film: action featuring car chases and fight scenes but also the drama of an unhappy family and a woman waiting for The One to finally come back.
Kwang (Sung Kang) is a corrupt billionaire being charged with the only crime that sticks – fishing license violations.
Surrounded by media, Kwang curses at his staff as he gets into his car. He tries to call his wife, Joey (Gwei Lun-Mei). She ignores him.
Instead, Joey takes a Ferrari for a test drive. She drives, fast.
Joey’s been married to Kwang for 15 years. Her son, Raymond (Wyatt Yang) hates him. Raymond doesn’t understand why she’s with him.
But Joey explains that a long time ago, she needed help. And Kwang was there.
Cut-to Minneapolis where John Lawlor (Luke Evans) is getting arrested holding a goldfish in a glass.
An undercover DEA agent, Lawlor is on the trail of Kwang after uncovering a delivery of heroin with Kwang’s name all over it.
It’s time to spend a weekend in Taipei.
Amongst the action, knife fights and car chases, there’s a lightness to this film that adds a sense of fun.
Lawlor’s fellow agent in a restaurant fight unintentionally getting more injured as Lawlor tries to protect him is hilarious – grater across the hand, the kitchen on fire, ‘oh, no.’
This is a classic- style action movie with humour that hits the mark. And there’s some fresh ideas here, like knocking the power board off the lift, then the door handle off the exit door to the stairs, delaying the bad guys giving chase.
Director George Huang explains one the biggest challenges making the film was shooting in Taipei in the summer. It was so hot that the final fight scene was moved indoors to a cinema where, ‘images from Zhang Yimou’s The Secret of the Flying Daggers are projected onto the actors.’
It’s a clever device that adds another layer to the fight and another point of difference to the action that I enjoyed.
The film does feel stilted at the beginning but the chemistry between Agent Lawlor and mother, wife, badass-driver Joey lifts the film up a level.
There’s a good balance as young actor Wyatt Yang who plays the son Raymond states, ‘It’s a very exciting film, it has lots of fast cars, guns, and blood, but at the heart is a family story.’
Not the deepest dive into the characters but there’s enough amusement and action thrills – who doesn’t like a car chase featuring a beach buggy?! – to make for an entertaining watch.