At The Movies: Weekend In Taipei

Wealthy businessman Kwang (Sung Kang) is fronting the press trying to soften down accusations against his business ventures. Meanwhile, his wide Joey (Lun-Mei Gwei) is giving a car salesman a ride-to-remember as she test-drives a Ferrari – a birthday present for her husband.

Across the ocean in the USA, undercover DEA Agent John Lawlor (Luke Evans) and his offsider have just had their cover blown trying to gain incriminating evidence against Kwang. After an intense fight scene, Lawlor receives a tip-off back at the office about concrete evidence against Kwang that would require him to return to Taipei after fifteen years. His boss flatly refuses and orders him to take the weekend off and go to the beach.

Not to let an opportunity slip by Lawlor decides to have his weekend break – not at the beach, but in Taipei. It appears that Joey and Lawlor have a history from Lawlor’s previous stint in Taipei. She was driver for Kwang and he was an undercover DEA agent who would stop at nothing to close out a case. Through his cover they fell in love and now, fifteen years later, fate has brought them together again and she tries to assist him in eluding her husband’s henchmen. Together with Joey’s son Raymond (Wyatt Yang) the three of them find a place to hide out – but only temporarily.

It all makes for a good action movie – Joey’s unsurpassed driving skills, Lawlor’s determination and martial arts prowess, a fifteen-year old boy desperately wanting to escape his step-father’s corrupt business “ethics”, and the wealthy businessman with a swathe of ruthless thugs! What else could you ask for?

Movie Review By John Glennie

Showing in cinemas from 31st October,
Rating: MA15+
Runtime: 100 minutes