Action movie stars John Cena and Jackie Chan share the poster of the blockbuster “Project X-Traction”, a post-apocalyptic buddy-movie to discover exclusively on Netflix!
WHAT IS IT ABOUT ?
A security contractor is tasked with extracting workers from a refinery that has been attacked. He teams up with a former US Army officer when he learns the attackers’ goal is to steal gasoline from this refinery.
WHO IS IT WITH?
Jackie Chan plays the main role of Dragon Luo, a security specialist tasked with escorting a group of workers chased by an army of mercenaries.
If he no longer performs his own stunts (in any case the most perilous), the iconic action hero Hong Konger proves that he has lost none of his charisma and his talent as an actor with this role, at times more serious than his usual characters.
The role of Chris Van Horne was originally intended for Sylvester Stallone, but it was finally John Cena who played the role of the former American soldier, associated with Dragon after being betrayed by his comrades in arms. The former wrestler is as comfortable in action scenes as in comic passages, like his role as Peacemaker in the film The Suicide Squad.
Hollywood’s new favorite villain Pilou Asbæk (Games of Thrones) lends his features to the film’s bad-guy, Owen Paddock. A tailor-made role for this specialist in antagonistic characters, although the family aspect of the film forces him to limit his excesses of cruelty on screen.
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IT’S WORTH CHECKING OUT ?
When a film comes out several years after it was shot, to general indifference, that’s usually not a very good sign. It is therefore an understatement to say that Project X-Traction (Hidden Strike in original version), Jackie Chan’s new film released by surprise on July 28 on Netflix, did not create an event worthy of the legend of the Hong Kong cinema superstar…
It must be said that nothing announced good with this post-apocalyptic buddy-movie, and especially not the trailers of the film suggesting an aesthetically ugly film with hideous special effects. This despite a comfortable budget of around 80 million dollars (including 20 million for the salaries of the main actors).
Still, this Project X-Traction is ultimately not the expected industrial disaster. Better, the feature film sometimes operates as a good surprise, thanks in particular to the chemistry that is established between its two main actors.
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A perfectly complementary duo!
The talent for martial arts of Jackie Chan combined with the superhuman strength of John Cena works wonders! This futuristic buddy-movie extends the great tradition of this fetish sub-genre of 80s action cinema, thanks to the formation of this cinematic duo as improbable as it is irresistible.
Project X-Traction also has the good idea of not taking itself too seriously, despite an introduction that surprises with its dramatic tone. The action scenes follow each other at a satisfying pace, thanks to the skill of director Scott Waugh, who moved on to directing late after working for decades as a stunt coordinator in Hollywood.
Despite everything, the film would have benefited from relying on a more original plot, in any case more surprising. Like its main villain, unfortunately too often erased compared to its hero duo, and who ultimately appears as miserably anecdotal.
Netflix / XYZ Movies
Perfect entertainment for the summer!
After seeing this Project X-Tration (and this decidedly abominable French title), we understand better why we had to wait five years to discover it, and that without even going through the cinema box.
And at the same time, the recipe for a summer blockbuster also seems to be respected enough to ensure a minimum of spectacle and entertainment for Netflix subscribers. This explains why the film has been in first position since its release in the ranking of the most viewed films on the platform in France!
Without claiming a sequel, many Internet users will surely hope that the duo formed by Jackie Chan and John Cena can be reunited again. Fun fact by the way: the two actors appear in the voice cast of the new film Ninja Turtles, to be found in cinemas on August 9!
The film Project X-Traction is to be discovered now exclusively on Netflix!