John (Luke Evans) is an undercover agent tasked with gathering evidence to bring down a criminal leader named Kwang (Sung Kang). His undercover mission as a chef is going smoothly until a fellow agent accidentally drops his badge in front of the enemy. This mistake leads to a chaotic battle, resulting in the death of nearly all present except a goldfish. Fortunately, John can turn this mistake to their benefit and helps seize a large quantity of drugs with the authorities. However, the chaos and its outcomes led John’s boss to insist he take a leave of absence.
When John receives a new lead from a source in Taipei that could finally put Kwang behind bars, he heads to Taipei to continue working on the case secretly. However, not long after arriving, John makes a significant discovery about the ongoing operation and his personal life: his ex-girlfriend, Joey (Gwei Lun-Mei), lives in Taipei and is now married to Kwang. The mission is now personal as John and Joey reconnect and rekindle their romance. Can John gather enough evidence to bring down Kwang and win back the love of his life?
Weekend in Taipei is an action film with minor elements of silly comedy. It was directed by George Huang, who also directed past films such as Swimming with Sharks (1994) and Trojan War (1997). Luc Besson, a co-writer and co-producer of the film, is famously known for directing many action titles, such as Leon: The Professional (1994), The Fifth Element (1997), and Lucy (2014).
It’s hard not to draw comparisons between this film and other action movies, especially The Fast and the Furious franchise. Not only does the film feature a key actor from The Fast and Furious franchise, but it also showcases multiple scenes with high-speed cars. The style and appearance of these cars immediately bring to mind other movies. The action sequences in this film are somewhat peculiar and, unfortunately, underwhelming. While the scenes involving fast vehicles are impressive, their movement seems unnatural, appearing almost sped up, creating the illusion that the cars are quicker than they are. While the hand-to-hand combat, gunfights, and so on are more enjoyable, it lacks realism through the various action sequences. The film’s most exciting and successful action sequence involves John fighting in a kitchen, with some well-executed comedic moments.
Despite the film starting exceptionally well, introducing John with a bang, once he travels to Taipei, the pace and story take a considerable backstep. The second act slows down as John attempts to bring down Kwang, and at the same time, the story becomes a sloppy romance filled with uninteresting and ridiculous flashbacks. In these flashback sequences, Luke Evans is forced to wear one of the most absurd hair wigs I’ve seen, making him look like Tommy Wiseau’s twin brother. The film’s third and final act brings back some pleasing action, but the character choices here are both torturous and too cheesy to accept.
Weekend in Taipei is a film that aims to mix action and comedy; however, it comes off as bizarre due to numerous distractions, such as the poor gags, and missed opportunities in the storyline. While Luke Evans delivers a good performance as the lead, and some action moments, including his introduction, are enjoyable, the film’s pace is disappointing. Many moments in this are similar to The Fast and the Furious, Drive, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and the tragic hairpiece worn by Luke Evans for multiple flashbacks also brings to mind other films such as The Room. The action sequences are passable but often questionable, with strange speed-up effects for chases and the evident use of stunt doubles for physical fights. Dull flashbacks, a corny romance, unfunny gags, and poor character choices further slow the film. While some moments are pleasing, Weekend in Taipei may be passable for some, but for me, it was filled with many eye rolls and it lacked memorability.
Weekend in Taipei (2024) is Now Available in Australian Cinemas!
FILM SCORE: 4.4/10
Published: 30th October 2024
Written by: Peter Walkden
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