Hot War (1998)

Agents Tango One (Cheng), Szeto Blue (Chen) and CS (Chan) are CIA agents from Lab 20, Chicago, and specialists in subliminals. Across the world, in Belfast, another team of subliminals experts are hatching a devious plot. Subliminals are hidden messages capable of being sent via the media to deliver a message - the right message hidden in a record store's music will deter theft, for example. Or, as chief nasty Alien says; It's like the Pokemon incident, only untraceable.

Alien and his team have been employed to wreak havoc for a scheming currency speculator's enormous personal gain. To help in their plot, the media terrorists have been kidnapping the CIA subliminals experts, and Szeto One is next to go. But the crims underestimated her bond with her orphanage mates-turned-colleagues. Tango One and CS undergo virtual training - immersed in liquid oxygen and hypnotised, the pair are taught two years' worth of fighting and defence skills in only two hours - and they take a chase by-passing the CIA's top brass through Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur.

The special effects people who did The Storm Riders are back with this one. With a HK$30 million budget and plenty of cyber this and virtual that, there are lots of nice things to look at. The filmmaking is flashy and many of the camera techniques and digital tricks are sharp, though action scenes are a little limp. The story itself is a blend of Downtown Torpedoes-ish techno hacker fun, overblown sentimentality, big stunts and a buddy flick that unfortunately isn't too engaging. And it's not helped by shallow character development and supposed tear-jerker symbolism, despite the strong visuals and Jordan Chan.

The Imperial Theatre's Hot War billboard.

Credits:

Directed by Jingle Ma
Starring Ekin Cheng, Kelly Chen and Jordan Chan