SKYFIRE (2019) review

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After Renny Harlin, it’s time for Simon West, another purveyor of 1990s and 2000s Hollywood blockbusters, to catch a second or third wind in China – after this, West directed The Legend Hunters, an upcoming Mojin adaptation. Skyfire is set on Tianhu, a volcanic island off the coast of China. Twenty years ago, vulcanologist Li Wentao (Wang Xueqi) lost his wife during a sudden eruption on Tianhuo; cut to present day, and the island, which is supposedly safe from any eruption for the next 150 years, has been turned into a theme park and resort by Australian businessman Jack Harris (Jason Isaacs). Much to Li’s chagrin, his daughter Xiaomeng (Hannah Quinlivan) is part of scientific team monitoring the volcano thanks to hundreds of sensors buried in the mountain. Certain that an eruption is imminent, Li travels to the island to get his daughter to safety – but it’s already too late: the volcano awakes, and all hell breaks loose.

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THE SHANGHAI JOB (aka S.M.A.R.T. CHASE) (2017) review

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Danny Stratton (Orlando Bloom) is a private security agent whose career suffered a deadly blow when a priceless Van Gogh painting was stolen on his watch by Long Fei (Shi Yanneng), a mysterious thief. Now his company S.M.A.R.T. (Security Management Action Recovery Team), which also includes Mach (Simon Yam), J. Jae (Hannah Quinlivan) and Ding Dong (Leo Wu), has been given a shot at redemption: to escort a valuable antique Chinese vase from Shanghai to London. But they’re once again ambushed, and once again Long Fei is the thief: it soon appears that he works for Tara Yen (Liang Jing), a wealthy arts dealer. Danny and his team decide to track her down and retrieve not only the vase, but also the Van Gogh. But things keep escalating as Tara Yen has Danny’s girlfriend Ling Mo (Lynn Xong) kidnapped.

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