The crime thriller Cruel War (2024) is a grandiose work of ecological disasters, business secrets, and the eternal conflict of good and evil. It is a timely manner in which the plot of the film progresses, addressing the topics of climate change and the creation of technics, as one of the sides of the conflict is the future of humanity, which is threatened by the manipulation of genes and the natural disasters. The characters, especially Lin Xiang and Yan Xin are also impressively developed with the intricacies of love, duty and hope and provide the characters with an emotional interest in the drama which is replete with dramatic plot development. The fact that they are experiencing their own troubles in the middle of the chaos turns the story not only into action but into an emotional experience in a pilgrimage of attaining salvation and justice.
The movie is aesthetically breathtaking, because the concept of nature cataclysms and the futuristic biotechnology study centers are juxtaposed with the destructive power of the forces and the blue skies of scientific advancement. Action scenes are well designed and full of adrenaline, natural disaster scenes and undercover missions add depth to the tension. The music enhances the emotional and suspenseful scenes and filming is shot to expose the splenic landscapes of Southeast Asia and the low end underworld of drug trade that takes the audience to the place that all things are about to run out of control.
Despite the intriguing visual effects and stories in the movie, the movie at times suffers due to the existence of a meandered plot in which the movie tries to blend many plots- environmental destruction, business espionage and revenge missions and the movie and hence, it may lose its influence. Some of the lines are too expository and some of the roles are to be expanded. It was the emotionality of the message behind it all, however, which seemed most emotional to me, the thought of hope, how the seeds of wisdom, creativity and strength can sprout even in the most unpleasant and darkest situations. Cruel War eventually makes an indelible mark on how individuals undergo these difficult moments in the world and how good can still be triumphant despite the odds against it.
