The Shanghai Job (2017)

Elevator Pitch: Danny Stratton is a security consultant working in Shanghai with two colleagues. When they are transporting a Van Gogh painting they are ambushed and the painting stolen. Twelve months later, for no good reason, the team are given the job of transporting a priceless vase from Shanghai to London, but before they leave the city they are ambushed again, by the same gang. Danny realises that if he can manipulate the situation he has the chance of recovering both the vase and the painting, so restoring their reputation. But there are more forces set against them than he realises.

Content: There is no sex or nudity, but a bit of drinking. Young people are seen in a square doing gymnastic sort of stuff. The team, consisting of a Brit, a Chinese young woman and a Chinese guy, plus a young Chinese man who does the computer stuff dash about in Shanghai. There are car chases and motor bike chases with some spectacular car crashes and one or two explosions. Despite the involvement of gangs and the police no firearms are used.

A View: I had not looked at any on line info about this film but even so I did not have high hopes for it. However if there was one thing in its favour it was the Shanghai cityscape. It is really spectacular, so if you decide to watch this take advantage of the views which are presented early on in the film. But the reality – it cost $30 million and made almost nothing. The acting was poor and the plot unreal so be warned, it is frustratingly bad. I’m making it an ALMOST DON’T SEE.

Additional Info: I noticed that the river was almost empty. I was there on a ship in 1967. The river as so full of craft that we had difficulty getting to our berth.