Verdict
Summary
The Adventurers is harmless fun with Andy Lau at his smooth best and some entertaining set-pieces making it worth a watch on Netflix.
Plot: The world’s top thieves join forces to pull off the heist of a lifetime. But when they find themselves pursued across Europe by a legendary French detective, they’ll have to take their game to the next level.
Review: This movie is currently at 17% on Rotten Tomatoes for some bizarre reason and as usual I disagree with the majority of critics. Sure, The Adventurers might not exactly be a classic but I still thought it was a jaunty and entertaining heist caper. It’s a cross between Mission: Impossible and James Bond with Andy Lau at his smooth best.
Lau plays Zhang, a recently released criminal who embarks on a mission to steal a piece of jewellery called the “GAIA” so he can find out who set him up and had him thrown in jail.
So he sets out with his trusted friend Chen and newcomer Red (Shu Qi) to steal said piece of jewellery. Their plan is not without problems however, as they are relentlessly pursued by Inspector Pierre (Jean Reno) who is obsessed with catching Zhang and putting him away for good.
The Adventurers has a wonderfully light tone so it never gets overly serious or violent and manages to be entertaining for all the family. The pace slows a little in the middle and there are no fight scenes so if that is what you’re looking for then you may be disappointed.
It’s also ridiculous stuff with crazy technology like “Spidey” which can apparently do pretty much anything like spy, shoot and more making me really wish I had one.
My favourite aspect was the music score which was pure old-school Bond with screeching brass and orchestra all adding to the sense of fun.
The script isn’t all that amazing but there were a few funny moments and there is enough action to keep things moving. When the team finally begins their heist it’s all very tense although like I said, a little too Mission: Impossible in places.
Hearing Andy Lau interact in English with Jean Reno makes me want to see him in more Hollywood pictures but I believe that was never a big priority for him.
Overall, The Adventurers left me smiling and although there isn’t anything particularly amazing about it, I still thought it was pure unadulterated fun with Lau at his cool best and a few entertaining set-pieces.