Troubled productions sometimes give birth to cinematic gems. Air Strike (2018), however, is not one of them. Directed by Xiao Feng and rumored to be among the most expensive Chinese films ever made, the film intended to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Allied victory in World War II. Instead, it collapsed under the weight of its ambition, plagued by behind-the-scenes chaos, awkward editing, and incoherent storytelling.
Boasting an impressive international cast including Liu Ye, Fan Wei, Bruce Willis, Adrien Brody, and Rumer Willis, the film never quite decides what it wants to be. Initially conceived with big names like Mel Gibson and Vilmos Zsigmond potentially involved, it went through multiple title changes, format shifts from 3D to 2D, and delays. Its Chinese release was ultimately canceled after Fan Bingbing was implicated in a tax scandal.
The film centers on the Japanese bombing of Chongqing between 1938 and 1944 and weaves together three loosely connected plotlines: a military training arc led by Bruce Willis’s American colonel, a road trip with Liu Ye transporting a decoder, and a subplot about a gambler preparing for a mahjong tournament. These disjointed narratives jump abruptly between war drama, slapstick comedy, and tearful tragedy, rarely allowing the audience to invest in any one story.
Character development is virtually nonexistent. Willis delivers stiff lines and bizarre bits of faux-philosophy, while Brody and Rumer Willis vanish shortly after their brief hospital scenes. The action sequences are poorly executed, marred by incomplete visual effects and confusing editing that drains any emotional or narrative impact.
The American version, 30 minutes shorter than the original, is no improvement. It trims much of the dialogue-heavy scenes and focuses more on action, yet still fails to generate momentum or coherence. The Mandarin-to-English dubbing is clumsy, with tonal shifts that make the dialogue unintentionally laughable.
Despite brief moments of visual beauty and a few harrowing depictions of civilian suffering, Air Strike never recovers from its overreach. The film’s chaotic structure, inconsistent tone, and technical shortcomings ultimately render it a forgettable entry in the war genre—ambitious, yes, but disastrously so.
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