Movie review: The Rescue
This is the third entry in a series of action-adventure films directed by Dante Lam that pays tribute to Chinese public personnel, after 2016's Operation Mekong and 2018's Operation Red Sea.
Call it official propaganda, but at least it is executed with finesse.
The Rescue follows Captain Gao Qian (Eddie Peng) as he leads China Rescue and Salvage's emergency response unit amid crises while overcoming differences with the team's new no-nonsense female chopper pilot (Xin Zhilei).
Watching the characters make selfless sacrifices in the line of duty, using the most maverick and risky of tactics as they defy danger and death, will leave you in awe of their noble profession and endless courage.
Boasting the biggest production set at sea for a Chinese film, The Rescue has no less than four heavyweight set pieces, each one being bigger and more gripping than the next.
It opens with a capsizing offshore drilling platform sequence reminiscent of the 2016 Mark Wahlberg blockbuster Deepwater Horizon.
And as if watching a passenger airplane crash into the ocean is not harrowing enough, there is still the explosive finale and an emotionally manipulative side plot involving Gao's young son.
Once the intense thrill ride is finally over, you will be beyond exhausted yet wholly appreciative that such unsung heroes do exist in real life.
THE RESCUE (PG13)
Score: 3.5/5
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