''High Forces'', formerly known as ''Crisis Route'' is a 2024 Hong Kong-Chinese

action film The action film is a film genre that predominantly features chase sequences, fights, shootouts, explosions, and stunt work. The specifics of what constitutes an action film has been in scholarly debate since the 1980s. While some scholars such as D ...

directed by

Oxide Pang An oxide () is a chemical compound containing at least one oxygen atom and one other chemical element, element in its chemical formula. "Oxide" itself is the dianion (anion bearing a net charge of −2) of oxygen, an O2− ion with oxygen in the o ...

, produced by

Andy Lau Andy Lau Tak-wah ( zh, order=t,j, t=劉德華, j=Lau4 Dak1 Waa4; born Lau Fook-wing; 27 September 1961), is a Hong Kong actor, singer-songwriter and film producer. He was named the "Fourth Tiger" among the Five Tiger Generals of TVB in the 1 ...

, and starring Lau,

Zhang Zifeng Zhang Zifeng (born 27 August 2001), also known as Wendy Zhang, is a Chinese actress. Regarded as one of the New Four Dan actresses of the post-95s Generation, she is widely considered one of the best young actors in China today. Zhang first ga ...

, and Qu Chuxiao. Lau plays an international security expert who combats against hijackers on board the

Airbus A380 The Airbus A380 is a very large wide-body airliner, developed and produced by Airbus until 2021. It is the world's largest passenger airliner and the only full-length double-deck jet airliner. Airbus studies started in 1988, and the pr ...

. The film was first announced in March 2020 and production officially began on 27 September 2021 and ended on 19 November 2021. ''High Forces'' was theatrically released on 10 October 2024.

Plot

Gao Haojun suffers from

mania Mania, also known as manic syndrome, is a Psychiatry, psychiatric Abnormality (behavior), behavioral syndrome defined as a state of Abnormality (behavior), abnormally elevated arousal, affect (psychology), affect, and energy level. During a mani ...

. Once, during a traffic jam, a severe episode led to a car accident that caused his daughter, Gao Xiaojun, to lose her eyesight. Haojun's condition didn't improve, and later, he was even detained for fighting. His family fell apart - his wife, Fu Yuan, left him, taking their daughter with her, leaving Haojun overwhelmed with guilt. Years later, Haojun rebuilt his life as an international security expert with Hangyu Airlines. On the maiden flight of the airline's

, he unexpectedly crossed paths with his ex-wife and daughter as he boarded the luxurious aircraft. However, during the flight, 12 hijackers seized control of the plane and its 800 passengers at an altitude of over 10,000 feet. As the hijackers began mercilessly killing passengers, Haojun stepped up, using both his intellect and physical prowess to fight back. His daughter and wife secretly assisted him. Through the concerted efforts of many, the plane made an emergency landing on a ring road using a specialized truck, and all the hijackers were either killed or arrested.

Cast

as Gao Haojun (高皓軍), an international security expert who suffers from mania. *

as Gao Xiaojun (高小軍), Gao's 18-year-old blind daughter who has great observation skills despite her disability. * Qu Chuxiao as Mike, the leader of the hijackers. *

Liu Tao Liu Tao ( zh, s=刘涛, t=劉濤, p=Liú Tāo, born 12 July 1978) is a Chinese actress. She is known for her roles in '' My Fair Princess III'' (2003), ''Madame White Snake'' (2006), ''Mazu'' (2012), ''To Elderly With Love'' (2013), '' Nirvana ...

as Fu Yuan (傅源), Gao's ex-wife and Xiaojun's mother. *Guo Xiaodong as Li Hangyu (李航宇), CEO of Hangyu Airlines. *

Jiang Mengjie Jiang Mengjie (, born 7 December 1989) is a Chinese actress. She is best known for her role as Lin Daiyu in 2010 television series '' The Dream of Red Mansions''. Early life and education Jiang was born in Wuhu, Anhui on December 7, 1989. She ...

Jiang Chao Jiang Chao (, born 12 August 1991), also known as Jo Jiang, is a Chinese actor and singer. He graduated in Beijing Contemporary Music Academy, and was the Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a populat ...

*Gao Shuguang *Wang Longzheng *

Eric Chou Eric Chou Hsing-che (; born June 22, 1995) is a Taiwanese singer and songwriter. He has been dubbed by the Taiwanese media as "king of the lovelorn people". He debuted in August 2014 with the self-composed smash hit "The Distance of Love", whic ...

*Zhang Yao *Zhang Yang

Production

Universe Entertainment chairman Daneil Lam first announced the film in March 2020, where it was titled ''A380'', and was in talks with

to star while production was set to begin in summer of the year. On 9 March 2021, it was announced that Lau would be starring in the film as well as serving as producer, with Alvin Lam as co-producing and

directing.

and

were also confirmed to be participating in the film, respectively playing the wife and daughter of Lau's character. With the film's title changed to ''Crisis Route'', production was set to begin in early September of the year. Principal photography for the film officially began on 27 September 2021, which was also Lau's 60th birthday, in

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

. The film held a production commencement ceremony that day as well as a birthday celebration for Lau. An interactive teaser poster was released which features a QR code when scanned with a cellular phone, an announcement of a plane hijacking can heard spoken by actor Guo Xiaodong, who plays a CEO of an airline company in the film. Being the first Chinese-language film to feature the interior of the

, the film reportedly spent HK$300 million to build a 1:1 replica of the aircraft. Production for ''Crisis Route'' officially wrapped up on 19 November 2021. The film released new posters at the 2023 Hong Kong Film & TV Market (FILMART) showcasing its new English title, ''High Forces''.

Release

''High Forces'' was theatrically released on 10 October 2024 in Hong Kong.

Reception

Box office

In Hong Kong, the film debuted at No. 6 during its opening weekend, grossing HK$1,852,858 (US$188,839) during its first four days of release including previews.In its second weekend, the film grossed HK$1,528,653 (US$196,722), moving up to No. 2, and have grossed a total of HK$3,381,511 (US$435,166) by then. During its third weekend, the film grossed HK$918,124 (US$118,161), coming in at No. 3, while having accumulated a total gross of HK$4,713,676 (US$606,641) so far. In its fourth weekend, the film grossed HK$282,801 (US$36,364), coming in at No. 8, while having accumulated a total gross of HK$4,996,477 (US$642,470) so far. In China, the film grossed US$25.2 million in its opening weekend, debuting at No. 5. In its second weekend, the film group US$8.4 million, moving up to No. 3, while having grossed a total of US$33.6 million by then. The film remained at No. 3 during its third weekend grossing US$5.9 million while having accumulated a total gross of US$39.5 million by the . In its fourth weekend, the film grossed US$2.7 million, coming in at No. 6, and have grossed a total of US$42.3 million so far.

Critical reception

Edmund Lee of the

South China Morning Post The ''South China Morning Post'' (''SCMP''), with its Sunday edition, the ''Sunday Morning Post'', is a Hong Kong-based English-language newspaper owned by Alibaba Group. Founded in 1903 by Tse Tsan-tai and Alfred Cunningham, it has remaine ...

gave the film a score of 2/5 stars, calling it "a bizarrely conceived, if also intermittently entertaining action thriller" while criticizing the logic of the screenplay and premise and writes, "as an action icon who often also backs himself in a co-producer capacity, Lau should better realise that the idiotic stories he fronts are eating into his star image."

References

{{Pang brothers 2024 films 2024 action thriller films Hong Kong action thriller films Chinese action thriller films 2020s Cantonese-language films 2020s Hong Kong films 2020s Mandarin-language films Films produced by Andy Lau Films directed by Oxide Pang Films about aircraft hijackings Films about terrorism in Asia Films set on airplanes Films shot in Shandong Airbus A380