The helmer's blockbuster ambitions, striving to make every move a money shot, relegate human drama to the backseat.
The Viral Factor(逆戰)
Hong Kong, China · 2012
2h 2m
Director Dante Lam
Starring Jay Chou, Nicholas Tse, Andy On, Bai Bing
Genre Action, Drama, Thriller
Add to Watchlist
Please login to add films to your watchlist.
International Security Affairs agent Jon is on a dangerous mission to escort a criminal scientist to another country. En route, a member of his team turns out to be a traitor and shoots Jon in the head while kidnapping the scientist. When Jon wakes up in the hospital, a doctor tells him that within weeks, the bullet in his brain will cause complete paralysis. Jon returns to Beijing to see his mother, who confesses that Jon has a brother in Malaysia who was raised by his father, a gambler. Jon takes a flight to Malaysia to find his brother, Yeung. On the plane he forms a bond with Dr. Kan, who promises to look into possible treatments for his condition. However, when they arrive, Yeung tries to kidnap the doctor and when Jon intervenes, he's also taken hostage. The two soon realize they're brothers, and decide to work together in order to keep the criminals behind the kidnappings from reinfecting the world of a disease long thought cured.
We hate to say it, but we can't find anywhere to view this film.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
The New York Times by Neil Genzlinger
The Viral Factor wants to be both an action movie and a soap opera. But the merging of the two genres by Dante Lam, a director based in Hong Kong, is clumsy, and so is the film.
Village Voice by Nick Pinkerton
It's an overloaded, overwrought, profligate production inclined to hysteria and, in cumulative effect, something like being pelted with scenes until buried alive - but it helps keep it from being boring.
Slant Magazine by Nick Schager
The apparent byproduct of watching too much Bad Boys II, The Viral Factor is a cops-and-criminals saga slathered in glossy Michael Bay-isms.
Los Angeles Times by Robert Abele
A uniquely frenetic hodgepodge of story lures.
The Globe and Mail (Toronto) by Stephen Cole
The Viral Factor is deliriously far-fetched. And one wishes director Dante Lam (The Beast Stalker) could have at least had some giddy fun smashing all his toys around. But his new film is tediously overwrought and drably made, with scenes punctuated by synthesized drums out of eighties American TV drama.
Users who liked this film also liked
Azumi
(あずみ)
From The Ravages of War Raises An Assassin
- ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2003
- Director Ryûhei Kitamura
- Cast Aya Ueto, Kenji Kohashi, Hiroki Narimiya, Takatoshi Kaneko, Yuma Ishigaki, Yasuomi Sano
- Genre Adventure, Drama, Action, Thriller, Romance
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Street Fighter
The fight to save the world is on!
- ✭ ✭
- Japan, United States • 1994
- Director Steven E. de Souza
- Cast Jean-Claude Van Damme, Raúl Juliá, Ming-Na Wen, Byron Mann, Damian Chapa, Kylie Minogue
- Genre Action, Adventure, Comedy, Thriller
- Available on Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube
Ip Man
(葉問)
See the life of the celebrated Kung Fu master who trained Bruce Lee.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2008
- Director Wilson Yip
- Cast Donnie Yen, Simon Yam, Lynn Hung, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi, Gordon Lam, Fan Siu-wong
- Genre Action, Drama, History
- Available on fuboTV, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Hi-YAH, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, FlixFling, Microsoft Store, AMC on Demand, Tubi TV, The Roku Channel, Pluto TV, VIX , Freevee, Xumo Play, Kanopy, Plex, Plex Channel
Dragon Tiger Gate
(龍虎門)
Two martial artists discover they are half-brothers and use their skills to fight injustice.
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Hong Kong, China • 2006
- Director Wilson Yip
- Cast Donnie Yen, Nicholas Tse, Shawn Yue, Dong Jie, Li Xiaoran, Yuen Wah
- Genre Action, Thriller
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, VUDU Free, Plex, Plex Channel
The Earrings of Madame de...
(Madame de…)
It was her vanity that destroyed her.
- ✭ ✭ ✭ ✭
- France, Italy • 1953
- Director Max Ophüls
- Cast Charles Boyer, Danielle Darrieux, Vittorio De Sica, Jean Debucourt, Jean Galland, Mireille Perrey
- Genre Drama, Romance
- Available on Criterion Channel, TCM, Max Amazon Channel, Max, Apple TV, Amazon Video
Taipei Exchanges
(第36個故事)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Taiwan • 2010
- Director Hsiao Ya-chuan
- Cast Gwei Lun-mei, Zaizai Lin, Han Chang, Yuli Ma, Atari Kousuke, Pa Yu
- Genre Drama
- Available on Tubi TV, Cineverse
Black Jack: The Two Doctors in Black
(ブラック・ジャック ふたりの黒い医者)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Japan • 2005
- Director Satoshi Kuwabara, Makoto Tezuka
- Cast Aya Hirayama, Yuma Ishigaki, Takeshi Kaga, Yuko Mizutani, Akiko Kawase, Kenji Utsumi
- Genre Action, Adventure, Animation, Drama
- Available on No streaming locations found.
Din Tao: Leader of the Parade
(陣頭)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Taiwan • 2012
- Director Feng Kai
- Cast Alan Kuo, Alien Huang, Crystal Lin, Liu Chun, Bor Jeng Chen, Esther Liu
- Genre
- Available on No streaming locations found.
The Rooftop
(天台)
- ✭ ✭
- Taiwan, China, Hong Kong • 2013
- Director Jay Chou
- Cast Jay Chou, Alan Kuo, Li Xinai, Kai-wei Chiu, Wang Xueqi, Edison Huang
- Genre Comedy, Action, Drama
- Available on Fandango At Home
T-34
(Т-34)
Fast And Furious On Tanks
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Russia • 2018
- Director Alexey Sidorov
- Cast Alexander Petrov, Victor Dobronravov, Irina Starshenbaum, Vinzenz Kiefer, Petr Skvortsov, Semyon Treskunov
- Genre War, Action, Drama, History
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Peacock Premium, Peacock Premium Plus, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Tubi TV, Pluto TV, Freevee, Kanopy, Hoopla, Plex, Plex Channel
Captain Sabertooth and the Magical Diamond
(Kaptein Sabeltann og den magiske diamant)
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- Norway • 2020
- Director Rasmus A. Sivertsen, Marit Moum Aune
- Cast Kyrre Haugen Sydness, Tobias Santelmann, Trond Fausa Aurvåg, Jon Øigarden, Charlotte Frogner, Leonard Valestrand Eike
- Genre Animation, Family
- Available on Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, YouTube, Plex, Plex Channel
A Sun
(陽光普照)
A family of four fractures under the weight of unmet expectations, unexpected tragedy, and uncompromising pride.
- Taiwan • 2019
- Director Chung Mong-Hong
- Cast Yi-Wen Chen, Shu-qin Ke, Chien-Ho Wu, Guan-Ting Liu, Greg Hsu, Ivy Yin
- Genre Drama, Crime
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads
Last Seen Alive
- ✭ ✭ ✭
- United States • 2022
- Director Brian Goodman
- Cast Gerard Butler, Jaimie Alexander, Dani Deetté, Russell Hornsby, Aleks Alifirenko Jr.
- Genre Action, Thriller
- Available on Netflix, Netflix basic with Ads, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Fandango At Home, Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, YouTube, Kanopy, Hoopla