Cyber Heist (2023)

Quite a lot of this reminded me of "Tron" (1982) as "Cheuk Ka-chun" (Aarok Kwok) finds himself the new chief executive of a software security company that he discovers is being used to facilitate some pretty huge money laundering operations. Using sophisticated firewall evasion and backdoor programmes, billions of HK dollars are being pinched from banks that are being simultaneously thrown into chaos whilst they are robbed. The police suspect him, and have him in for questioning when $800k appears in his bank account - exactly the sum he needs to ensure his ailing daughter gets the specialist treatment she needs. He agrees to work with the police (Simon Yam) to bring down his duplicitous boss "Chan Ming-chi" (Gordon Lam) and the golf-loving kingpin. What now ensues are a series of set piece action scenarios that use (not very sophisticated) CGI to help deliver a solid, if rather procedural story that develops quite a few flaws in the narrative as it heads to it's denouement. To be fair to director Hing Fan Wong, he does attempt to create some depth to the characters. There are mitigating factors in the behaviour of many the characters caught up in a whirlwind of technology and easy money - and maybe we might consider partaking of some "victimless crimes" were we in a similar position; but this story is just too lightweight and it takes far too long to become interesting. It's OK, this, but nothing more.