Treasure hunting and prison breaks are two popular themes in action and adventure movies, and when they’re combined, it creates a unique and exciting storyline that often involves high stakes, dangerous obstacles, and thrilling action sequences. The treasure hunt aspect of these movies usually involves a search for a valuable or rare item, such as gold, diamonds, or an ancient artifact. Meanwhile, the prison break element usually involves a group of characters trying to escape from a high-security prison or detention center.
What makes this combination so compelling is the sense of urgency and risk involved. In order to find the treasure, the characters often have to break into secure locations and risk being caught by the authorities or other treasure hunters. And in order to escape from prison, they must navigate dangerous obstacles, outsmart their captors, and rely on their wits and skills to survive. Based on this combined theme of treasure hunt and prison break, there are many movies like “Escape Plan,” “National Treasure: Book of Secrets,” “The Italian Job,” “Three Kings,” and so on.
“Golden Escape,” a Chinese film released on August 5, 2023, offers a thrilling combination of treasure hunting and prison espionage. The cast’s superb performances and masterful storytelling make it a highly enjoyable viewing experience. To provide you with a glimpse of what to expect, here’s a brief recap of the film.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Golden Escape’ Story
The film “Golden Escape” commences with a brawl at Chek Long Wan Prison, where we are swiftly introduced to the lead character, Zheng (Justin Cheung), a struggling screenwriter with mounting debts. Zheng’s fortune changes when he receives a package containing a letter written by his late grandfather, along with a map. As he reads the letter, he begins to envision his grandfather appearing before him, urging him to seek out a hidden treasure of gold located on their ancestral land. Zheng is tasked with fulfilling his grandfather’s final wish and finding the treasure.
Zheng does his research and compares the ancient map with a current map, finding out his ancestral property now belongs to Chek Long Wan Prison. To pay his debts, he has no other option but to find the treasure, and after figuring out what to do after a lot of research, he throws his stuff away and gets arrested by the police. Now we understand why the movie started with a fighting sequence in the prison where Zheng was also involved. The prison fight scene was only foreshadowing the fact that the entire movie takes place in the prison itself. Upon his arrival in the prison, he finds a group of prisoners sharing his cell and gets very scared of them. But surprisingly, the prisoners start to act nicely and start celebrating their boss’s birthday.
Uncovering The Prison’s Secret Fortune: A Thrilling Treasure Hunt Breakout
Zheng quickly becomes aware of the two dominant groups within Chek Long Wan Prison: one led by Crab, a kind and loyal leader who values friendship and loyalty above everything else, and the other by Tiger, a pure embodiment of evil who instills fear in every prisoner. Though Zheng has already encountered Crab and formed a positive impression, meeting Tiger and his group proves to be a frightening and humiliating experience. Despite this, Zheng remains determined to locate the treasure he seeks but encounters numerous obstacles along the way. Eventually, he shares his treasure-hunting plan with Crab, and the two work together to uncover the hidden stash of gold bars. However, the duo soon realizes that their biggest challenge is escaping the confines of the prison with their newfound treasure.
Zheng and Crab get their focus back on strategizing their plan to smuggle the gold bars out of prison. However, their plan gets interrupted when Tiger catches wind of their scheme and attempts to become a part of the prison escape. Zheng quickly realizes that if he doesn’t include Tiger in their plan, Tiger will inform the police, which will surely jeopardize their efforts. Although Crab becomes upset with Zheng’s decision to include Tiger, Zheng sees no other option. Crab then accuses Zheng of being selfish and caring only about himself and ultimately decides to walk out on the escape plan. While walking away, Crab makes it clear that his assistance is based on loyalty and friendship and not a desire for the gold bars.
‘Golden Escape’ Ending
As the movie progresses, an intriguing twist arises when Crab receives news that his daughter is in critical condition at the ICU. Determined to see her, he re-joins Zheng’s escape plan, despite previously walking out on it. Along with Zheng and Tiger, Crab sets in motion a massive escape plan. Throughout the film, Crab is depicted as a morally upright person who values loyalty and friendship. His reason for being in prison in the first place was to avenge his friend’s death, which highlights the depth of his character. Additionally, Tiger puts his ego aside and collaborates with Crab to obtain the valuable gold bars and flee the prison, culminating in the two former adversaries shaking hands.
Zheng, Crab, and Tiger put their plan into action and ignited the prison using battery bombs they crafted with the limited tools at their disposal. After reaching the basement, they blast through the iron gate with flaming biogas and then plan to leap into a river using ropes, where a jet ski is waiting for them. The drop from the opening to the river is quite high, but Zheng and Crab begin to secure their gold bars into vests and prepare to land safely. Unfortunately, Tiger once again reveals his malicious intentions and attacks Zheng and Crab, breaking Crab’s arms and tying him up with rope before shoving him towards the river. However, Zheng manages to cling to the rope, and he and Crab team up to defeat Tiger and send him plunging into the river from a towering height. After a dramatic struggle, Zheng saves Crab’s life just as the sun rises, and they both surrender to the police. In the movie’s final moments, the police inform Zheng that he can keep the gold bars upon his release from prison as long as he pays for the damage to the prison. Additionally, the police inform Crab that his daughter’s surgery was a success, and he can soon visit her.
The movie “Golden Escape” effectively portrays the character developments, particularly for the protagonist Zheng. At the start of the film, Zheng’s sole focus is to acquire gold bars to solve his problems. However, by the end of the story, he has undergone a significant transformation, letting go of the rope tied to the gold bars and instead grabbing the rope tied to Crab, his friend, to save his life. This action highlights Zheng’s loyalty and friendship towards Crab, showcasing his character growth.