An FBI agent investigating the murder of a Taiwanese-American professor becomes caught up in a vast international conspiracy while aiding the Taiwanese government in catching the killer. The murder took place in the U.S., but in order to investigate, Agent Jake Kelly (James Van Der Beek) will travel to Taiwan. Once there, he is partnered with American diplomat Susan Kane (Wendy Crewson) and Taiwanese official Kuo (Tzi Ma). From the moment Agent Kelly arrives on the island formerly known as
Formosa, he is constantly reminded of his status as an outsider. Aided in his investigation by Taiwanese activist Ming (Will Tiao), Agent Kelly gradually uncovers a complex web of intrigue involving not only the Chinese mafia and the U.S. State Department, but the Republic of China as well. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
Formosa Betrayed is a history lesson dressed up as an action movie. The lesson is pretty interesting; the movie is just the far-fetched plot it hangs on.
A movie that shows us the desperation and danger of living under martial law in Taiwan during the early '80s, yet somehow never delivers the emotional gut punch the subject matter deserves.
Formosa Betrayed, a ho-hum college history lecture about modern Taiwan awkwardly disguised as a political thriller, has its heart almost in the right place.
Only viewers wondering if James Van Der Beek has finally outgrown "Dawson's Creek" will be at all satisfied by this dreadful police procedural that contains good history lessons and bad TV-cop-show drama.
The sturdy political thriller Formosa Betrayed is laudable for adding the voice of native Formosans to the usual two-sided debate that reaches the American media.
It's a passionate labor of love that pointedly criticizes the U.S. government's failure to recognize Taiwan as a sovereign nation, independent of mainland China.
For a documentary, it has good action and moves along VERY well -- I question why the good-looking actors do not shave -- he would've looked soooo much better clean-shaven -- But I loved the movie -- Happy ending
March 6, 2011
Tom Ericksen
Super Reviewer
The supposedly true story told in this movie was pretty good, and decently told....... but someone in the course of producing this flick thought it was a good idea to flash-back and flash forward several distracting times. The acting was fine, as was the camera work which helped establish time and place, but it was the
editing that made this movie less than it could have been.
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