This film was on Sky Movies.For those that don't know, Formosa has been called Taiwan since 1945 and under Chinese jurisdiction, though attempts at independence has been a stormy affair. This is relevant as it's key to the film, as a distinguished Taiwanese professor is murdered in the U.S.Stated to be based on actual events, and set in the 1980's, an FBI agent - a quite undistinguished James Van Der Beek, is sent to 'observe and report', which of course he doesn't just do. When his key inside mole is murdered in front of him, a whole can of worms is uncovered, revealing conspiracies from deep within both the U.S and Taiwanese governments.The movie starts off smartly but soon resorts to bog-standard TV episode crime thriller standards, albeit with a few interesting and unusual locations thrown in. The cast are almost all average and bland. As the film tapered off, one expected some kind of finale to give a memorable boost, but it just blacked out to message boards, telling us that Taiwan is still attempting to break free from China and at this particular moment, the U.S do not acknowledge Taiwan as an independent state.For those that are concerned by this, then it will obviously be of significance, but I for one, wasn't, really. The story within may hold one's interest and if so, you may enjoy this, but otherwise, I'd have to say don't bother.

A lot of once A-list actors, now str8 2 video B-list actors, have gotten their own str8-2-video secret agent vehicle. I had just scene "I CAME IN WITH THE RAIN" and "RAINFALL" both excellent Jason Bourne knock-offs with an Asian flavor to them. So you can imagine how excited I was to see James Van Der Beek throwing his hat into the ring too. I figured if it were half as good as the others it wouldn't be half bad. WRONG!! His was the most intolerable drivel ever and it went on forever. Okay the subject matter was all about Asian politics from WWII yes most of the countries have now sent troops to Iraq and there should be more interesting material than ancient war crimes. Then add to it, that nothing happened nothing of note. There was no witty dialog, no martial arts, no shoot-outs, no zombies or vampires. Oh and no character development. Our boy goes abroad and before the plane finishes taxing he's already gone native and being insubordinate to his bosses. But he's so good they have to keep him on the street. Don't waist your time with this drivel, instead watch the history of Asia on the history channel.

Don't waste your time watching this movie. Its sucks. We all know the 228 and Kaohsiung Incident, the victims promoted and demanded democracy and self-determination from KMT in Taiwan. However,in the movie,people become to ask for independence (which this movie keep emphasizing)with China. And also the scenes and even the people are not real in 1980s of Taiwan. Funny thing is the Chinese and Taiwanese spoke awfully. As a Taiwanese,it's a shame to see such a untruthful and full of political propaganda movie. I do really hope we can have peace between Taiwan Strait,but not in this way taking advantage of the history and misleading the audiences!

He discovers that this case is tangled up in a completely different and darker world of a nation's politics way beyond his control. Formosa Betrayed raises awareness of world issues through a look on historical tragedy.Formosa Betrayed is engaging and suspenseful. The narrative structure worked perfectly for the context, from the short, one-shot flashbacks to the overall cross-cutting between past and present. A little disorienting at first, the non-linear arrangement helped escalate the confusion and ignorance of the protagonist.Wendy Crewson delivers a great act as she juggles with her authority on the border of ignorance and indifference. James Van Der Beek illustrates vividly his character's crucial shift in perspective. The devastation of the character Ming is so heartfelt as performed by Will Tiao.Formosa Betrayed probes open lots of critical questions about the world we live in, and it left me thinking for a long time after I watched it. I enjoyed the adventure and dilemmas that each character was facing, and the intricate plot. The conspiracy depicted in Formosa Betrayed definitely made a lasting impression. This is a fast-paced, must-see political thriller!