The film received mixed reviews, with critics praising Jackie Chan's performance as well as the action sequences and music but criticising the screenplay, editing and runtime.

Qin Guoli, a Chinese accountant based in Great Britain, has been forcibly contracted by Maasym, leader of the terrorist organisation Brothers of Vengeance, to finance his projects.

Vanguard, an international security company assigned to protect Qin, sends agents Zhang Kaixuan, Lei Zhenyu and Mi Ya to rescue him.

Tang, Lei, and Mi Ya travel to Africa and find Fareeda, but also have to contend with the Arctic Wolves and a poaching gang who have been hired as additional muscle.

During the chaotic first altercation, Lei and Fareeda are separated from the rest of the group and hide out in the nearby jungle, forcing Tang and Mi Ya to search for them on foot, guided by satellite tracking provided by Vanguard headquarters.

Dubai police executes a strike against the terrorists, but their approach gives Omar's party plenty of time to activate the drone and then escape in the gold cars.

The chase ends inside a shopping mall, where Omar and Broto are overpowered and arrested, and the film concludes with the protagonists celebrating the Chinese New Year in Dubai.

[20] Edmund Lee for the South China Morning Post rated Vanguard one and a half out of five, stating the film is "equipped with a cheesy Z-grade plot, forgettable villains, and some jaw-droppingly clunky lines of dialogue", being an "unashamedly old-fashioned Chan vehicle which makes one ponder why he's still going at it.

"[21] Simon Abrams of RogerEbert.com gave the film two out of four stars, writing that though there were some moments of "joyful spectacle" like a water rafting chase involving a WaterCar Panther, "The movie's off-putting and constantly foregrounded political agenda wouldn't be so unpleasant if the action scenes were more plentiful and/or thrilling.