Customer Reviews

The Mission

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I loved the film, but a word of warning about the english subtitles. The translation is very strange in parts - substitution of completely wrong words with a similar spelling. Also the subtitles linger only just long enough for you to be able to read them if you happen to be looking at the bottom of the screen waiting in anticipation.

Everyone loves a great shootout in their action film right? How about four to five? Johnny To directs this clever and thoughful film about five men hired to guard a highly-ranked Triad boss. Each man has his own story and thus makes this action film a character driven one as well. Although the film has only 81 minutes to enthrall you, every minute is worth it. The acting, especially Francis Ng's and Anthony Wong's performances are sleek, stylish and humorous. Although the DVD isn't loaded with extras, it's the best format-- especially since the VHS version will have you using magnifying glasses when reading the subtitles. An amazing action film at any rate and a must see for any Hong Kong film fan or pure gangster movie buff.

This is a great Hong Kong drama as opposed to one of those Hong Kong shoot-em ups. The action sequences aren't over-the-top John Woo catharsis. They're taut, paced and intelligent sequences. The way the characters all come together to form an elite bodyguard team is handled subtly. But the way friendships are portrayed between cold-blooded killers is portrayed real well.

It seems to me like this is not a DVD but rather a CDV converted to DVD. The image quality is bad, so is the sound and there is some text underneath the picture all the time. but this is the only place I could find this film, great work by director Johnnie To with all the usual HK stars.

Hong Kong cinema at its finest. Even though other premier directors have bolted to Hollywood, other HK directors are still on the island cranking out masterpieces like this one. Not as explosive as other actioners, nor does it need to be. The story, the cast, and Johnny To's direction make this a top notch crime movie. Oh yeah the coolness factor is apparent with all these bodyguards for hire. Francis Ng is my personal fav of the bunch.

First off, let's start with the negative, which is the actual DVD presentation itself. Unfortunately, as of this posting, you are not likely to find a 'good' copy of this movie on DVD. Just about every copy out there has some type of major flaw. Most look as if they're simply transfers from VCD's, meaning the picture is of a poor resolution on par with a VHS. The picture is not formatted for widescreen, although it does have black bars top and bottom. Most discs will have a burn or watermark in the image of the distributor's name or of their logo, most noticeable when the screen is very dark (but you will get used to it after a few minutes). The subtitles come and go as fast as I've ever seen them. This is a good choice if you want to learn to speed read. The sound is fairly abysmal, despite saying it's of the 5.1 variety (although I couldn't decipher much 'actual' surround on my system). It sound more like plain old stereo. The menu even looks as if it was made on a home PC. And yes, the music is a love-it-or-hate-it, very cheesy synth score that sometimes feels like it's on a permanent loop. After a while it will fade into the background, I promise. But, if you can look past these aesthetic flaws, you're in for one fantastic film.

To appreciate a Johnnie To film is to first understand what it isn't. If you're idea of HK cinema (or what you're looking for) consists of John Woo and Tsui Hark and Ringo Lam directing actors who fly through the air whilst mowing down wave after wave of men in the most highly choreographed way possible and cameras that fly around the sets, Johnnie To is not for you. Although he does have 'action' scenes in his movies and he does shoot in a very stylistic way, I would hardly call his films action movies.

Trailers for his films, especially The Mission, Exiled, and PTU, will give you the impression that these films are action bonanzas. They are not. In The Mission, there are 3 major actions sequences. But, ironically enough, despite being shootouts, most of the people in these scenes don't really move very much. No spinning, flying through the air, 2-gun, hailstorm of lead types of scenes (which I LOVE, BTW-but these aren't that). These action scenes are meant to create tension and develop character. If you watch closely, the way that the characters react to these scenes will give you deep insight into their character. Most people who feel that these characters are shallow were probably looking for them to "dialogue" about themselves more. In fact, there's very little dialogue in this film.

What makes this film great is the way that the characters interact with one another, the way we learn about them through their mannerisms, style of dress, fighting style, etc. . . Even though the characters didn't say much, I felt like I knew more about them than most other action/thriller characters.

Also, the story is fantastic. It seems straight forward, but with Johnnie, it rarely is. He puts little things here and there than keep a story from every being a point a to b type of film. It all builds to a payoff that I felt was very much worth it. This film should be viewed more as something like "The Departed" or "The Usual Suspects". Sure, those movies had lots of guns and gangsters, but they didn't have much action. Character and story drove those movies forward. I think people let the 'Hong Kong' moniker taint their expectations.

The bottom line is that if you're looking for a solid crime drama, with storytelling that's more visual and artistic and creative than the standard fare, with interesting characters, great style, and a very solid story, this is a fantastic pick, as well as To's Exiled (my personal favorite of his) Election 1 and 2, and PTU.

How can a movie about hitmen and bodyguards be calm and elegant? I'm not really sure, but watch this great film to see how it's done.

The scene in the closing-down mall is the finest shootout ever put on film. No OK Corral movie can touch it. You have to look to ballet to find more grace, power and wit. But it's still very tough, very edgy. There are a couple of purely visual moments that describe the evolution of the bodyguards as a team better than any dialogue could. In particular, the casual office football practice is brilliant.

The acting and characterizations are strong and never flashy.

The music is retro to an American ear, but it suits the film just fine.

This is why we love Hong Kong movies. Very stylish, excellent pacing, scenes that have never been done before. One of the premier action sequences or scene is the Shootout in the mall. If you are a fan of this genre then RUN out and BUY this DVD.The actors and the overall style of the movie will wow you from beginning to end. Pure Quality Hong Kong Cinema. Very Fresh and Exciting

I can wholeheartedly recommend this movie. Action fans won't be disappointed, and it has a solid plot to boot. I have now seen 3 movies by Johnny To, and they all have a little *twist* in the plot. That makes them more interesting and they definitely stand out from run-of-the-mill shoot-'em-ups.

Buy it! Sure it's not completely original; it has elements of La Femme Nikita, The Usual Suspects, and The Professional in it, but it will keep you in suspense from beginning to end. Best of the Hong Kong shoot'em up movies. It is clever, well written and thoughtfull. Visualy stylish without the glamorization of the killer profession. You may want to view some of the scenes twice to realize what just happened. The movie deserved a better musical score but the ending more than makes up for it. Highly recommended!