The Mission centers around a mission (funnily enough) where 5 especially choosen bodyguards must protect triadboss Lung (Eddy Ko from Lethal Weapon 4) from attempts on his life. It's becomes clear though that a traitor is in Lung's organization...

Director Johnnie To made the terrific Running Out Of Time the same year and here again he's at his creative best even if this is a genre that has been done to death. We're immediatly thrown into a world that only seems to consists of triads and their followers and if you're not familiar with how Johnnie has choosen to tell this story, you're gonna feel a little bored and restless during the first 20 minutes. I did and was waiting for some indication as to where the movie was aiming for but I just couldn't figure it out. Johnnie doesn't give out any clues regarding that, the characters were lifeless, dialogue felt stiff and all in all everything was standing still...literally.

It's roundabout the 20 minute mark that a thing or two is made a lot clearer and I soon realised Johnnie's intentions with this piece. While the pace was still a bit slow, the first action scene reveals something quite wonderful. Many viewers were probably getting ready to be blown away by a ballistic and elaborate John Woo-esque shootout but what Johnnie and Cheng Ka Sang (action choreographer) gives us is almost a scene of carefully framed still shots. Shots are fired sparsly one by one and the camera isn't conveying the intensity we're used to seeing in Hong Kong action movies. May sound like a bad thing but I absolutely loved the approach taken here! It does feel a little bit more realistic (which isn't a word normally associated with Hong Kong movies) and it's a good thing Johnnie To didn't do a typical John Woo scene just because the latter defined gun play violence in Hong Kong films. Johnnie is far too much of a veteran and were not going to start emulating a guy like that at that point in his career. The rest of the movies, actually few, shooutouts can be described in the same way and it's not hard to to be sucked in and almost hypnotized in the way the action is presented. I thought of Takeshi Kitano for possible inspirations for Johnnie To but again he's done his own thing here.

While all this was established, I finally understood The Mission's structure directorally and was immersed into it more and more. The plot is very minimal, intentially so, and in between Johnnie injects a very subtle and layered development and bonding between the bodyguards. Their character's are extremely calm and cool (as well as the camera which is rareler ever moving) and more is suggested through looks rather than dialogue, kind of like, again, the works of Takeshi Kitano. Comedy for the most part pretty out there and not very low key in Hong Kong movies but as in Running Out Of Time, we're treated to a few very off beat and subtle comedic scenes that actually work in the context of the story. Especially the soccer sequence between the bodyguards is unexpected and could've just failed on so many levels. By maintaining his way of shooting one angle only and the stillness, the scene triumphs.

If it's something that doesn't work in this movie, it's the music by Chung Chi Wing. During the opening credits the main theme is played and while it was different, I didn't particulary care for the almost 80s computer game-music I heard. For me it just didn't fit well with what I was seeing on the screen and even though the theme is timed well in a few scenes, it's just didn't click for me. During the first shooutout there was music that could've worked very well WITHOUT the beats. Again it kind of took me out of the scene back and forth. Can't say it ruined an entire movie experience for me though.

Talk about a cool cast though! Francis, Anthony, Simon, Roy and friends! Even though very few of the characters get any kind of back story or arc, the performances work tremedously well. For Johnnie To and his casting director the goal was simple: get a group of cool guys together and you can never go wrong when one of them is Francis Ng (from Juliet In Love). Probably my favourite actor after Chow Yun-Fat, Francis does what he can do well on cue, act cool and convey the feeling that he is untouchable. That typical Francis Ng glare should not be forgotten also...

He and Anthony 'Bunman' Wong are the most interesting characters to follow and despite the age difference both are on the same level of wisdom and professionalism. When Anthony actually acts, he's amazing to watch as the calm and honourable bodyguard/barber. While the other cast is pretty good, I felt that this is Francis and Anthony's show and the old tired cliché of that they have magnificient screen presence is applicable here. They both shine the most when the script calls for nothing to be said and they just have to be there and convey everything, yet nothing. Only guys like Francis and Anthony can pull that off successfully.

The Mission I truly hope will for work for you also during a first viewing but I think the second one will be even more rewarding, especially the first part of the film. This movie takes it's time and rarely misses, just like our characters when guns are in their hands.

REVIEW:
Remember those old samurai films where a group of men are brought together to protect an emperor from certain death and they form a bond along the way? Try to imagine that story in a modern day setting and The Mission is what you’ll get. It’s a modern day samurai story.

The five men in question are Curtis (Anthony Wong Chau Sang), Roy (Francis Ng), Mike (Roy Cheung), James (Lam Suet) and Shin (Jackie Lui). Each have their own history, Curtis is now a hairdresser but used to be a feared and respected right hand man, Roy and Shin are small time gangsters struggling to keep their turf free of invaders. Mike is a crack shot with a gun, but he also works as a valet and James is a gun merchant and respected bodyguard. As these men come together there are sparks, naturally but they’re all professionals and there is an unspoken code of honor that exists between these men, almost like an army unit, these sparks, mostly come from Roy and his attitude towards Curtis. Right from the very beginning when all five men are introduced, a division is set with Roy and Shin on one side and Curtis and James on the other. Mike has the unfortunate position of being in the middle. Despite whatever differences they may have, they know it’s their job to protect their Boss and anything else just won’t do.

The only way to describe this film would be say it’s Akira Kurosawa by way of Takeshi Kitano. Johnnie To has cited both filmmakers as an influence on this film and especially Kurosawa. I say this because To has taken a particular trick of his and adapted it for this film. It’s called "Moment in Stillness," which is a style of using the camera in such a way that although nobody’s moving onscreen, the action is clearly visible. It may sound boring, but trust me, it works and Johnnie To is at his peak here as he pulls it off with style. He’s also assembled a first rate cast Including Simon Yam and Eddie Ko not withstanding and each actor performs admirably. I’d have to say Anthony Wong and Francis Ng give the best performances individually but I prefer to think of it as group effort with each actor contributing.

What else can I say? This film is a classic and it’s easily one of Milkyway’s best efforts. If you haven’t seen it yet, what are you waiting for? It’s waiting for you to buy it!

As you might guess, the emphasis here is not on pyrotechnics, but rather relationships. This can become boring drivel (witness the recent US movie Traffic) or, when the ingredients are right, a true cinematic experience can be had. The "ingredients" in this case are the actors, and what a cast here. All of them give good performances, but the standouts are Francis Ng and Anthony Wong, who start out diametrically opposed, but come to form the closest bond in the group. Wong in particular is great, giving a quietly powerful performance that's so much better than a lot of his more recent film work (where he seems to be phoning in his lines to get a paycheck to cash).

Even though there is not a lot of action in The Mission, what is in there is done very well. One sequence, a shootout in a mall, has become one of my favorites. There are obvious nods to the work of John Woo (the old reflection gimmick), but it takes the opposite direction of most action sequences, with quiet, controlled camera shots rather than hyper-kinetic editing and slow motion. The sequence is a nice visual demonstration of how To continues to deconstruct the action genre.

If you enjoy Hong Kong crime movies and want to see a different take on the genre (or just some good performances from some of Hong Kong's best actors), give The Mission a try.

Lung, a powerful crimeboss, is almost killed in a hit. His righthand man, Frank, assembles 5 men from different backgrounds for a mission; to protect Lung and find out who ordered the hit. At first, the 5 men don't seem to have too much in common. Roy is a clubowner hassled by toughs moving in on his territory. Curtis runs several businesses, including a hair salon, but he's also a ruthless killer. This is Shin's first job, and he hopes it will increase his reputation. Mike is tired of being a valet, and sees this job as an opportunity to get ahead in life. And James... well, James just seems to want to eat.

As these 5 men spend all of their time together, friendships begin. They never get buddy-buddy (these are killers and thugs after all), but trust and loyalty does start to build up. There's never an outright display of friendship; half the time, they act like they can't stand eachother. But there are small moments, such as when the 5 engage in an impromptu soccer match in the office, where they kid around and seem like normal blokes. But they're professionals, first and foremost. As soon as Lung enters the room, it's all business.

To be honest, I really liked this way of looking at the lifestyle. Too often, movies tend to romanticize the gangster. Half the time, those hardened hitmen come off as big, fuzzy dopes. Not so here. And To plays up that tension between the 5. At times, you don't know if one of them is going to snap, if the paranoia of the job is going to get to them.

For much of the film, To's direction is flawless, emphasizing this tension and the danger of their situation. One scene in particular just screams "hardcore". The five men are escorting Lung through a closed shopping mall when the assassins strike. Instead of a violent ballet of bullets a la John Woo, To keeps it restrained. Calmly, almost methodically, the men escort Lung out to safety and hold off the assassins with dogged patience. Compared to Woo's hyperkinetic style, the pace is almost maddening. However, this restraint gives any sudden outburst, be it a gunshot or a quick movement, an intensity it wouldn't have otherwise.

I loved watching the dynamics of this motley crew. Again, unlike Woo's emotional outbursts, the personal interactions are almost nonexistent. They don't care about eachother as friends. They're more like business partners. If one of them is killed, it's not a loss. It's an inconvenience. It just means the mission will be harder to accomplish. But that stoicism means that any sort of emotional connection, any sort of friendly action, takes on a whole new meaning. To handles the emotion like he handles the action, with less being much, much more.

But there are 2 things that bother me about the movie. The first (and I know this might sound trivial) is the music. We're supposed to believe that these guys are BMF's, and yet the music is composed with the help of a Casio keyboard and its demo button. What you hear is at complete odds with what you see, especially during the final showdown with the assassins. Any doubt as to the crew's collective badness should be put to rest here, but it's ruined when they walk out, "Reservoir Dogs" style, to some cheesy synth tune.

But what really ruins this movie is its ending. Granted, we're not talking about anything on the level of "A.I." here, but it still irks me. To makes the same mistake here that he did with "Running Out Of Time"; he ends the movie in a way that feels out of place, even unfaithful to everything else that's transpired beforehand.

After successfully completing their job, the other 4 learn that Shin had an affair with Lung's wife. As professionals, they can't allow Shin to get away with this, even if he acted out of naivete. But their burgeoning loyalty complicates things. Well, except for Curtis, who sets out to kill Shin that night.

I'll give you three guesses as to how the movie ends. And I guess it works on an emotional, Hallmark level, but it just feels wrong. We're supposed to believe that these guys are hardened professionals struggling with their loyalty to eachother, to their boss, and to their job. But the movie just feels like it takes the easy way out with a sudden "twist" ending. It feels sloppy and contrived, and renders their emotional struggle meaningless.

I will grant To this. After watching "Running Out Of Time", I didn't know if I ever wanted to see another Johnny To film. I know that sounds harsh, but that's the way I felt after my high expectations for "Running Out Of Time" were, well, dashed. I didn't know "The Mission" was a To film until I started watching it. And despite my gripes, there's a lot in this film that works incredibly well as a drama, an action movie, and a crime film. If my criticism of the ending sounds harsh, it's simply because the rest of the film is so freakin' good that I just feel it deserves better.

When triad boss Lung (Eddie Ko) narrowly survives an assassination attempt he gathers together a team of five bodyguards including Anthony Wong, Francis Ng and Roy Cheung. That essentially is the storyline which follows the team's progress over the next few days as they protect their boss from further attempts on his life.

What makes the film special though is the examination of the relationship between the bodyguards as they become to depend on each other to survive. The acting at all times is faultless from every member of the cast. The standouts for me were Francis Ng, fast becoming my favourite Hong Kong actor, and Roy Cheung who always gives a convincing performance. It was also great to see Eddie Ko in a movie again playing a character of compassion but who is still capable of utter ruthlessness as is born out by the film's closing minutes.

The other major selling point for the movie is the extremely tense action sequences. Johnny To has really proved himself a master of suspense here. The scene that most springs to mind is where Lung is escorted through an empty shopping mall only to find killers hiding behind every corner. The choreography of the shoot outs is classic stuff and while it has all of the hallmarks of Hong Kong action cinema Johnny To manages to bring a fresh approach that keeps the film from looking as if it were made by another John Woo wannabe.

With films as good as this and the also excellent 'Running Out Of Time' Johnny To is fast establishing himself as Hong Kong's premier director. I look forward to seeing more.