Although the names may not mean much the combined cast of The Mission is perhaps its most notable feature. The two main stars Anthony Wong and Francis Ng are both veteran actors. Both actors had also starred in films that had made impacts in western markets, Francis in the Bride with White Hair, Anthony with a bevy of triad and action films including John Woo’s Hard Boiled and Tsui Hark’s Time and Tide. These two stars would find even more western appeal in the Infernal Affairs trilogy and it is clear to see why.
The Mission is essentially built on the performances of its six main stars, the five bodyguards and regular Johnny To actor Sam Lui as the mob bosses right hand and brother. It is Francis and Anthony however who ground the film with the two central leads.
The relationship between their two characters is the narrative of a large part of the film and their performances help to ground what could be an overly outlandish film. Typically for Johnny To, The Mission is a flashy movie. Paced and shot with the kind of naturalistic and methodical style that is rare in Hong Kong cinema. Whereas most Hong Kong action movies are bombastic, energetic, and overwrought The Mission is tough, cool and calculated.
This is most evident in the four major standoffs in the film. Whilst traditional Hong Kong films would have had a quick and dizzying pistol duel, expending bullets like crazy and shot almost entirely in slow motion, The Mission instead chooses to give the gunfights a natural feel. The battles are all slow paced, or naturally paced depending on your inclination, and carefully thought out. Positioning and strategy are far more important than overcomplicated acrobatics and balletic gunplay.
What this does is take the emphasis away from the battles and instead focuses the film on the dynamics between the five bodyguards. Each bodyguard has a specific function within the team. Mike is the young gun of the team, an expert marksman who is looking for respect and further work in the triads. Shin is the least seen member of the team who is given the task of guarding the boss’s wife and who is brought in specifically by Roy. James provides the weapons, and is the first character seen in the film. Curtis is the veteran of the group, an ex-killer who now works as a hairdresser. Roy is the defacto leader and organiser of the group.
The Mission, aside from its opening crawl and a few touches such as the multi frame gun assembly, is perhaps one of the most conventionally made Johnny To films. That’s not to say the film lacks flair, it just doesn’t have the tricks of later films like Fulltime Killer and Breaking News. Also lumbered with an utterly dreadful score, think an upbeat Ennio Morricone score done on a Casio keyboard and you’re half way there, the film dazzles through its characters and its realistic choreography.
The Mission isn’t a typical action movie, and it isn’t a typical gangster movie. The story is largely about brotherhood and the themes of the film could be transposed to anywhere and anytime. The triad elements just serve to give the film a modern tone, but it is much more like classic fare such as The Seven Samurai and Rio Bravo than contemporary crime dramas. It’s a fascinating and often playful look at five men linked by a common goal and represents a breakaway from the usual glitz of Hong Kong filmmaking. A must see, just for the spectacular gunfights in a mall and outside a warehouse.
The Mission is essentially built on the performances of its six main stars, the five bodyguards and regular Johnny To actor Sam Lui as the mob bosses right hand and brother. It is Francis and Anthony however who ground the film with the two central leads.
The relationship between their two characters is the narrative of a large part of the film and their performances help to ground what could be an overly outlandish film. Typically for Johnny To, The Mission is a flashy movie. Paced and shot with the kind of naturalistic and methodical style that is rare in Hong Kong cinema. Whereas most Hong Kong action movies are bombastic, energetic, and overwrought The Mission is tough, cool and calculated.
This is most evident in the four major standoffs in the film. Whilst traditional Hong Kong films would have had a quick and dizzying pistol duel, expending bullets like crazy and shot almost entirely in slow motion, The Mission instead chooses to give the gunfights a natural feel. The battles are all slow paced, or naturally paced depending on your inclination, and carefully thought out. Positioning and strategy are far more important than overcomplicated acrobatics and balletic gunplay.
What this does is take the emphasis away from the battles and instead focuses the film on the dynamics between the five bodyguards. Each bodyguard has a specific function within the team. Mike is the young gun of the team, an expert marksman who is looking for respect and further work in the triads. Shin is the least seen member of the team who is given the task of guarding the boss’s wife and who is brought in specifically by Roy. James provides the weapons, and is the first character seen in the film. Curtis is the veteran of the group, an ex-killer who now works as a hairdresser. Roy is the defacto leader and organiser of the group.
The Mission, aside from its opening crawl and a few touches such as the multi frame gun assembly, is perhaps one of the most conventionally made Johnny To films. That’s not to say the film lacks flair, it just doesn’t have the tricks of later films like Fulltime Killer and Breaking News. Also lumbered with an utterly dreadful score, think an upbeat Ennio Morricone score done on a Casio keyboard and you’re half way there, the film dazzles through its characters and its realistic choreography.
The Mission isn’t a typical action movie, and it isn’t a typical gangster movie. The story is largely about brotherhood and the themes of the film could be transposed to anywhere and anytime. The triad elements just serve to give the film a modern tone, but it is much more like classic fare such as The Seven Samurai and Rio Bravo than contemporary crime dramas. It’s a fascinating and often playful look at five men linked by a common goal and represents a breakaway from the usual glitz of Hong Kong filmmaking. A must see, just for the spectacular gunfights in a mall and outside a warehouse.
