The Mission (1999)
literal translation: Gunfire
cast: Anthony Wong, Francis Ng, Jackie Lui, Roy Cheung, Lam Suet, Simon Yam, Wong Tin-lam,
and Eddy Ko Hung

Hong Kong, at least from what I've heard; I've never been there, is not really a culture of violence, per se. However, anyone ignorant of anything and everything Chinese who sits down with a handful of the island's films is likely to presume otherwise. Within the confines of Hong Kong cinema persistent violence is often commonplace in screenplays and more often times than not a way of life for protagonists, antagonists, and supporting players alike even when they're women and children.

You can theorize that a good number of characters found in the annals of these films didn't choose to live a life of violence rather the life chose them.

I don't believe this holds water with Johnnie To's "The Mission." It's not long before you get the impression the characters in this film exist in a world of hazard only they themselves have signed up for. Witness Curtis (Anthony Wong) who's working as a successful hairdresser when he's invited to serve on a team of bodyguards assigned to protect Brother Lung (Ko Hung) who's recently been shot at more times than Rambo by faceless wouldbe assassins. Curtis, who has a long history with crime, leaves his legitimate job and takes on another that's not only connected to the underworld, but will almost certainly put him in harm's way.

The team consists of four other men: Roy (Francis Ng), Shin (Jackie Lui), Mike (Roy Cheung), and James (Lam Suet). Like the Milkyway productions of lore each character has a separate and distinct personality reflected by their various areas of expertise.

Roy assumes unofficial command of the group using Shin as his no. 2 -- they've worked together before -- as Shin points out to each and everyone during their first initial meeting where its painfully obvious he's being looked upon like some kind of punk kid with about as much merit as Britney Spears at a feminist rally. Mike's the quiet deadly type with an eye for marksmanship and James is an arrogant and etiquette challenged explosives expert.

As you might have already guessed with Johnnie To (who snatched Best Director at the 19th Annual HKFA) at the helm and the people at Milkyway working master control "The Mission" is built on a foundation of existentialism and mild quirk. Sure, we're subjected to plenty of violent attempts on Lung's life and the aftermath that ensues once his team gives chase, nonetheless, a good chunk of "The Mission" clamps the adrenaline and moves at a casual pace. According to Love Hong Kong Film.com one of To's main influences for "The Mission" was Akira Kurosawa's "The Seven Samurai."

Unlike the latter, however, "The Mission" fails to fully flesh out each individual character more during moments when it should have and the script (at least juxtaposed to Kurosawa's samurai classic) is over simplified, that is up until the last act when the tranquil bond the five men form is jeopardized by one of the member's poor choice of extracurricular activities.

Nevertheless, the narrative, which is backed by an effective but cheesy synthesized techno score, almost begs to be marginalized in order to focus on the characters and the sudden moments of chaos around them. The action sequences are clearly what audiences will remember long after "The Mission" concludes. Similar to the film's tone they are tightly choreographed, framed, and screwed into place. One sequence more than likely referenced footage or text of real-life soldiers being pinned down in an alley behind a car via a sniper from a near-by building.

In an age where Hollywood action films visually masturbate with tens of millions of dollars and only triumph in blowing things up real good with the aid of CGI -- "The Mission," shortcomings aside, receives a solid recommendation.