The Mission

A self-confident gangster film which plays so easily with the conventions of the genre that the genre seems to get blown up. To measures up to some greats here: he himself mentions Akira Kurosawa’s Seven Samurai as a point of reference – and you can’t even say that his work pales beside his great example.
Five members of five different criminal gangs are ordered to guard a certain Brother Lung. Several murderers are out to get him, but it is not immediately apparent who is behind them. The five gangsters are played by the best and coolest actors who could be found in Hong Kong. Francis Ng plays Roy, a small gangster boss who forms the core of the group with his sidekick Shin (Jackie Lui). Lam Set plays the role of James, the weapons expert. Roy Cheung plays Mike, apparently a parking boy, but in fact a dangerous sniper. And Anthony Wong plays the role of Curtis, the most cold-blooded murderer of the group.
For ages they just hang around and kill time in a quiet and sublime way, until they suddenly come into action like animals of prey. Despite their mutual differences, they form a team and that is why they can compete with an intangible enemy. (GjZ)

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