The Mission

A pivotal film in To's career and often cited as one of his first real highlights. I didn't quite enjoy the film that much, but looking at To's famed crime cinema, it's hard to deny the important role this film has played in the rest of his career. Watch it for its historic value, just be wary that you don't expect a fully fledged To masterpiece.

The plot revolves around an eclectic group of personal bodyguards who are hired by a gang boss. Their mission is to protect the man, even though they have never worked together before. After a somewhat rough start the gang of five begins to learn each person's strengths and friendships and brotherhood start to form.

The structure of the film is pretty odd. The titular mission takes up the first 60 minutes, which is followed by a half hour long epilogue. The cinematography is promising, the cast is solid, and the action is stylish, though a little subdued. The score is quite weak and the mix of crime and drama didn't really work for me either. To would make good on the potential on display here in later films, so for that reason alone this is worth seeing.