Curapedi I cannot think of one single thing that I would change about this film. The acting is incomparable, the directing deft, and the writing poignantly brilliant.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Geraldine The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

Darin One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

jadavix "The Mission" is a slickly made and always watchable Triad movie. It is funny in parts and even manages a couple of tense shoot-out scenes. Fans of John Woo or heroic bloodshed might be disappointed however - this isn't the balletic, guns blazing action scenes fans of HK crime cinema might expect. These scenes are nowhere near as athletic. Dare I say they are more "realistic"? Gentlemanly Triad boss Lung has an attempt made on his life that he barely survives. He hires five guys to look after him and find the killer. Among these is legendary HK actor Anthony Wong whose unusual and fearsome appearance changes the feeling of every scene he's in. Unfortunately none of the other four make much of an impression on their own.For most of the film's length, I was aware that I wasn't entirely following the plot, but that wasn't hindering my enjoyment any. I mean, how many of these movies have a plot you can fully understand? I had to subtract a point at the end, however. The final act is played like it should have more impact than it does, perhaps because we are expected to understand something we missed. Or not? Who can say?

laura-magnus Johnnie To is one of the world's most underrated contemporary film directors. Working in Hong Kong he effortlessly switches between genre flicks (like The Mission, but he's equally at home in rom-coms (like Needing You or Love on a Diet) and weirder though sometimes even better material like 'Running on Karma' (or Heroic Trio is earlier times). The man is just as prolific as he is original, and even if he is derivative he is still a great, effortless entertainer. His Milky Ways production company makes studio and independent films with the same dedication. His latest film 'Election' is actually in competition in this year's Cannes. The Mission is the type of film Jean-Pierre Melville would probably make today. Its a mix of Hong Kong Noir and stylised set-piece. It boasts some of Hong Kong acting heavy-weights (many of which appear also in the Infernal Affairs trilogy). Dialogue is minimal, efficiency is the maxime. The music is so detached that the effect overall is almost hypnotising. The film is not perfect, and the flaws hurt because this could have easily been truly great. Still, it's way above average. Watch this and anything else by To you can get your hands on. It boggles

jebiga Mainly because of the technical issues of the DVD = the captions last for 3 microseconds so it is almost impossible to know (unless you understand one of 2 versions of Chinese)what are they saying. And they are forunatelly not talking too much. I rented this DVD because of the comments here on IMDB. Damn, pleople! What the hell did you see inthis movie. Every half-drunk drama/film student can shoot 88 minutes of this thing in 44 minutes. With lunch break included!!!Scenes are slow so without any loss you can watch it on fast-forward. I'm not kidding.

valdyr Shot lovingly at a measured pace, the Mission is one of the best films I've seen all year.The cinematography is simply incredible. Combined with a strong score and excellent sound, it sets the tone and pace of the film. Rather than rushing the gun battles and creating the furious duels of John Woo films, the Mission takes a slow measured approach. The bodyguards cover one another and move in harmony, taking up advantageous positions from which to strike. They do this slowly and methodically, but with an air of cinematic perfection to their languid movements. When they fire their guns, the weapons thunder and bullets either ricochet off or shatter their targets. No stock sound effects here - this is as good as Heat or Saving Private Ryan in the intensity and quality of its weapons fire.The acting is first rate with much of the communication left unspoken. These men don't need to ramble on to one another, a few sentences or a simple gesture convey all the information that is required. All five of the bodyguards turn in first rate performances that leave you with a real sense of both who these men are and what they are all about.The theme here is loyalty - and while it might be a simple one, this is one of its finest presentations. Definitely worthy of one's time.