Mad Mission

Mad Mission, a stunt-filled Hong Kong action/comedy that proved so successful it spawned four sequels, stars Sam Hui as a daring thief who must join forces with a balding cop (Karl Maka) in an effort to retrieve a hidden cache of diamonds. But the only clues to the whereabouts of these gems are tattooed on the butt-cheeks of a couple of beautiful women...

With its basic plot lifted from the much more enjoyable Dick Emery film 'Ooh... You Are Awful', a naff score based on the James Bond theme, some dreadfully unsophisticated slapstick comedy, and a series of unexceptional stunt sequences, Eric Tsang's madcap movie left me cold. It seems that once again I totally fail to understand the Chinese sense of humour.

Perhaps part of the problem is with the version of the film that I watched: from reading the other comments here on IMDb, it would seem that I have seen a cut that has been edited for a Western audience. I guess that there is a slim chance that the original HK cut is superior, but to be honest, I'm not willing to waste any more time trying to find out.

Based on the version that I have seen, I give Mad Mission 4/10.

April 2021

Here we have the first film in the amazing "Aces go places" series (Mad Mission is the american title).

Gadgets, comedy, more gadgets, more comedy, the films are heavily inspired by the James Bond films, and in truth this first one also borrows elements from the Dick Emery film, Ooh you are awful.

I think they are amazing , and in my opinion, each one gets better than the last, so number 5 is actually my very favourite.

10 out of 10.

There are 3 great things about the first "Mad Mission" / "Aces Go Places":

1) The music score (you may find yourself whistling it)

2) The stunts

3) Sylvia Chang's legs

Other than that, this is a mildly funny - but rarely hilarious - action comedy. As I mentioned, many of the stunts (from motorcycle jumps to car crashes and from motorized gliding to tightrope walking) are WOW-worthy, and there are some clever comic ideas as well (thief Sam Hui and his partner failing to find a quiet place to discuss their latest job). However, much of the humor is simply juvenile (the bald cop played by Karl Maka is nick-named "Kodyjack", a fat Italian mafia boss makes someone "an offer he can't refuse", etc.), and the story is not all that engaging. Here's to hoping the next series entries are better. (**)

This Hong Kong action comedy film is titled Aces Go Places in Hong Kong and Mad Mission in the U.S. It is a story about an acrobat-skilled burglar named King Kong (Sam Hui), who ends up joining forces with Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl Maka), a bumbling police detective from the states, to try to track down stolen diamonds before it ends up in the hands of a notorious European gangster named "White Gloves."

The plot is fast-paced and full of excitement and adventure in every corner, providing lots of entertainment and fun. The film's beginning is set in Venice, where we are introduced to the Gangster White-Gloves, reminding you of a James Bond-type atmosphere. It then leads to Hong Kong, where all the action take place - from King Kong and Albert Au trying to find clues to the whereabouts of the diamonds to them trying to allude the pursuing gangsters.

Sam Hui and Karl Maka (in his thick Taishan-ese accent) make a hilarious duo and had great on-screen chemistry. And, Supt. Nancy Ho, a fiery-tempered policewoman played by Sylvia Chang, adds on the humor and fun to the story. Lastly, you get to see some of King Kong's toy gadgets, from machine kites to exploding miniature racecars!

Overall, it's a must-see action comedy that remains a favorite of mine dating back to my childhood.

Grade A

Mad Mission is wild...that's for sure. There's tons of action, humor (especially in the full-length Versions) and crazy stunts. If you are used to normal Hollywood movies this will give you a kick like no other. Instead of complicated storylines and useless filler scenes you get action action action.

Part two is even better and turns Everything up to eleven. Go watch them all actually(maybe not the fifth)!! But make sure to watch the uncut versions, they're all around 100 minutes, not the 80 minute international cuts.

Btw the german dub is amazing and much much more humorous with its very lose translations and typical german jokes.