Missão Suicida

Oddly enough, then "Mad Mission 3: Our Man From Bond Street" (aka "Zui jia pai dang 3: Nu huang mi ling") was actually a lot more entertaining that I had initially anticipated it to be. I mean, the title of the movie wasn't really all that great. But for an action comedy that spoofs on other movies - thought mostly on the "James Bond" movies - then it actually fared quite well.

Needless to say that "Mad Mission 3: Our Man From Bond Street" is a blatant cash-in on the "James Bond" franchise, or perhaps even an homage. But director Hark Tsui actually managed to mix in a good amount of traditional late 1980s Hong Kong comedy to make it an interesting movie to say the least. And there is also a good amount of action, much akin to the Jackie Chan movies.

Now, I must say that I was impressed with the cast that they had managed to get together for this movie, especially with the likes of the non-Asian cast that made appearances in the movie.

While "Mad Mission 3: Our Man From Bond Street" was by no means a groundbreaking movie, it definitely provided for some adequate entertainment. And my rating of this 1984 movie is a six out of ten stars. However, keep in mind that the movie is much like a spoof in a way, so you shouldn't expect it to be a full-blown serious movie.

The third Mad Mission movie - a very high paced slapstick parody of the James Bond and other spy movies with some Asian influences - is probably my favourite one of the entire series. Some silly toys of the first two movies have disappeared, the pace is much higher in this movie because of extremely interesting action scenes like on the Eiffel Tower and the jokes are even funnier than before and add a hilarious slapstick style to the movie for example when Samuel Hui plays Tic Tac Toe with cheats in a high secured area or when Carl Maka gets seduced and cheated in the most ridiculous way possible by his friend and a beautiful woman in a restaurant. A very special gem in this movie are the exotic locations for example in Paris and the appearances of some actors of the James Bond movies like Richard Kiel. Only the later Mission:Impossible star Peter Graves is awful and boring in this very entertaining flick filled with action and absurd humour. One can also see that the budget was higher than in the first two movies and most of the action scenes are really well executed.

The only negative point is that the quality of the special effects is very low. You can for example easily see strings when Samuel Hui uses his flight machine to escape after a robbery or when he is fighting in the submarine. You can also see that plastic models of ships or planes are used instead of real material. Another negative fact is that the dubbed versions are really awful.

But those details and this lack of professionalism doesn't change anything concerning the fact that this movie is still very entertaining over twenty-five years after its creation even if some effects, ideas and the story line are very old fashioned but at least in a charming and nostalgic way. I have seen this movie at least four times now and it is still entertaining and memorable in my opinion. So, if you are looking for a very funny and high paced parody of the James Bond and other spy movies with some charming characters, this movie is the perfect choice for you and it is also a good introduction to the whole Mad Mission universe in my opinion. That's why I can highly recommend this movie to anyone that likes action or comedy movies.

In this third outing of the series, King Kong is hired by some people who say they work for the Queen of England. They claim that some jewelry from the crown has been stolen, and they want King Kong to steal it back. But things are not quite what they seem, and King Kong and Baldy are in trouble again.

Compared to the first two movies in the series this is the worst, it's not quite as action-packed as the others, but relies more on humour, which gets kind of stupid after a while. Maka, who plays Baldy, sets new records in overacting, and the Bond-inspired characters are quite lame.

Skip this one, and proceed directly to the next, which is better (Ringo Lam is the king).

The second sequel to Hong Kong's Aces Go Places, it is a story about King Kong (Samuel Hui), while vacationing in Paris, being kidnapped by a British agent called James (Jean Mersant), who wants to recover one of the stolen crown jewels, the Star of Fortune, supposedly at the request of the Queen of England. King Kong attempts to steal the jewel at the Hong Kong Police Headquarters without his partner-in-crime, Detective Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl Maka), knowing.

Like the previous movie, the plot is fast-paced and full of adventure. the story has slightly less corny jokes and silly action than the previous movie, and incorporates some slick and daring cross-culture references, like the appearance of James Bond villain actor Richard Kiel and Mission Impossible actor Richard Graves. There are also characters named James Bond and Oddjob in the movie - obvious references to 007 films. King Kong trying to pull off a heist while not betraying his partners is a pretty captivating plot.

There is wild action in abundance, but still doesn't quite capture the fun of the original film. Still, it's worth a watch.

Grade B-

This third Mad Mission film continues the adventures of King King (Sam Hui), Albert Au (Karl Maka) and Superintendent Nancy Ho (Sylvia Chang). The films had become an institution in Hong Kong at the time, and Maka and co-producer Dean Shek knew that they had a ready-made audience.

Whether this led to a weaker script is not known but it is, apart from the fifth and last instalment, the weakest of the series penned by Maka and company. But the first two were hard acts to follow and there was always a risk of comparison.

For a start, you need to have seen the first two to understand the development of the characters. Nancy has married Albert, and have a bald son, who is introduced in this outing. King Kong receives a mission from Her Majesty the Queen (remember, this was in colonial Hong Kong) and along the way meets certain characters who resemble Sean Connery, Oddjob and Jaws.

The silliness of the film is not helped by Maka's willingness to make a fool of himself. This may be part of his humour and style but here it is taken to tiresome extremes. Certain ingredients from the earlier films are taken and exaggerated too greatly: Au's stupidity and suggested infidelity, Nancy's tough-cop routine, and King Kong's cad, James Bond-like attitude. The plot is extremely thin and at best confusing. Even by early 1980s Hong Kong standards, it leaves a lot to be desired.

It has its moments: Albert Au trying to use the police computer; the interrogation of King Kong by a police detective (played by Sam Hui's real-life brother, Michael); and the 'Aw, how cute' factor provided by Au's screen son. Mission: Impossible's Peter Graves makes a brief appearance in a scene which is entirely in Chinese (Graves is dubbed - badly). Some of the lines are not too bad, but one wonders how well they hold up in the dubbed English versions.

There is some poor dubbing in the Chinese original, with non-Chinese actors sounding typically bad. I suppose it's pleasing to know that the tables can be turned from time to time.

Fans of the series would be advised to go straight to the fourth instalment, which is far superior in humour and pace.