Mad Mission (1982) User Reviews

The start of something...

[Jack_Yan · 6/10 · 30 July 1999]

Aces Go Places is—not that the credits will ever tell you—a remake of the Dick Emery film Get Charlie Tully. The storyline is identical, but the characters are distinctly Chinese.

King Kong (Sam Hui) is a Simon Templar-like thief, known for pulling off a major jewel heist in Hong Kong. The Royal Hong Kong Police are stumped and decide to enlist overseas help from a shortlist which includes Inspector Clouseau—but realizing that actor Peter Sellers is now dead (an interesting use of in-jokes mixing reality with the film world), they turn to their next choice, American-based Albert Au (Karl Maka), the 'Bald Detective' (the literal translation of the series Kojak in Cantonese). Sylvia Chang plays a police superintendent who Au falls for.

Apart from some changes to the story, and action sequences which arguably inspired Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung and other film stars, it is Get Charlie Tully from there. Without revealing too much, the clues are identical; even certain gags.

It doesn't mean to say this is a poor version of Get Charlie Tully. It has been cleverly changed to Chinese tastes, and the movie is still funny 18 years on. Arguably, the Hong Kong writers have created something even funnier than the Emery movie through a careful use of puns and metaphors. The pace and timing remain an odd, if hilarious, mixture of British and Chinese.

It was, after all, successful enough for four more sequels through the 1980s, although after this outing, the Emery connection ended and Maka and company went for more - for want of a better term - originality.

Still Highly Entertaining Today!!

[Movie-Misfit · 8/10 · 5 January 2020]

Aces Go Places is the first in the series of the hilarious and stunt filled films that would be Cinema City's answer to Golden Harvest's 'Lucky Stars' series (with both going into production around the same time). Directed by the fantastic Eric Tsang - who ironically would go on to be a key player of the Lucky Stars - the first Mad Mission may lack the hard hitting martial arts action of its competition, but its certainly just as enjoyable!

What he lacks in kung fu skills, superstar Sam Hui makes up for in charm as diamond theif King Kong. Having stole his latest win, his loot is hid by close friend Gigalo Joe who is immediately tracked down and killed - in a crazy way - by Mad Max (Chen Sing) for having slept with his sister. Before he dies though, Joe is able to tell King Kong that he tattooed a map of where he hid the diamonds - on the asses of 2 women...

Now you know just how crazy this is going to get!

From there, we get introduced to the hilarious Karl Maka who plays Detective Baldy along with the always wonderful, Sylvia Chang - a Hong Kong cop who soon falls for Maka's odd ways and eccentric style. The 3 of them soon form a bond, eventually, after a host of wild chases, car stunts, fights and comedic situations all while trying to look at as many of Joe's girlfriends backsides for the map.

Of course, this is all while any number of well dressed bad-guys are chasing them down!

And that's what Aces Go Places is really all about... How many car stunts, action scenes, crazy gadgets and laughs can we fit in to 90 minutes? This in turn becomes the blueprint for the whole series, but I'm not complaining - they are all very highly entertaining.

Of course, we can't forget the memorable theme tune and song created by Teddy Robin Kwan and sung by Sam Hui - a tune I whistle often...

I still enjoy Aces Go Places today as much as I did when I first saw it. Although it may look a little dated, the film is still as wild and funny as ever and is a great start to the series that just got bigger with every sequel!

Overall: A lot of fun and a great example of what makes Hong Kong movies so different...

The saga begins

[suchenwi · 8/10 · 19 October 2008]

"Zuijia paidang" might be translated as "The best pairings", and if so, the first four films (this being the very first) can be interpreted, besides all the stealing, kicking, shooting and car-crashing going on, as an extended saga of three main persons in the following pairings:

• Nancy + Cody

• Sam + X (a different X adored but never consummated, in each of the 4)

The rough but always again deep relationship of Nancy and Cody can be sketched as follows over the four films:

#1: Getting to know, instinctive dislike, getting closer, sharing one pyjama

#2: Wedding

#3: Baby Junior is born (and joins his parents in weirdest adventures)

#4: Junior is a pre-schooler now, his parents are separated, but in the end...

Seen like this, it appears like a soap opera. It's of course a lot more, but I liked this continuing storyline quite much, as I watched all four films on one weekend. Altogether about 6 hours that I didn't regret. :^)

One extended scene that I really enjoyed was the ballet gone wrong, and yet receiving so much applause by the audience.

Hong Kong Cut VS. Euro Cut

[Highice007 · 7 September 2001]

In every Euro or American version of a Hong Kong movie I see, scenes in the Euro-version have been cut out and replaced by scenes that are supposed to be more pleasing to western audiences. This mentality I don't get but it's usually so. But alas with one of the greatest comedies in history it wasn't meant to be. I first saw the Hong Kong version on DVD, (really crisp sound!!!), and here is the story in a nut-shell. Famous jewel thief "King Kong" steals $30,000,000 in diamonds from the mob, but leaves a white glove at the scean of the crime, causing the mob to believe it to be the work of the famous jewel thief "White Glove". After tracking him down in Veins, Italy he claims that he is innocent. Not really buying his story but giving him the benefit of doubt the mob gives him a chance go to Hong Kong and get back the diamonds or forfeit his life. Mean while the "Best Partners" consisting of King Kong and Gigolo Joe have hidden the diamonds. Well actually Gigalo Joe hid them but before he could divulge the location to King Kong he is killed by Mad Max, the local gang leader, with a gang right out of the movie "The Warriors" you know the Polo gang. His crime, sleeping with Mad Maxes sister. Before he dies Joe is able to tell King Kong that he put the clues to where the diamonds are on the asses of two different women, in the form of tattoos. Mean while at the Royal Hong Kong police headquarters, the Hong Kong police find out that White Gloves is in town and they enlist the aid of the famous New York detective Albert Au, AKA:Kodiejack, AKA:Baldy to aid them in their search. Assigned to help Baldy is the super tough cop Superintendent Nancy Ho who mistakenly arrested Baldy earlier, and who is just as Sadistic as she is beautiful (watch for the meat grinder scean). The police catch King Kong and in exchange for turning over the diamonds and helping the cops catch White Gloves he will be set free. "Man the law in Hong Kong is really lenient." White Gloves and Mad Max make several attempts to kill our new "Best Partners" consisting of Nancy Ho, King Kong and Baldy, but each one is foiled. A search continues for the two women on who's butts rest King Kong's chance for freedom and White Gloves chance for life and probably Nancy Ho's chance for promotion. To add to the trouble one of the women is Mad Maxes sister. In the final scean White Gloves vs. King Kong with a squad of sports cars, I will not give away anything els toward the end, but what follows is a brief description of what to look for: 1. Great escape by wire, motorcycle, and glider. 2. Great slapstick al the way through the show. 3. Great acting by the main cast Sam Hui, Karl Maka and Silvia Chang, as well as great acting all around. 4. Great comedy as our hero's' try to convincethe women to show their stuff, so that they can examine the clues. 5. The Aces go places music video sung by Sam Hui himself "does he ever do concerts anymore?" 6. great gagits used by King Kong, a bit like James Bond 7. A climatic battle of street cars and toy cars and a great chase scean at the end. 8. Nancy "Hot-toung" Ho and her sister, both beautiful.

Euro version: Many sceans are cut out, much of the dialog is totally different which I can usually accept but here it's really bad.

Sceans cut out: 1. Part of the interrogation of King Kong at the police station. 2. Part of the scean with King Kong and Gigolo Joe in the restaurant. 3. The entire music video 4. Part of the scean with King Kong and Baldy in the hospital. Other comments about the euro-cut: 1. King Kong is now only known as Sam "Bad" 2. Gigolo Joe is now only charley "Bad" 3. Nancy Ho is now Hot-Toung "good" It's not a sexual reference and it's cool.

The Euro version is a piece of c**p, and it isn't available in wide screen!!!! No actor does their own voice over, and I know Karl Maka know english perfect. Watch the Euro cut only if you cannot stand subtitles.

The Hong Kong cut is top notch!!! A perfect ten, the greatest Action Comedy there is. You will not be disappointed.es

Great fun!

[BandSAboutMovies · 6/10 · 8 April 2020]

King Kong (Sam "God of Song" Hui) is a cat burglar who wants to make good, so he teams with Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl Maka), a goofball American detective, and Superintendent Nancy Ho (Sylvia Chang), who is driven crazy by both of these foolish, yet heroic men.



The first in a series of movies, Aces Go Places is very much a spy movie mixed with cop and comedy elements. Known as Mad Mission in the U.S., I hope that more people track this down and watch it. It's utterly hilarious and heartwarming in the way that it wants to entertain you.

There are also some cool gadgets, like the exploding remote control cars and King Kong's awesome alarm clock. And hey! The bad guy's name is White Gloves. I thought that was pretty cool for some reason.

This movie is an Ace!

[OllieSuave-007 · 9/10 · 22 December 2014]

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

I didn't care for the comedy, which makes this a tough film to sit through

[Leofwine_draca · 4/10 · 20 August 2016]

The first in a series of high-profile, hugely-popular Chinese comedies, this broad spoof mixes general Hong Kong weirdness, plenty of slapstick comedy, and a few decent fight scenes into a largely derivative and nonsensical plot. Crucially, this is a film which hinges on the humour – you either find it hugely funny or totally awful. Sadly, I fell into the latter camp, and for me the jokes fell flat every time. The film became largely pointless as soon as I realised this and what followed as an hour and a half's worth of boredom. Camp star Karl Maka, imitating Telly Savalas' Kojak, plays Babyjack, an investigating detective, and he teams up with a short-haired, kick-ass female cop – the character already a cliché even by this early point. There are minor appearances from the likes of Dean Shek and Tsui Hark, and Sam Hui, a low-rent Jackie Chan lookalike, provides some charisma in a heroic role.

Various scenes in the movie include: the hero firing a grapple and sliding down a wire before jumping through a window; a series of booby-trapped toy cars that blow up genuine vehicles (an idea ripped off in Grand Theft Auto), a series of bizarre car chases that are played for laughs, and more boring chases than you can shake a stick at. Four sequels followed, with varying degrees of success, but I have to admit that I'm not too excited about watching them after sitting through this debacle. For Chinese comedy, I much prefer the hijinks of the LUCKY STARS films...

Pure Entertainment!

[davidmax-86392 · 10/10 · 2 August 2020]

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.

Mildly amusing action comedy

[gridoon2024 · 5/10 · 28 March 2008]

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. (**)

One of my favorite Comedies

[Highice007 · 11 July 2001]

Famous Jewel Thief King Kong (Sam Hui) steals $30,000,000.00 in diamonds from the mob, who have mistaken him for another famous jewel thief "White Gloves". Now White Gloves must go to Hong Kong to find the diamonds and clear his name or the mob will kill him. Hearing that White Gloves is in town the Hong Kong Police hire a chinese american detective Albert "Baldy" Au (Karl Maka) (A spoof on Kojak) to find and capture White Gloves. Police Supervisor Nancy Ho(Sylvia Chang) is partnered with Baldy to catch White Gloves. Soon the two learn that King Kong is the one responsible for the heist and in exchange for the police dropping charges against him, he agrees to turn over the diamonds and help Baldy arrest White Gloves for crimes commited in the USA. This is a James Bond-ish style film with a lot of action and a lot of slapstick. The "Aces Go Places" music video is well placed in the middle of the film sung by Sam Hui himself. The movie spawned 5 sequels Aces Go Places 2, AGP 3: Our Man From Bond Street, ACE 4, ACE 5: The Terncotta Hit, and Aces Go Places 97, although ACE 97 is a sequel in name only, sort of what Halloween 3 is to that series.

One of the best comedies in history **********

Aces go places 1 (mad mission 1)

[gorytus-20672 · 10/10 · 14 April 2021]

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.

I'd rather watch Emery.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 4 September 2007]

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.