MISSION MILANO
Hong Kong/China, 2016, 103 minutes, Colour.
Andy Lau, Xiaoming Huang, Cho- Lam Wong, Ran Hu, Nanna Ou- Yang, Sammi Cheng.
Directed by Jing Wong.
This this is one of those throwaway Chinese comedies which are made in abundance. The director of this film has directed 110 films as well as writing the screenplays for over 180.
This is a farcical adventure, with an eye on James Bond films.
The central focus is on a marvellous plant which, if watered, even in arid ground or sand, can instantly bloom into tree and produce fruit – something which would benefit the world, poverty and hunger. However, the capitalist also reminds the audience that it would do great damage to the great range of industries and businesses.
At the centre is the owner of a business as well as his brother and sister. They are very wealthy, have an industrial plant and are interested in the wonder seed. Other groups are also interested, various villains, especially a team led by a woman villain with tough henchmen. Also in tow is a silver haired assistant who turns out to be a police plant.
The action takes place in various Asian countries as well as in Europe, the scientist who created the seed coming from Switzerland and seeming to be abducted – only then to be proven to be a grasping money grabber full of intrigue. When he is captured, all his brain processes and memories are drained from him and kept on a special disk!
One of the troubles with the central character is that he is somewhat of a nerd, bespectacled but skilled in martial arts, inherited from his father and watched over by his daffy mother who seems to be suffering from amnesia, is always meticulously well-dressed, wants everybody to eat her soup, and becomes involved in all the action, herself being abducted. The younger son is agile and helps his brother, and the sister does her fair share of the work.
Interpol is also involved, a chief who is a comic character – and attracted to the hero’s mother the end. But, importantly, Chinese veteran actor, Andy Lau, appears as his agent in chief, always accompanying the brothers and sister, often getting entangled and being ineffectual. The mother also has an eye on him – although he has a wife and is reconciled with her at the end.
Lots of action sequences, martial arts fights, secret laboratories, dangerous passages… As well is dangerous situations in swallowing a scorpion which eats from the inside and the villain finally swallowing the famous seed and a tree growing out of her!
It must appeal to a Chinese sense of humour, but, on the whole, despite the flair and colour, it is all rather silly.
