Heavenly Mission/ 天行者

Although some of you may not be familiar with it, it is not possible to talk about Heavenly Mission without mentioning the infamous Young and Dangerous series popular in the '90s. About the rise of several youngsters from schoolyard kids to triad bosses, Young and Dangerous was a captivating adventure about brotherhood and honor in the triad world. For many, that was the triad genre's best moments. Even though Heavenly Mission is not an official end to the Young and Dangerous series, it can very well be - it stars Ekin Cheng as the main character, who returns from an 8-year sentence in a Thai prison. In fact, other than the character name, Ekin Cheng is essentially playing the same role as before.

After returning to Hong Kong, Cheng's character attempts to go down the "right" path. But he is not naive. He knows the cops will be watching. Thus, he approaches cautiously, outmanuvering the special task force out to arrest him for any small mistake. In fact, Cheng's character is wonderful as it takes the police, as well as the audience, on his bid to change the world for the better. This is done so well that, at times, the police appear to be the bad guys as it hinders this powerful force of good. What I find perplexing is that at one point, Cheng says he wants to return to HK because he wants to find out something. This can be interpreted in a multitude of ways and it is seemingly forgotten by the end of the movie. Another complaint is that it ends in a very standardized fashion. It does the job, but it comes at no surprise.

There are no wasted scenes in this film. Every section advances the film in some small way and allows the whole thing to come together. It does ask the audience to pay attention, just enough to play some neat twists and tricks in the plot. Being more involved in the plot only increases the satisfaction level of the movie, making this a very enjoyable film.

Pros: Easy to connect to main character, good plot
Cons: Somewhat generic ending, slight loopholes in the story
Conclusion: Recommended. For fans of Young and Dangerous, a must watch!
Score: 3.5/5