Movie Review: Fantasy Mission Force

Fantasy Mission Force (Mi ni te gong dui) 

Starring: Jackie Chan, Brigitte Lin Ching Hsia, Jimmy Wang Yu, Adam Cheng Siu Chow, Pearl Chang Ling, 

Paul Chang Chung, Chen Hung Lieh, Suen Yuet, Hui Bat Liu, Gam Dai, Lam Maan Cheung 

Director: Chu Yen Ping
Cheng Ming (H.K.) Film Co., Chang Chiang Film (Taiwan) Co., Taiwan, Hong Kong, 1983. 

This is an early Jackie Chan movie, the review is based on English dubbed version from Jackie Chan Early Collection 6-movie box set published by Pan Vision Finland. (The films are of VHS quality, but it is not easy get better versions with original Cantonese soundtracks). 

In the beginning British, French, African and American forces in Canada are attacked by the Japanese. Four generals are captured (the American general is Abraham Lincoln!). 007, Bald Detective and Snake King aren't available. And neither is Rocky. Tough soldier Lt. Don Win (Jimmy Wang Yu) is assigned to form a rescue group. In a weird musical number a rich hobo (Suen Yuet) is eating in a restaurant. He is almost shot by a black guy, but then he buys the black dude's gun and robs him instead. Next scene jumps to the hobo fighting in a forest. He is recruited by an old friend. 

007 is not available for the rescue mission

Hobo in the restaurant

Then we see some prisoners who are fighting. One of them, Greased Lightning (Ko Ling-Fung) escapes by jumping of a cliff. He sees a food banquet and proceeds to eat. He is arrested and recruited to the team. Sammy (Jackie Chan) and Emily (Pearl Chang Ling) are trying to win some money by beating a strong man in a mock fight. First they see who has the biggest pipe. Then the real Killer from Tokyo (who was drugged) appears and almost beats Jackie. 

Don Win and Greased Lightning

Sammy's big pipe

Killer from Tokyo vs Sammy

Lily (Brigitte Lin) plays drinking and shooting game in a bar. His long-absent lover Billy (David Tao Da-Wei) returns and soon leaves as he is recruited. Lily takes a bazooka and goes after her lover with a vengeance. She is arrested by allied troops. After learning of the reward for special mission she also joins the Mission Force. Sammy and Emily try to rob the team.

Lily with her bazooka and horse

Billy

Sammy and Emily try to rob the team

Other members of the team are Scottish soldier Stone (Hui Bat-Liu) and his superior (Fong Ching) with a complicated relationship. 

Stone and his boss

Fantasy Mission Force in action!

Various scenes later the adventure culminates in melodramatically tragic final fight. Then Jackie fights the main villain with swords. At the end the film has a quick anti-war message (maybe) and then it just ends abruptly. 

Jackie's eight-barreled gun has quite a kick

Mixture of Mad Max- and Samurai warriors

Sword fight

The movie is crazy. Most of the happenings make no sense. The style jumps frantically from goofball comedy to surprisingly violent action. This is like a Hot Shots or A-Team movie directed by Tarantino on acid. There are Chinese soldiers in Scottish kilts, guy with a plate-mail armour and spiked helmet. And hooded flying Amazons. And army of Japanese Nazi samurai with old muscle cars.

That's a Chinese guy in armour and kilt

Flying hooded Amazons

Japanese Nazis

There is also a nod to Chinese horror movies. There is some ghost action with Mahjong-playing hopping dead. And a possessed toilet.

Hopping dead

Mahjong of the Living Dead

Jackie plays a minor role here, mostly we follow the adventures of the rescue team with Jackie Chan and Pearl Chang Ling trying to rob them once in a while. The English dubbing only adds to the brain-melting insanity with one liners like "I would rather have the money than my life." Also Jackie's voice is dubbed annoyingly creaky.

Brigitte Lin

Jackie Chan in Fantasy Mission Force

Rating: So bad it is good

Final thoughts: The movies in the Jackie Chan Early Collection consisted of two good old-school kung fu films (Shaolin Wooden Men & Snake and Crane Arts of Shaolin), one bad movie (Eagle Shadow Fist), one terrible movie (Fearless Hyena 2) and two hilariously bad/weird movies (To Kill with Intrigue & Fantasy Mission Force). However none of these are in any ways the best films of Jackie. The movies in this box can be recommended only for the hardest fans of Jackie Chan and Hong Kong cinema.