First, take a look at the movie trailer from back then.
The One That Outgrossed Them All
By 1984, the Aces Go Places franchise was unstoppable. The first film had broken records. The second had cemented the formula. The third? It became the highest-grossing film in the entire series — and the highest-grossing Hong Kong film of 1984, earning HK$29,286,077 at the local box office.
But there was a twist behind the scenes. This time, the director wasn't Eric Tsang. It was a young filmmaker named Tsui Hark — a man who would go on to become one of the most influential directors in Hong Kong cinema history.
Tsui had appeared in cameos in the first two films. Now he was in the director's chair. And he brought his signature style: bigger action, more ambitious set pieces, and a healthy dose of irreverence.
What Is It About?
The plot is pure 80s Hong Kong chaos.
King Kong (Samuel Hui) is in Paris when he's attacked by mysterious assassins. He jumps into the Seine to escape. When he wakes up, a man claiming to be a British secret agent — the impossibly named "Mr. Bond" — tells him the attack was a test. King Kong has passed. He is now officially on a mission for none other than Queen Elizabeth II.
His task? Travel back to Hong Kong and steal the Crown Jewels from a heavily guarded police vault.
King Kong, ever the ego-driven show-off, accepts without question. He spends the rest of the film pulling off an elaborate heist — using gadgets, disguises, and his trademark brand of "fly by the seat of his pants" improvisation.
But here's the catch: the mission is a lie. "Mr. Bond" is not a British agent. He's the leader of an international crime syndicate. And Queen Elizabeth? A lookalike. King Kong has been played. For once, the con man gets conned.
The Bond Parody That Went Too Far
Aces Go Places 3 is one of the most overt James Bond parodies ever made. The English title — Our Man from Bond Street — is a wink at the franchise. The villain is named "Mr. Bond." The film features a giant henchman with metal teeth, directly spoofing the Bond villain Jaws, played by the same actor Richard Kiel.
And in a truly meta twist, the fake Bond is played by Neil Connery — the brother of the original 007 himself, Sean Connery.
The film leans hard into the parody. It even features lookalikes of the Queen and the US President. It's not just a spoof — it's a tribute and a takedown rolled into one.
The Scene That Stole the Show
King Kong's heist is the film's centerpiece. He's forced to break into a police vault, avoid lasers, and escape with the jewels. The sequence is a showcase of Tsui Hark's visual ingenuity — and a direct homage to the Bond films that inspired it.
But the film's most memorable moment comes later: Baldy (Karl Maka) is interrogated by his wife, Ho (Sylvia Chang), who straps him to a lie detector. It's pure slapstick — and it's one of the funniest scenes in the entire series.
The Cast That Made It Work
Samuel Hui returns as King Kong — still arrogant, still lucky, still effortlessly funny.
Karl Maka is Baldy — the bumbling detective who's somehow the straight man.
Sylvia Chang is Ho — the wife who's always one step ahead.
Ricky Hui appears as Puffer Fish — King Kong's loyal but dim-witted sidekick.
Richard Kiel — best known as Jaws from the Bond films — plays the metal-toothed henchman.
Neil Connery plays the fake James Bond — the ultimate casting gag.
Tsui Hark even appears in a cameo, as he had in the first two films.
Why the Switch to Tsui Hark Worked (and Didn't)
Tsui Hark's direction elevated the action. The Paris chase, the heist sequence, the finale — they're all bigger and more polished than anything in the first two films.
But critics noted a trade-off. The film's humor became less grounded. The gags were more exaggerated. The plot, already thin, became almost incidental.
Some fans called it "too much spectacle, too little heart." Others loved the sheer audacity. The film's Douban score sits around 7.0.
The Legacy
Aces Go Places 3 was the peak of the franchise's commercial success. It was followed by Aces Go Places 4 in 1986 and The New Aces Go Places in 1989 — but neither matched this film's box office.
It also proved that Tsui Hark could handle a mainstream blockbuster — setting the stage for his later classics like A Better Tomorrow (producer) and Once Upon a Time in China.
Have you seen Aces Go Places 3? What's your favorite Bond spoof in the film — the fake Queen, the metal-toothed henchman, or Neil Connery as "Mr. Bond"? Let me know in the comments.
Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬
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