Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit 新最佳拍檔 (1989): The Movie Where Leslie Cheung and Nina Li Became the "New" Aces, a Martial Arts Legend Took Over, and the Series Said Goodbye — But Not Before a Duet

First, take a look at the movie trailer from back then.

If you can't watch it, please click here to go to YouTube.

The Final Entry in the Aces Go Places Saga

The Aces Go Places franchise had been a juggernaut for most of the 1980s. The first film broke records. The second, third, and fourth kept the momentum going. But by 1989, the series was running out of steam. The studio behind it, Cinema City, was in decline. Two of the original directors had left. The fourth entry, while successful, had shifted the franchise's tone from pure comedy to action-heavy caper [citation:3].

What was needed was something fresh. A new director. New characters. A new approach. The solution: hire a martial arts legend to take over, and bring in two new stars to play the "New Aces."

That legend was Lau Kar-leung — the director of classics like The 36th Chamber of Shaolin and Dirty Ho. The new stars were Leslie Cheung and Nina Li. The result was Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit — a film that was supposed to revitalize the franchise, but ended up being its swan song.

What Is It About?

The film opens with King Kong (Samuel Hui) and Baldy (Karl Maka) on a mission in Thailand. They're hired to retrieve a bride from a wealthy man. They succeed, but their moral judgment gets in the way of profit. They free the bride instead of returning her. The two partners have a falling out and go their separate ways [citation:3].

Three years pass. King Kong is now running a hotel. Baldy is running a restaurant. They're not speaking to each other.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government is sending a collection of priceless Terracotta Warriors and a legendary sword, the "Chinese Excalibur," to Hong Kong for an exhibition [citation:2]. A notorious criminal syndicate called the "White Gloves" steals the Terracotta Army. But before they can make their escape, two masked thieves — a brother and sister duo — steal the sword and frame King Kong and Baldy for the crime [citation:2].

The "New Best Partners" have arrived. And they're wearing King Kong and Baldy masks.

The two sets of Aces clash. They fight. They bicker. They eventually team up to clear their names and recover the stolen artifacts. Along the way, they're pursued by a Chinese super-soldier called "Chinese Rambo" (Conan Lee), who doesn't know who's good and who's bad. He arrests them all and sends them to prison in Beijing [citation:2][citation:4].

From there, they must train together, escape, and take on the White Gloves for a final showdown.

The Cast That Made It Work (and Didn't)

Samuel Hui returns as King Kong — still charming, still lucky, and now a bit older and more tired [citation:3].

Karl Maka is Baldy — still bumbling, still scheming, and now running a restaurant instead of chasing criminals [citation:3].

Leslie Cheung is the male half of the "New Aces" — a charismatic, acrobatic thief who's always one step ahead of King Kong and Baldy [citation:1].

Nina Li is the female half of the "New Aces" — the brains of the operation, a high-society thief who can blend into any crowd [citation:2].

Conan Lee is "Chinese Rambo" — a mainland soldier who pursues the Aces with relentless determination [citation:2].

Sylvia Chang is absent from this entry — her character, Superintendent Ho, is reportedly in Canada, leaving a void that some fans felt [citation:3].

Why the Director Mattered: Lau Kar-leung's Martial Arts Touch

Lau Kar-leung's presence is felt throughout the film. The action is more martial arts-focused than any previous Aces Go Places movie. The fight scenes are choreographed with weapons like swords, staffs, and even giant fans [citation:3].

But Lau also faced a challenge: his cast were not martial artists. Sam Hui, Karl Maka, and Leslie Cheung were not trained fighters. Lau had to work around their limitations, relying on editing, stunt doubles, and clever framing to make the action look convincing [citation:3].

One letterboxd reviewer noted: "The fights are solid and fun to watch even though they're performed mostly by non-martial artists such as Sam Hui, Karl Maka, Nina Li, and the late Leslie Cheung" [citation:3].

The Tone: More Action, Less Laughter

Some fans felt that Lau Kar-leung's focus on action came at the expense of comedy [citation:3]. The film is less funny than the earlier entries, with the middle section — set in a Chinese prison — dragging the pace [citation:3].

One viewer wrote: "The absence of Sylvia Chang leaves an incomplete feeling to this entry" [citation:5]. Another called it "the weakest of the Aces Go Places movies" [citation:5].

But others appreciated the martial arts focus, calling it "the best physical action in the series" [citation:3].

The Duet That Made the Ending Unforgettable

The film's greatest moment isn't in the action. It's in the closing credits. Leslie Cheung and Sam Hui perform a duet for the theme song, "我未惊过" (I'm Not Afraid) — a joyful, high-energy track that perfectly captures the spirit of the series [citation:1][citation:3].

One Letterboxd reviewer summed it up: "I will say that when I saw Leslie Cheung appear in the credits I thought to myself 'these assholes better use a closing credits song that has Sam and Leslie performing a duet together'. They definitely did, and it is amazing. Ends the movie on a high note" [citation:3].

The Legacy

Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit was the final entry in the series. It was released on January 28, 1989, and grossed HK$22 million at the box office [citation:1].

It wasn't a flop. But it wasn't a blockbuster either. The franchise had run its course. New艺城 (Cinema City) would officially dissolve in 1990 [citation:10].

But Aces Go Places remains one of the most beloved Hong Kong comedy franchises of all time. And The Terracotta Hit is a fitting farewell: a film that brought together old and new, comedy and action, and gave us one final, unforgettable duet.

Have you seen Aces Go Places V: The Terracotta Hit? What's your favorite moment — the opening heist, the training sequence, or the closing duet? Let me know in the comments.

Tom De · The Movie Prince 🎬