One of the best, simply the best!
This is one of my go-to movies, whenever I feel stress, bored or just simply want to re-watch it, simply because I've been missing Won Bin. I really enjoyed watching action, suspense-thriller and just a good story movies, it's just a bonus if I really love the actor playing the role on a movie.This movie is purely intense, gore, full of action, never a dull moment and will keep you on edge. Everything is fast phase and makes sense. No wasted screen time, good dialogues and just simply a perfection for me.
If you cannot bear watching movies with a lot of blood or violence, stay away from this movie, if it's good with you, go and enjoy this masterpiece. Watch Won Bin, to be fascinated with his take on his character as well as reminisce young Kim Sae Ron.
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This review may contain spoilers
Won Bin is Fantastic - Excellent Fight Scenes
OMG this was so good. The best Korean action flick I've watched this year. Excellent story and phenomenal cast. This is the first thing I watched with Won Bin and I am super impressed now I have to watch everthing else.I was surprised to see Kim Sung Oh as that nasty, label loving, hot head. I have never seen him as the villain and he was really good. Kradum Thanayong Wongtrakul was excellent as the enforcer for the bad guys. He has an intensity in his face that was menacing yet somehow kind. He was a presence on screen. Kim Sae Ron was great as the young lead.
I give this a 10 overall and you can rewatch multiple times. My only gripe is that I wished the main villian's last scene had been more brutal.
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Losing your loved ones for once is enough this is not a situation you can face twice... And that's what this movie shows... Humanity takes you to the boundaries but love takes you beyond the boundaries...
If you are watching this movie you shouldn't miss a single glimpse or a dialogue if you want to watch it once otherwise you will need to rewind the things to connect the scenes...
Acting is superb... Won bin is amazingly handsome we all know this but in this movie he conceal his handsomely face under his hair and shave... He act with his eyes... You will never feel even for a moment that he is out of his character and he truly makes you feel heartbroken and happy at the same time...
A must watch till end... All the actors done amazing job and story is unique in a different pattern...
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Such a good movie. Action was top notch. I liked how they didn’t show you in the beginning how kickass he was, really drew out the anticipation of seeing him fight. This movie was so dark! Don’t watch if you don’t want to be reminded of what a crappy world we live in and how it’s filled with so many crappy people. But I can appreciate it’s realism. I can appreciate the gore. In both those aspects, the movie really wants to captivate you.
The MC can act! Apparently he’s an all star actor but since I’m newer to kdrama, I hadn’t seen him in anything yet. I’m definitely going to search for his other work. They touched on his past and his character just enough to help you understand where he’s coming from and why this girl matters ????
The pacing was well done, no lulls. I don’t like slow paced stuff, I frequently get up and take breaks. Didn’t pause this movie once though ????
Oh! And the closing theme song was so beautiful!
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OVERALL I give this movie a 7/10. Ngl I think this film is slightly overhyped, mainly because Won Bin is in this. I didn’t find this film amazing but it was pretty solid.
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Maybe ten yrs ago it was a sensation...
But right now i'd say its not much to see, except for a bunch of handsome guys throwing punches. I'd rather have watched em doing something else... Totally overrated. Only recommended for teen boys who are into action movies and not very fussy about plot. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................Was this review helpful to you?
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A must-watch
This film has great action - well-choreographed, visceral, intense fight scenes that are as memorable as they are nasty - that's wrapped around an emotional core. The simplicity of the plot (dangerous man hunts down men who kidnapped a little girl) works so beautifully as a vehicle for the action scenes, but it also allows for the intense performances to shine through and take centre stage.Won Bin steals the show as a broken man who seems to have shut in on himself in every way. When his little next door neighbour is kidnapped he goes on a rampage to bring her back. I believe him in every moment, as he reveals different facets of the character. I believed him as the taciturn, closed off pawn shop owner, as the lethal killer seeking revenge and justice, as the devastated husband losing his pregnant wife, and as the man we see at the end of the film: a man who has found some measure of peace and can now rest. His eyes are so expressive that he could carry a three minute close-up of just his face, and he makes the fight sequences so believable. A favourite scene is the one early on, when the two gangsters come to his apartment thinking he's just some chump next-door. He is so menacing that he barely has to move and you can feel the tension spike in the room. He has great physical presence.
The rest of the cast is very good, and the plot trucks along nicely. There is very little fat that gets in the way of the tale they are trying to tell. The fight scenes (for all the praise they get) are somewhat sparse, but in my opinion this only increases the tension in the film. For the first little while we actually rarely see our leading man actually fight. We see the very beginning and the aftermath, but never him in action. In my opinion, this makes his later fight scenes (in the club bathroom, the knife fight) even more memorable because they stand so on their own.
I want to make one final note about the cinematography of the film. In general I really enjoyed it, but I want to make special mention of the ending, particularly the scene where he realizes that the little girl isn't actually dead. The way it is shot and framed, and the lighting, is so dramatic and wonderful. The way the light catches his face and the way he looks up towards the sky -- it's like he's a man who is reckoning with God.
I think what sets this film apart from a lot of the other revenge action thrillers out there is the emotional intensity at the heart of the film. I BELIEVE in this man's singular love for this child, and I BELIEVE him when he says that he as nothing left to live for and nothing left to lose if she dies. He doesn't even care about going to jail afterward. It's about goodness existing in the world, and innocence, and him being able to protect the ones he cares about the way he couldn't before. Despite everything, there's something beautiful about the film. It feels as though we're witnessing someone's spiritual journey.
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Best Korean Movie of All Time
I didn't watch too many South Korean movies to be honest, but even after watching some great films like Parasite, A Taxi Driver, Mother,..., this film is still my favortie of all time.The story is so well written, it started with some cliche criminal plot revolved around cocaine, drug but it impressed me when they brought children from poor family into the story. I was so moved watching how these children live and some even die, those things actually happen in real life and in my country (Vietnam), that's why I was so sastified seeing Won Bin's character killed them all, his action also came from the fact he really loves children, since his own kid passed away before the birth. From the opening with a small theft of a stripper, to the ending where the stripper's daughter has to say goodbye with the neighbor who is close to her like father, the script is a rollercoaster of emotion and well builded storyline, I totally love it.
The acting in this fim is tremendous. Won Bin transformed from drama MC to action hero was incredible, Saeron had her best role until now at the age of 10, and the villiains are on another level, the brothers and the Thai assasin stole the scene everytime they appeared, this film probably has one of the best acting in an action movie of all time.
I wasn't impressed with the music as much as story and acting but it isn't bad at all, still played its role nicely.
I watched this film around 10 times now, it's not only great film but also rewatchable film, believe me you won't feel sleppy even when you had watched it 5 times :)
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The best Korean movie of my life
The best Korean movie of my life. "Beautiful, sad and epic" is the best description I can give. Unique soundtrack, unique games,The ending was wonderful.
10 out of 10, no exaggeration. For me, this movie was perfect and I experienced different emotions with it. I highly recommend it to anyone who is looking for a strong work in the revenge genre and has no problem with violent and +18 scenes
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Story: You can give me a story about gangsters and I will eat it up. I love a story about the crime business and a man trying to take it Down. the story I give a 9.5.
Acting/Cast: Won Bin is our main lead here. I have not really seen anything from him before but he does not do a lot of TV shows he usually more of a movie actor. the other actors did a great job in their respectful roles, Kim Hae Won especially as the villain of the story. the acting/cast I give a 9.
Music: Their is really is not much to talk about the music. Their is music but mainly when your in an action scene you really do not need music, your sitting their emerce in it that every hit memorizes you don't really need music. The music I would give a 7.
Overall/ Re Watch value: the re watch value I give an 8, It is on Netflix so I watch it again when I am ready to. The overall value is a 9.5 I enjoyed this very much definitely a favorite now.
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