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Directed by: Shin-yeon Won
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Starring: Gong Yoo, Park Hee-soon, Jo Sung-Ha, Yoo Da-in
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Spoiler- free Plot: Ji Dong-chul (portrayed by Gong Yoo) is framed for the murder of a well-known businessman, Chairman Park who maintained friendly relations with North Korea. A few moments before dying, Park handed over his pair of spectacles to Ji, instructing him to "bury" the spectacles along with his body. He is aggressively tracked by a Government team led by Min (played by Park Hee-soon) to retrieve the spectacles and to capture him. It is revealed that Ji was a North Korean Spy who had defected to the South and he shared a sour history with Min. In addition, he was also tracking the person who apparently murdered his wife and daughter before Ji's defection to the South. However, Min soon realises that there was more to the issue than meets the eye, and that the higher-ups were hiding the real reason why Ji needed to be captured.
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Spoiler - free Analysis: This is one of the first Korean movies that I watched which I felt had the glossy look and polish of a typical Hollywood movie instead of having the distinct "Korean flavour" unique in most of the Korean movies. In fact, on first view, the film seems like a Korean version of the Bourne movies. Although the action scenes (which mostly involve car chases and fist fights) are engaging and can keep action junkies hooked, the plot might be slightly confusing to follow on first watch. There are quite a few double-crosses and plot twists gradually revealed in the second-half of the movie, although a few plot points might be baffling to more non-attentive viewers. Shin-yeon Won also uses quick cuts like Paul Greengrass to accentuate the fast-pace of this movie. All in all, the movie is a good choice if you are looking to be entertained by a movie with well-choreographed action scenes, though a second watch might be needed to fully understand the intricacies of the plot.
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Final Rating: 3/5
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