Smugglers 4K 2023

Korean hitmaker Ryu Seung-wan is one of those rare directors who can handle (and achieve box office success with) any genre, whether it’s a signature Korean crime film, a hard-hitting police or spy action movie, or a dramatic thriller. Now the director has decided to tackle a new genre for himself—an adventure crime story. And Ryu Seung-wan has handled this genre with flying colors. True, in terms of the screenplay, everything follows plot clichés to the letter, and Ocean’s Korean girlfriends bring nothing new to the genre: setups, double-crosses, plot twists—it’s all by the book, and we’ve seen it all before. But the film is shot well, with a lively and energetic pace, and there’s definitely no time to get bored here. The glamorous ’70s era—with its music, fashion, and discos—adds charm to the story, and the humor and overall lighthearted tone (for the most part) make it very likable. The seascapes are beautiful; it’s just a shame that they’re sometimes juxtaposed with close-ups of the actors against backdrops, though at least here they look far better and the lighting is decent—unlike in “The Expendables 4,” where you just want to hug something and cry.

As usual, it wouldn’t be a Korean film if, toward the third act, the mood didn’t shift as abruptly as a sickle cutting through a single spot, and the adventure film wouldn’t turn into a frenetic, brutal action flick with a knife fight—the “two against the crowd” brawl at the hotel is staged spectacularly and incredibly cool, even though it seemed like we’d seen it all from the Koreans when it comes to fight scenes. But lo and behold, they surprised and delighted us. The final underwater scene is also superbly executed—it’s truly breathtaking, especially one particular stunt. The actors here are all charming and fully immersed in their roles—the ensemble is excellent and a real treat for the eyes. The main trio—Kim Hye-soo (who, by the way, has already starred in a similar film, *Thieves*, as the character Pepsi), Yom Jung-ah, and Cho In-sung—is particularly wonderful: they have great chemistry and their characters are vivid, with Kim Hye-soo really stealing the show! The rest of the cast is also top-notch, and Park Jeong-min seems born to play dim-witted and comical gangsters. All in all, fans of crime thrillers have been treated to yet another gem. The film is vibrant, beautiful, fun, and dynamic—and while it’s absolutely typical of the genre, it’s still a pleasure to watch, and those two action scenes are simply fantastic!