The City Of Violence

The City Of Violence (Jjakpe)

Release DAte: 2006
Director: Ryu Sung Wan
Writer: Kim Jeong Min, Lee Won Jae, Ryu Sung Wan

Cast:
Ryu Sung Wan ... Tae Soo
Jung Doo Hong ... Suk Hwan



Reviewed By : John

A City of Violence is blend of a gritty gangster drama and an action flick. The film starts out with Doo-hong Jung as police dective Tae-Su in Seoul going back to his home town for his friend's funeral. On the surface it seems like he was killed by a few low-level thugs but as the film unravels the story turns out to be a bit more complex. The "surprise twist" is hinted at throughout the movie and is foreseeable a mile away. In essence you have two good guys battle with lots of minons and a few elite bad guys before the end as in many other movies like this.

It was a very watchable movie, it wasn't a life changing cinematic experience or anything but a good way to kill some time. Most of all I really enjoyed the action sequences where one or two good guys battle it out with swarms of bad guys. In a way it reminded me of Kill Bill, slightly cartoonish but none the less exicting fighting scenes. I liked the way how the movie flashed back at times to show the progression of the relationship of the four main characters with each other as the years went by.

It really didn't have a memorable soundtrack or any other thing that really sticks with you after the movie besides the action scenes. Although Doo-hong played an excellent bad ass cop, he just has the facial characteristics of a good anti-hero. I definitely recommend it, if anything just watch it for the action scenes.