Gongjo (2017) Reviews

• a good cliché.

  fluffset2017-04-29

  North-South Korea relation is a popular subject in Korean cinema, every time movie like this come out, it will be surely become box office and get wide local media attention. I like Yoo Hae-Jin, he is the Korean greatest supporting actor of all time other than Oh Dal-Su, you can see his face in every big time Korean movie. Lately he got a lot of main character role, good for his career by the way. About this movie, you've seen this a lot in Korean cinema in every movie about North Korean spy and everything. But, it still nailed you in your seat. It got a lot of comedy moment that make me laughing out loud, Yoona from the Girl Generation surely give her best as a comedy relief role. Too bad her screen time is not much. If you love suspense, Asian action comedy that to be honest is way better that U.S nowadays. You can enjoy this. Have fun!

• High-quality action blockbuster with tense and smooth moments

  kluseba2017-08-16

  Confidential Assignment is a very entertaining humorous action- thriller from South Korea. The story itself isn't very original if you are familiar with classics such as Shiri but the movie's execution is really gripping from start to finish. The actors do a convincing job, the action sequences are explosive and professional and the story has a tense and vivid pace with a few welcome amusing breaks. The camera work is precise instead of shaky and a special mention goes out to the vivid soundtrack that suits the movie perfectly. The story revolves around a North Korean investigator who gets betrayed by a colleague who steals expensive printing presses, kills the investigator's wife and escapes to South Korea. The two countries set up a special meeting and the North Korean investigator has three days to arrest his enemy and retrieve the printing presses. Obviously, the skilled investigator isn't allowed to do this investigation on his own in a foreign country. Since nobody is eager to take on this dangerous job, a colleague convinces an officer who has recently been suspended from office to team up with the North Korean. The two investigators couldn't be more different. The North Korean is quiet, professional and cold while his South Korean colleague is loud, clumsy and sociable. In the beginning, the two investigators aren't getting along at all and hide important information from each other. As the situation gets more and more dangerous and the three-day collaboration is about to come to an end, they must trust each other in order arrest a ruthless criminal who is ready to harm both countries. The movie finds the right balance between brutal action sequences, tense investigative parts and a few doses of situation comedy. This film might be too intense for younger audiences but older teenagers and adults might appreciate this vivid genre mixture. If compared to similar Asian movies, the humorous parts aren't silly slapstick comedy but rather quirky situation comedy. If compared to similar movies, the action sequences aren't always overtly exaggerated but quite brutal, fast and technical. The suspenseful elements are much more expanded than in similar movies and there are a few quite sinister sequences. This pitiless approach makes the serious moments much more gripping and the smoother parts much more relieving. Confidential Assignment employs each genre element very efficiently. While the story isn't surprising and this kind of movie isn't anything innovating, Confidential Assignment is a fast-paced roller coaster ride that is on the same level as Lethal Weapon and other movies of this kind. If this movie were released in North American cinemas, it would be one of this year's blockbuster as it was the case in South Korea where the movie broke several records and received numerous well-deserved awards.

• Great movie, great acting , deserves its success

  kyokoblues2017-08-11

  1 give 10/10 for these reasons : 1/ There is HYUN BIN 2/ The cast 3/ The acting all actors are really good in their own acting * HYUN BIN as an action actor , i say WOW , you make us forget all these "girly" personnage you played by your true and manly actions act ** YOO HAE JIN and YOONa just good intheir comic acting , perfect , make us see yoona beyond her status of SNSD *** KIM JOO HYUK , the most perfect villain in movie for 2017 , i want give him this award , Good ! 4/ The directing , WOW , all well synchronize. Well done Director 5/ The joy this friendship bring to viewers 6/ The emotion HYUN BIN's heartpain by losing his wife give to us , agin very good acting Hyun Bin

• Great acting with nice plot

  indyshafa2019-03-30

  This is a great movie involving the dispute between North-South Korea. Hyunbin was able to take the role of Lim Cheolryung perfectly, with the cold stare, dark green suit and swift-like recklessness. Lim Cheolryung's aura was, well, perfect: it supported his back story on how harsh it was for him to endure his most painful betrayal in North Korea's military back then. Lim Cheolryung and Kang Jintae's playful fights always lift the mood up, which is nice. I don't usually fancy action movies, but how swift and calculating Lim Cheolryung's character moved made me like the movie a lot. I fell in love with Hyunbin here, with how passionate he was as Lim Cheolryung. It was a pleasure watching this movie.

• The plot is simple and straight

  yoggwork2019-02-18

  The plot is simple and straight, but the rhythm is still good for Korean opera, much better than that in China. The story is at least complete.