The Roundup: Punishment

I was waiting for this movie since couple of months, and last night i saw this movie,, this Francaise is famous for its hand combat fight sequence, but unfortunately this is the least fighting movie of this Francaise, and story also is not that gripping, basically the movie is about online gambling gang, the antagonist is good at the start, but the last scene was not to the point, my man don lee is good but i missed his aura in this movie, i think the best movie of this Francaise is the last one, which released in 2023. After watching that one i was eagerly waiting for this one, but after watching this one i am disappointed,

One of the most gripping scenes in "The Roundup: Punishment" is the final confrontation between the protagonist, Detective Ma Seok-do (played by Ma Dong-seok), and the film's main antagonist. This climactic battle is a defining moment in the film, showcasing the intense action and emotional stakes.

Why It Stands Out:

Intense Action:

The scene is packed with high-octane action, featuring intense hand-to-hand combat and expertly choreographed fight sequences. The raw physicality and power displayed by Ma Seok-do are both thrilling and satisfying to watch. The choreography is well-executed, emphasizing the brutality and stakes of the confrontation.

Character Development:

This scene highlights the determination and resilience of Detective Ma Seok-do. Throughout the film, he is portrayed as a relentless and tough character, and the final confrontation encapsulates his unwavering dedication to justice. The antagonist's character is also fleshed out, making the battle not just a physical struggle but a clash of ideologies.

The baddie resorts to murder a boy in Phillipines. He is running an online casino and further joins hands with another casino owner to target the rivals and create a monopoly of sorts. When the baddie is not given what he is owed, he decides to travel all the way to Seoul to make a brutal point. To his bad luck, Detective Ma Seok-do is teaming with the cyber crime team to take on the online gambling ring. How does the detective punches his way to the villain and get justice to the murdered boy, forms rest of the story.

The Roundup franchise by now has nothing new in terms of the story or even the action scenes. It relies heavily on it's main star and his punches followed up by a couple of comic moments. The fourth installment gets in the older films references and tries to introduce a brute villain but he is still no match to our hero. It is not surprising that the non-action scenes soon get tiring and honestly, I kept waiting for Don Lee to punch as many guys he can until the face off the villain - both the times. I am still going with a lenient rating because Don Lee's punches are still that good. If only, they truly value it enough to lend a good script to back the lead hero. If there is a fifth film, I just hope they work on the antagonist more and not just make him stylishly violent.

Those of you who have watched the three previous The Roundup films will surely be familiar with the formula of this film series, namely detective Ma Seok-do and his team are faced with a criminal case that they must investigate in depth. For his latest film, namely The Roundup: Punishment, Seok-do and his team now have to deal with an online gambling syndicate which also causes several horrific murder incidents.

What clearly differentiates Punishment from the previous film The Roundup is that Seok-do and his team now have to face cyber crimes that they have never investigated before. Seok-do and his team's ignorance about cybercrime is clearly an important point in the comedy elements of this film. Plus, Seok-do has to work with ridiculous thugs to carry out his mission.

As an action film starring Ma Dong-seok, you certainly don't need to doubt the action presented in Punishment. You can see Ma Dong-seok's boxing and slamming action, which without hesitation kills the criminals, so the action feels satisfying. Apart from that, the villain in this film also has a quite cruel character, where he kills his targets very cruelly. The display of blood adds to the intensity of the action in this film.

We saw this movie on its premiere at Berlinale. Whats so nice at festivals, that you walk into the theater mostly without knowing what is about to come. Eventhough you tend to identify the movie as pure action genre first, it took a bit longer to get to the korean perspective which is different from ours, but oh my good.... that was so refreshing! I enjoyed watching this so much, the story doesnt take itself too seriously, it brought not only drive and action, but smile and laugh in a very special way it touched your heart. Only two words in my mind to describe this movie: warm and kindhearted.