Yong-eui-ja

"The Suspect" is an action movie that seems as if it were made by a team of folks with a super-severe case of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It never slows down, never lets up and is just about all action and fighting. For some, this will be an enjoyable adventure--but for someone who doesn't want this much intensity, the film will most likely produce sensory overload well before the film is complete.

When the film begins, you learn that Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) was once one of the best super-spied working for the North Koreans. However, several years ago, he defected to the South and is now working for a powerful CEO. However, out of the blue, an assassin shows up and kills the employer. Dong-chul happens to come into the room about this time and witnesses the assassin in the act. While he is not able to stop the murder, he is able to stop the man from making him the next victim. After all, he is a super-spy--the sort of high-energy super-killer that makes James Bond look like a wimp! What follows is a long search by the South Korean government for Dong-chul, as they think HE is the killer. However, as the film progresses it becomes obvious not only to Dong-chul but to the man assigned to bring him to justice that there is a third party involved in the case--some secret organization with an agenda of their own and which is behind the killing.

During the course of this movie, there are tons of martial arts fights which appear to be very lethal and ultra-violent, TONS of car crashes with some of the best driving sequences in film history as well as lots of blood and death. There is very, very little let-up and the only pauses seem to occur in order for the good guys to follow the leads concerning who is really pulling all the strings and why. Heck, the film seems to be almost nothing but action with a few tiny glimpses into what's going on as well as the identity of folks responsible for Dong- chul's family's death years ago. Whether you like all this really depends on you. If you are a super-hyper person who doesn't want a lot of plot and thinks that the average action film is way too slow-paced and the body count too low, you'll love "The Suspect". If you are looking for some action but more story and less intensity, then you might just want to skip this one. As for me, I found myself losing some interest towards the end. Sure, it was good but it just wore me out and went on too long.

By the way, if you do watch this one, you shouldn't be surprised that it's ultra-violent. A few of the scenes really made me wince and it's NOT a film to show children or your mother.

Fast-paced and energetic, this Korean 'Bourne' is thrilling and exciting. The film's editing and photography is awesome. The film is very, very intriguing and there's a lot of information to digest which can be confusing at times. Ultimately, though, this is a fantastic action adventure with great acting by Yoo Gong (Train to Busan). Wonderful ending!

''The Suspect'' is a South Korean action-thriller in the vein of several contemporary spy movies like ''The Berlin File''. The movie tells the story of a North Korean defector who has once been a top special forces agent. After years of loyal service to his country, he became the victim of a conspiracy and purge. While the defector was able to make it to South Korea, his wife and young daughter were killed. Filled with grief and anger, the defector is now working as a chauffeur for a warm-hearted chairman who wants to help the North Korean people by developing a chemical product that could improve agriculture and prevent future famines. One day before a crucial meeting in North Korea, the chairman gets assassinated by some obscure members of the South Korean intelligence service. The defector witnesses the crime and fights the assassins but he can't save his boss. The dying chairman though gives him his glasses which hide the formula for the chemical product. The defector gets now hunted by the South Korean intelligence service who accuse him for the murder of the chairman and want to get the formula. The manhunt is led by a tough colonel who wants to eliminate the defector at all costs but who soon realizes that his boss is hiding a sinister secret and that things are more complicated than they appear. With the help of an ambitious journalist, the defector wants to uncover the secret of the chairman's glasses, clear his name and fight the true murderers and also find the man who killed his family.

On the positive side of the movie, one gets a twisted and tension-filled story line. The movie is gripping and entertaining and never gets boring despite a running time of almost two hours and a half. The acting is solid and especially the defector, the colonel and the main villain are portrayed in authentic ways. The movie has some character development and spends enough time to add some depth by telling a few side-stories in form of flashbacks. The action scenes in the movie are of the highest quality and at least as good as similar contemporary Hollywood movies. One gets to see agile and yet brutal martial arts fighting scenes, brutal shootings and breathtaking car chases. Some of these scenes are unrealistic and over the top but they are definitely fun to watch. Despite all the action and brutality, the movies manages to keep a human core and comes around with a moving ending.

On the negative side, I must admit that this movie obviously picks up several ideas from past South Korean but also international spy flicks. The story line of the movie is not really original and several parts of the film are in fact quite predictable for genre fans. The script could have been more innovative in my opinion.

Despite this obvious flaw, genre fans should still watch this movie as it's among the better South Korean spy movies of the last years. It easily beats ''The Berlin File'' and is probably on one level with movies like ''New World'' but obviously less groundbreaking than ''Shiri''. For international fans, you will probably appreciate this movie if you liked the films of the Bourne franchise.

This one is an improvement over similarly themed "The Commitment" and "Secretly Greatly". I'll not spoil anything. For those, who are looking for a non-stop "spy thriller action ride", this one is a must watch. The movie never stops anywhere.

Overall rating of 6.9 is really low for this cleverly written and directed movie. Also, the performances of the actors are really good, specially "Gong Yoo".

Like other top South Korean movies, screenplay was top-notch, also the direction is great in 'conversation between characters' as well as in car chase and other action scenes.

For me this is a really underrated South Korean flick.

Impressive.. Mr.Won and Mr.Yoo...

I feel like the director is a big fan of the Bourne trilogy. The dry fight scenes without music, focusing on the raw sounds of a close quarter fight. The rattling camera angles, the zoom ins and outs. The car chase scenes and a pounding drum music. The earlier chase scenes with the monitors reminded me of the Subway chase in Ultimatum. I feel like some of the more heart-pounding scenes they could have added more ambient sounds and one shots of the civilians. (i would be either cursing or screaming if a car just drove by me in a tight alley)

Don't get me wrong I loved this film and Bourne, it was just something I didn't expect from Korean cinema and I was pleasantly surprised. The director took the best things from it and well integrated it into his own flavor.

Gong-Yoo really shined with the cold look of a trained specialist. He also showed signs of vulnerability and really sold the performance. I never thought he would do a film like this because of the 'pretty guy' impression I got from him in dramas such as '1st shop of coffee prince' however I did notice his talent for a more serious toned role such as in 'Silenced'.

Overall I am very satisfied after watching this film. It kept the very 'Korean' feel of the action film while taking bits from the template of Doug Liman's work.