Dogool

Dong-goo (Lee Jehoon) is a thief, but an elite one: he robs tombs and monasteries of their treasures. The difficulty lies in finding buyers, many of whom feel they can just take the loot from him, although they learn differently quickly. After proving himself with one job, he's offered another - to raid a supposedly empty tomb that is scheduled to be "restored" and make off with its treasure - so he puts together a team including Dr. Jones (Woo-jin Jo) and Shoveler (Im Won-Hee), and soon the race is on....

This is a lively caper flick with a dozen twists and turns as one expects from caper flicks; think a Korean Ocean's 11 with a little Indiana Jones thrown in for good measure (there's a reason one of Dong-goo's team is called Dr. Jones)! Part comedy, part action and all side-switching and racing to beat the bad guys, the film also leaves the possibility of a "further adventures of" sequel, which I for one would go to see!

I thoroughly enjoyed this caper that reminded me of Ocean's Eleven with a side of Lupin the Third and just a hint of Indiana Jones. The final plot twist was a bit predictable, but the film still packed a few surprises towards the end.

There are some funny parts, and some exciting parts. Overall, mood is playful and light. The real objective of the heist is revealed only towards the end with only the slightest hint earlier on. This took a lot of time and cunning for Kang Dong-goo to pull it off spectacularly. That the writer and director are able to achieve this sleight of hand on an unsuspecting audience is a tribute to the film's ingenuity.

I was hesitating while picking this up as I have seen so many negative comments about it. But, of course, they are wrong about this or maybe have different point view. However, I enjoyed this. First, I thought, It's a typical heist movie, all about planning and focusing on execution of heist. Unlike heist movies here some fun elements which I like most. The most surprising thing about the movie is it turns out be a revenge movie.

The film seems to have all aspects required for a treasure hut genre, however still it feels out of place for the most part. The characters are not defined very clearly and always seem to be out of place. A stronger antagonist would have been helpful for the film.

Aesthetically, the colours and cinematography look average for most of the parts except towards climax. All The actors try to elevate the film with their performances, however without a strong screenplay, it seems out of place. The story looses its pace back and forth and many characters are confusing without their clear explanation.

The sound score has no value and does not help the film at all. This can be a one time watch, however don't expect the same thrill as other treasure hunt movies.