The Roundup: No Way Out

Last year's The Roundup, the highly entertaining sequel to the surprise hit, The Outlaws, surpassed box office records which quickly warranted another sequel released just after a year.

The Roundup: No Way Out, set seven years after the events in the Roundup, involves Ma Seok-Do played by the charismatic Ma Dong-Seok, aka Don Lee, hunting down gangsters and corrupt cops involved in the drug trade. The fairly standard plot gets convoluted as more characters get involved that lead to more betrayals and it seems to get lost in its track as it spends a good portion of the time having all of the characters basically race against each other to look for the drugs known in the movie as Hiper.

The Roundup: No Way Out does absolutely nothing new besides doubling down on the number of characters, both comedic and villainous as well as the action sequences. Unfortunately, this leaves no room for character development in a movie that's 105 minutes long and what you essentially get is Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee, beating down or hurting everyone who gets in his way. It even gets repetitive as Ma Seok-Do goes to a place to beat up people, interrogate them, use characters to help him find someone else, rinse repeat. If that's what you want, that is what you will exactly get. There is also more slapstick comedy this time around due to the hilarious supporting characters who help Ma Dong-Seok in his quest to go after the villains.

The Japanese characters are underutilized who don't show up until the second half. There is only a surprise cameo from Jun Kunimura, a famous and reputable actor in Japan, unfortunately only shows up in a cameo who would've made the movie better if he was in more scenes or cast as another villain. Another famous Japanese actor, Munetaka Aoki, as the vicious killer, Ricky, whose only purpose in the movie is to kill people and find the drugs, elevates the movie somewhat.

The fast-paced action makes up for the lack of character development and the standard procedural storytelling but could've been better if they were a bit longer with much stronger villains. The fight scenes were entertaining nonetheless and also a showcase for Ma Dong-Seok's boxing skills, and you could feel the impact of the punches.

It has been confirmed that another sequel titled The Roundup: Punishment is set to be released in 2024 which will go back to having one villain this time. Hopefully, it will at least try to attempt something different and not play it safe despite the fact that what we can surely expect is Ma Dong-Seok again brutally punching his way through the villains.

There is also a surprise cameo in a mid-credits scene from a character who was in the previous movies which I will not spoil. Be sure not to miss it.

Directed by Lee Sang-yong, "The Roundup: No Way Out" (2023) is an exciting new entry in the beloved crime action series that has won over fans with its fun mix of humor and high-octane thrills. The film features the incredible Ma Dong-seok, who returns as the easygoing yet tough detective, Ma Seok-do. His performance is truly engaging, striking a perfect balance between the film's comedic moments and the intense action that viewers have come to love - he simply owns the character from the beginning to the end!

The storyline is pretty straightforward, allowing everything to flow smoothly, which makes it easy for audiences to get into. This simplicity adds to its appeal, providing a solid base for the funny and action-packed scenes that play out. The plot revolves around Ma Seok-do's unwavering quest for justice, and his chill personality contrasts nicely with the mayhem surrounding him.

One of the film's highlights is its clever use of slapstick humor. There are plenty of funny moments that genuinely make you laugh, often stemming from the ridiculous situations Ma Seok-do finds himself in.

On top of that, the action scenes are thrilling, showcasing his iconic "steam hammer fist of justice." His physical presence and charm shine in every fight, delivering a satisfying mix of toughness and humor that keeps viewers engaged. The choreography is spot-on, ensuring that every punch and kick hits hard while still keeping that lighthearted vibe that makes the film so enjoyable.

A very average prequel, this movie misses the charming and funny characters of the first two movies and thats kinda sad but this is a prequel and we need to respect that ok, overall the villain is not as memorable as the first two amazing and violent antagonists, this movie has a very pathetic villain and that's kinda sad not gonna lie, the protagonist deserves a better villain to encounter, definitely the worst movie of this awesome franchise from Korea, just like John Wick is the worst of the John Wick Franchise ok, overall good little movie to watch Sunday while doing other activities ok 6/10.

This is just siccccck! Forget John Wick, forget Equalizer, forget James Bond, forget Jason Borne or whichever action movie Hollywood has produced ever, this right here is the ish! Whaaat? I am going back to watch the previous edition just because I enjoyed this one so much.

I can't think of what not to like about this franchise. Yes, I heard people argue that Don Lee should pick on guys his size and that the villains are usually too weak compared to his size and strength. To an extent I understand and would certainly love to see him take on someone equally strong. But watching him kick these weaklings butts works because even though the villains are not as physically as strong, they are unbelievably wicked and you so badly want someone to kick their butt and Don Lee does that so nicely.

Aside that, the cinematography is spot on. The fight scenes are just incredible. The humor too is out of this world. This is the kind of movie that gets you laughing but demands your full respect when things get serious.

I guess the only questioning bit is why the villians don't use guns but choose to use bats, knives and swords. Maybe it's a cultural thing. But then again, I've seen other Korean movies where they used lots of guns. I'll like to see how Don Lee handles such a scenario.

Ma Dong-Seok, played as usual by Don Lee is back for a third time in - what I think will be the final outing for the character - in this third film of the trilogy of South Korean films. Don Lee is an actor I quite enjoy watching in his film releases but this outing was not worth the effort; it was just pushed out to cash in on the success of the previous two films, The Outlaw and The Roundup.

Some of the acting by 2 or 3 of the cast is not too bad but in general its just bunch of dim witted cops and even more dim witted gangsters; of both Korean thugs and Japanese Yakuza thugs. If you enjoy this type of Don Lee film, of mindless violence and viciousness, then you will be pleased with what you see. But if your looking for a stronger dramatically and well acted story etc, you will not find it within the scenes of this poor excuse.