Smugglers

I have really liked Korean cinema has been quite interesting within the past years with some great flicks like "Train to Busan, Parasite, Burning, Oldboy, and many other great Korean movies. Unfortunately, despite good performances and a good concept, "Smugglers" just wasn't for me.

Director Ryoo Seung-wan has made movies in the past like "Veteran, The Crying Fist, and Escape from Mogadishu" which I haven't really liked and here, his direction feels all over the place with themes and structure going all over the place. The narrative about 6 women becoming badasses and being smugglers is quite an interesting concept but unfortunately, the narrative is really basic and predictable that makes things uninteresting and lacking. The action had some moments that were pretty good but there were also some really bad action and editing moments. Including some poor uses of green screen during some underwater moments and special effects.

The performances from the cast members were pretty good especially Kim Hye-Soo and Yum Jung-ah as they brought the best energy with their roles. Even good performances, they aren't able to save the movie due to the characters not really being interesting and most of the time, pretty annoying. The dialogue from the characters are pretty bad, the soundtrack is annoying, and with the movie taking place in the 70s, the movie didn't really do a good job capturing the retro feel and there were moments I had completely forgotten that the movie took place in the 70s.

This movie feels like it's trying to be Hollywood but in the worse way. Overall, this one isn't for me.

No pun intended - I don't know how true this is - I don't even remember this telling me anything if a true story or how much of this actually happened. Does it matter though? It is a really tight script ... it is well done ... and it has characters that you will love (to hate) ... and hate to love! They are not simple, that is for sure.

And you also will have a lot of violence ... and a lot of blood too. This gets quite nasty to say the least. You may not like what it does with a character you like .... you may not like how certain characters are treated ... or you may not care about them at all ... at least you'll see terrific stunts.

I assume the ending is supposed to hint at a sequel ... maybe that is a thing that can happen, maybe it is just to show us a possible future of a certain character. Well done - on all the levels! Technically speaking, but also from the acting point of view ... Korean filmmaking, the top tier at least or the stuff we get in the west ... is top notch!

This film isn't really about how smuggling worked in the past in South Korea, but rather how ordinary people found ways to share the profits. In this process, there were lives lost due to the risks stemming from legal sanctions, prison sentences, and power struggles among different factions. Essentially, it's about changing the routes. When direct imports became illegal, similar to the current U. S.-China trade war, some underground gangs engaged in third-party intermediaries to earn profits in between. In 'Smugglers,' the movie depicts the use of female divers and fishery vessels for transportation. It also realistically portrays various aspects like repackaging and customs corruption. It reminds me that even if you have a unique skill, you often remain a cog in the profit supply chain, and it takes determination and vision to become a leader or boss.

Do take note that this adventure turns entirely on the diving ability of the women. Wonder why none of the men take to the waters to collect all the cargo. Think about that for a bit. The film may not be perfect but it does lay bare the blatant exploitation of the women divers by all the men running their con games. And while the polluting factories killing off the marine life which sustained everyone is mentioned as the source of the fishery woes not much is done with this ongoing reality---though that would make this a very different movie indeed. Soo it's down to just how much evil treatment the women can endure before trying to turn the tables on all the corrupt men. Yes, this does boil down to a war between the sexes by the end--quite literally. And kudos to all responsible for recreating the unique vibe of the seventies from the kinds of cancer sticks, the clothing, to the cars. Plus, who doesn't appreciate great teamwork? Hmm? PS, It's a visual delight.

This right here is what you call a perfect script. WOW! These Koreans have some reaaaally dope stories to tell. Am not a comedy person, so when this started it had that comedy vibe and I almost trashed it but I thought too myself, give it 15 min, see how it turns out and boy was I glad I did. It quickly went from comedy to serious stuff. When I say Action Comedy, this right here is exactly that. The comedy was well placed, but when it was time for serious business, they didn't play. Kinda reminded me of the very successful Korean movie, Parasite.

I can't think of what I didn't like about this movie, for real. The acting was great from all of the cast, even the extras. The cinematography was beautiful. And the story was perfect, I couldn't see any flaws anywhere. Maybe am just a sucker for women empowerment, who cares. There's just something cool about women outsmarting corrupt men. 😊😊