Dong-chang-saeng

Commitment is very decent in everything it does and makes for an enjoyable two hours of spy games, just don't expect any really outstanding moments.

A teenage N Korean spy is sent on a mission to the South he has to kill some targets but then gets betrayed and his sister is used as a hostage. The killing was confusing at times- who and why. Still it's the kind of film that you can watch without getting all of it. The action is quite well done and the fights are intense. Some school bullying and some romance helps with the human element. Why he had to go for the final fight seems questionable. T.O.P. acts well enough and his action is okay. Not great movie but watchable.

While this movie has not as much impact as other Korean action movies, this still has quite a lot of punches in it. The movie itself stars with one big punch that hangs over the movie the whole time. It's about suppression and blackmail and it is about the late North Korean dictator too. But some of it is just facade.

There are motives to some of the characters that come off as clichés and you'd be excused if you didn't like this because of that. But look beyond that and you'll see a more than decent action movies. The action stunts are really good. The main character could have a bit more flavor though and some story strains get left behind to get to the whole picture. Good, but not great then

Commitment is a spy drama that takes place during the change of guard in North Korea where forces in the North are jockeying with forces in the South. Into this struggle, the son of a murdered spy is recruited to go to South Korea as an assassin, his reward being that upon the successful completion of his mission he will be reunited with his sister.

The acting is uniformly good, especially from Seung Hyun Choi as the spy, Ye-ri Han as the girl he meets, and Park Ji-Il as the South Korean agent who hunts him down. Most of these actors will be unfamiliar to U.S. audiences.

In recent years Korean films have been able to master the art of action sequences - "OldBoy" (2003), "The Chaser" (2008), "Bittersweet Life" (2005), "The Man from Nowhere" (2010). The current film does well, but at the heart of an action film one must believe that the hero is capable of performing the feats ascribed to him. In this case, it's only partially true. Neither by dint of his own physicality, nor the back story, are we able to believe that Seung Hyun Choi is capable of the martial arts skills he displays. In fairness to Choi , he does do OK, so it's not a question of disbelief, but neither is there an unquestioning acceptance.

Apart from some good action sequences, the film is an interesting travelogue about life in South Korea, as well as a look at police work in that Country.

Fans of well-written stories and interesting spy/espionage films (similar in nature to the Bourne Trilogy) coupled with competent, convincing acting, smart direction, and sharp (but not dizzying) action editing should really appreciate this film.

The character development unfolds in a manner that draws the viewer close enough to care for the 19 year-old North Korean spy (brilliantly played by Seung Hyun Choi) as well as several other characters who convincingly convey deep emotions with economical use of dialogue, non-verbal expression, and relatively limited screen time.

The action film includes a balancing dose of drama by placing an equal emphasis upon character development; and, the story also gives the talented actors an opportunity to emote some cultural insight related to the feelings and hardships associated with the political division of a culturally homogeneous North and South Korea. I look forward to future films written by Kim Soo-young, directed by Hong-soo Park as well as films that include the young, talented actor Seung Hyun Choi.