Mantis

Mantis enters the assassin genre with a refreshing focus on blade combat rather than gunfire, and its premise - an ace killer returning from hiatus to face old ties and shifting loyalties - has plenty of intrigue. The fights are slickly choreographed, and the setup hints at emotional depth between Mantis, Jae-yi, and Dok-go. Unfortunately, the pacing is far too quick, leaving little room to explore the characters beyond surface-level interactions. As a result, it's hard to fully connect with their struggles, even when the action is at its most intense. Mantis is stylish and energetic, but without more breathing room, it never cuts as deep as it should.

The story,the acting ,the plot is not really good compare the previous movie.they made it into romance instead of action. Mostly the cast acting are not really impressive.like lack of charm.

Too many dialogue rather than action even the last battle just mid,nothing special.so different from expectation.

The elite assassin world established in Kill Boksoon returns, but the spin-off film, Mantis (2025), is a bewildering exercise in wasted emotional opportunity. While the premise is rich-a returning assassin, a fierce rival (J), and a looming mentor (Dok Go)-the entire production collapses under the weight of its own superficiality, leaving the talented cast to drown in a script that refuses to give them anything of substance.

The script reduces complex, lethal killers to one-dimensional figures. The promised "complex feelings" between Mantis and J never materialize beyond frustrated glances and forced tension.

Instead of authentic conflict, we get performances that oscillate between blank stares and visible overcompensation to fill the emotional void left by the writing.

Mantis delivers in parts on the slick action, but forgets the soul. It's a loud, glossy action film where all the stakes feel imaginary, resulting in a hollow experience where the actors' best efforts are visibly and unfortunately wasted.

Starring: Si-wan Yim, Park Gyu-young

I decided to watch Mantis because I've already seen both Si-wan Yim and Park Gyu-young in Squid Game, and I also happen to love action movies. At first, I was hooked! The fight scenes were intense, well-choreographed, and full of adrenaline. Although the violence was a bit bloody, it felt raw and thrilling in a way that worked for the genre.

As the film went on, however, I felt like something was missing. The action tapered off nand the story started leaning more toward heavy drama. It almost felt like the plot lost its direction midway, leaving me wondering where it was supposed to go. Instead of building momentum, it slowed down, and a lot of the tension dissolved into unanswered questions and unfinished threads.

That said, the performances were solid. Si-wan Yim brought depth to his role, while Park Gyu-young carried her character with a mix of grit and vulnerability. Unfortunately, the script didn't give them enough to elevate the film into something truly memorable.

One of the biggest frustrations was the abundance of cliffhangers. While suspense can be exciting, Mantis left too many loose ends, making it feel incomplete rather than intentionally mysterious. It gave me the sense that the film wanted to set up more but didn't fully commit to delivering a payoff.

Mantis starts off as a promising action-packed film with brutal yet engaging fight scenes but it quickly shifts into a drama-heavy narrative that struggles to find its footing. The lead actors shine in their roles but the story doesn't quite live up to the performances. If you're watching mainly for the action, you might find yourself a little disappointed by the pacing and unresolved plotlines. Still, if you enjoy the cast and don't mind a more drama-driven approach, it's worth a watch.

Great acting, strong start, but falls short in story and payoff.

Please don't make another movie like this. It is totally too far from "Kill Bokson". The weak lead is not entertaining at all. No real show of power like the main lead in "Kill Bokson". It is sickening he treats his friends like garbage when they were in a company but at the same time makes them pitiful like he shows that he cares. Plus why did he have to meddle with the battle of his friend and his sensei?? Don't ever this kind of assasin movie with a weak lead please?!! It is a huge disappointment and the worst assasin movie ever!