The Roundup: No Way Out

This is a super fun, high action police thriller sequel to the highly successful "Roundup" series. Ma Dong-Seok, or Don Lee, leads a cast of Lorean Police Detectives willing to use unconventional methodologies to solve their cases. The story is about a corrupt Korean police element working with the Japanese Yakuza on an international drug ring to distribute a new drug. There are elements of cross and double cross and it is very watchable. It is funny in a sarcastic way, but at its core, a police action film, like lethal Weapon. I much prefer the Korean with English subtitles to the Dubbed. Looking forward to next installment.

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.

Don Lee is back and it's back to the big time. As before, the teddy bear tornado has the endearing charisma of a Bud Spencer and the methods of a Dirty Harry, two fists instead of a Magnum. So everything is the same, which in this case is a quality feature rather than a shortcoming. Tough violence meets humorous interludes, both in the right proportions and underpinned by almost constant (thrashing) action. This time, fortunately, the background rock music has been toned down considerably. Oh yes, there is also a story, a solid means to an end. As always, the salt in the soup is the use of finely scattered political incorrectness. Thank you Roundup Saga, you rarely if ever see anything like this anymore. Another aspect worth mentioning is the consistently fantastic cast throughout the trilogy. Not only Ma Dong-seok, but also his police force are simply endearing. The villains are always charismatic, and this time the enemies of South Korean law and order come from the Chinese triads, the Japanese yakuza and their own corrupt ranks of officials. It can go on like this, there is still a lot of energy in this series.

This franchise became repetitive, nothing new and no freshness, we already knew that Don Lee unstoppable can beating everyone and everything. The chase, interrogation, many scene are similar, even the closing scenes is still the same

The bad guys this time don't feel threatening. They really need make a strong, wicked and unique villain to deal with Don Lee, he needs to be in more danger. Hopefully they give something different and put new elements in the next movie

Drugs, yakuza and cops corrupt, you got it this time

But still this is a good instalments, everyone will go to cinema watching it.