Eunmilhagae euidaehagae

It's difficult to live Normally in some countries.

This movie feels like 2 movies. The first part is a comedy about N Korean spies in S Korea. The second part is a protracted martial arts fighting show. The second part felt over long. The movie would have been better if it was shorter and more focused. A Kim Soo Hyun vehicle and the contrast between the idiot and the spy is quite good. This movie doesn't have the broad appeal to go past Koreans and die hard fans of Korean movies.

There are some great parts to this film, and there is some strong craft at work, but as a whole, the film suffers from imbalance and then struggles to maintain pace.

What starts off as ostensibly a comedy changes its genre completely by the middle. Whereas there are attempts at silly humor for the early going, they are dropped completely in favor of the action/intrigue aspect before too long. It's very strange to be halfway through and remember the early tones of the story, now all but forgotten.

There are strong points: the photography is great; the fight scenes are good (too many cuts, but still good); the philosophical struggle the characters face is well-drawn.

There are also some low points, but overall the film I'd say is worth watching - just be ready for two different halves.

"Secretly, Greatly" tells a captivating story of three young man, trained to be killing machines, sent to South Korea as spies and assimilate into the local society. While they await further instruction from the party, they forge a friendship with the local community.

The first half of the film is comedic, with the lead character acting foolish and funny. However, right from the start, the viewers know he is just pretending to be stupid, as he makes many mental calculations on all possible permutations of events in his head. Such a double life requires a lot of dedication and perseverance.

The second half of the film turns into a adrenaline fuelled action film, with much brutal fist fights and valiant defiance of orders. It is presented so well, that it keeps people captivated with the three men's psychological struggle and physical struggle. They manage to take down tens of tough guys in fist fights normally is unrealistic and even annoyingly silly, but in "Secretly, Greatly" their seemingly omnipotent fists provide something for viewers to marvel at. Maybe it is because they are not just fighting for the sake of fighting, but fighting for survival, both physically and ideologically against a tyrannical regime.

The interspersed subplot about the idiot's longing for his mother is very touching. In the three men's native country, people are brainwashed to believe that the party is way more important than their blood family. Hence there is a constant deep seated struggle; and their longings could never be fulfilled. The plot is profoundly powerful towards the end of the film, when everything culminates to an emotional and action climax.

"Secretly, Greatly" is a great gem that deserves to be seen. I enjoyed watching it tremendously.

I think this movie is great and well-balanced. The first halve is funny and entertaining while the second halve has more actions and tear breaking. At the beginning, the story is very entertaining with lots of funny parts and then gradually moved into a more heavy section in the middle of the movie. The turning point was written in a smooth way. It does not make you feel odd. All the action scenes are gorgeous and well-designed.

The scenes are really beautiful and the acting of the 3 main characters are awesome especially the main character played by Kim Soo Hyun. He needed to act as an idiot and also a very cool spy at the same time in this movie. It's not an easy task but this actor nails it. The audiences can see and feel that he had put tonnes of effort in preparing for this role, especially the way that he trained his body in such a perfect shape. The face and body of Mr. Kim Soo Hyun would remind you the image of Bruce Lee.

It's definitely worth to watch. I would recommend it to all my friends.