O Veterano

Seo Do-cheol is a righteous cop with a great team and boss, entangled in the deceit of a mad rich businessman Jo Tae-oh. Tae-oh uses his power to buy everything and everyone which stand against him. Do-cheol rises against Tae-oh against all odds and the events are just magnificent how Do-cheol fervently takes everything on his hands to destroy the supremacy and menace of Tae-oh

Veteran is a classy action-comedy which perfectly takes the social milieu and delivers in a splendid manner. The screenplay is pretty consistent with all the layers of story unfolding at the right moments; it never breaks the momentum of the viewer. The characterization is almost near the realism as every actor lives the life of the characters.

Jeong-min Hwang is a natural actor and has already given some of the best performances in Korean Cinema. He impeccably embodies the character of an upright cop who is agile and stands for morals. Ah In Yoo astonishingly portrays the character of a wrathful and treacherous businessman and his madness on the screen will make you cringe. Hae-jin Yoo and Dal-su Oh are remarkable in the supporting characters, both complement the screenplay effortlessly. Rest is cast has done pure justice to the characters.

Veteran has a slick action which packs the right punches and martial are never goes over the top. The cinematography works splendidly in the action scenes which are well choreographed too with lot of gags.

Korean Movies are quintessentially awesome when it comes to crime-action-comedy. The blend of dark humor with stylish action is a genre shift which is a hard nut to crack. Korean movies have already mastered in the genre and also there are also lot invocations. Veteran is an epitome of the same genre

Overall, pretty good. While not my favorite Korean action film, if you like the genre you will probably enjoy it. Overall story and tropes will be broadly familiar to anyone who watches much Korean crime/action.

My one criticism is that the antagonist is cartoonishly evil - a genuine sadist - and his sadism is demonstrated probably more than is necessary, and in more extreme ways than is necessary, for a film which is trying to be more comedic.

Other than that, some good casting/actors, many of whom will be familiar to fans of the genre, including a cameo by Ma Dong-seok, probably my favorite actor in the genre.

What worked: This movie works fine because if the use of right humor into the action movie. It's fun, engaging and enjoyable watch considering the good screenplay and the way it's directed. There is a nice balance of the comedy and the action in the movie making it a watchable movie. That's the reason I watched the movie multiple times and still found it a good movie

What did not work: Some minor issues with the plots that could have been worked if the makers put extra attention but overall it's still an entertaining movie. Final verdict: recommended

The first act of Veteran consists of utter shenanigans and plenty of nut shots, which might undermine its closer to reality dark story later on. When it introduces the rich mad antagonist it ramps up into one of the best cop dramas from Korea in recent times. The setup is smart, often looking eerily authentic yet still presents a couple of heavy themes with strikingly eccentric characters.

It opens up with simple case of car smuggling which feels as though it's usual Korean drama, while funny it doesn't possess the right gravitas. About half an hour comes the antagonist Tae Oh (Ah In Yoo) who practically turns the tone upside down. From then it's a mental and physical struggle that's utterly bloody and dark. This is quite the brutal chess game of cop versus criminal.

It's definitely a pleasant surprise, delivering harrowing scene of debauchery and corruption. The way the actors carry themselves bring just enough realism to the character, either it's from the daily life or interaction between colleagues or disproportionate respect to boss. The social and public culture is exaggerated, yet it's odd enough to be real. The director knows how to present the characters, both the flawed antagonist and seemingly suave antagonist, and make audience root or despise them.

Action is pretty good, it keeps the tone of actual brawl with real life martial art and has succeeded on portraying impact on its punches and kicks. The visual takes very direct ambiance and aside for a few distinct moments, it keeps the genuine atmosphere intact. If there's a hindrance in the movie, it's that the quirky comedy might not translate well. These types of gags are common for Korean shows, but they do tend to be excessive.

Using far end spectrum from both crime drama and action comedy, Veteran is a fervid and visceral cop thriller with dissonantly relatable social backdrop.

I rarely watch Asian movies, I made an exception for this one because I liked the description and the poster. I didn't regret watching it. The way the drama/comedy/detective/action is combined is truly amazing. It made me cry a little, laugh a lot, smile and be sad trough the movie. The detective's perseverance and the limits that he pushes makes it a wonderful story. I liked that we get to see a bad ass woman detective in a secondary role that we rarely see in Hollywood, (a thing that is something normal in Asian movies). Also, the fact that the main character was not a martial arts master is a big plus. A truly inspiring family and friends relationships between characters and real life situations is what makes this movie almost a masterpiece. The level of the actors, their playing deserves and Oscar or at least some international appreciation.