frdgrntmt

It has the trifecta. The story and editing is excellent so it constantly moves and develops. The dialogue is witty, comical at times and realistic - which can be a rarity - and all of this is supported by phenomenal acting. The chemistry between the two leads is off the chart, and both actors do a great job of expressing subtle emotions and display great range. Ariel Lin is a veteran so no surprises there (great to see her back in a historical piece) and Zhang Bin Bin just shows how great he is and can be. He's been doing great in all the dramas I've watched, and this one is no exception. I feel like he is definitely one to watch. He just has that on-screen charisma that you see in great actors. So if you are pretty new to the Chinese historical dramas - this is definitely a great one to start with - it's still airing now (1/28/19) but if it keeps up what it's done so far in terms of the writing, editing, dialogue and acting - I imagine we'll all be in for a fantastic fun ride.

Finally a break from the relenting string of dark, gruesome, violent movies from S. Korea! Midnight Runners is a refreshing break from the genre movie of gangs and violence that we typically get from Korea. The main actors: Park Seo Joon and Kang Ha Neul have fantastic chemistry and their scenes are effortlessly outrageously hilarious. Their comic timing, delivery and the way they play off each other's lines is just amazing to watch.

The story is not the most ingenuous or complex, but it works. It's a simple story about two young police academy cadets who don't have a real strong reason or desire to become police officers and who unwittingly find themselves in a situation that requires them to demonstrate the moral fiber and courage of what one would hope to find in a future police officer. It's not fancy and that's the key. It's simple, relatable, and most importantly a whole lot of fun and funny. I was definitely glad to have watched it, and walked out having felt like all the stress of the day was laughed off during the movie.

Fantastic movie! Didn't know what to expect but it had a great story, good pacing and spot-on acting by Ji Chang Wook and the rest of the cast. The movie definitely has its serious moments which I personally think was necessary to invest the audience with the sense of justice that Kwon Yoo, the protagonist, feels is due to him. Great edge of your seat action, right amount of suspense to make you wonder about what will happen next, at times laugh-out-loud wit and comic sense, and great acting by the cast. And of course, all of this brought on by great execution by director Park Kwang Hyun.

Movies like this make me think positively about the future of Korean cinema because outside the smoke and mirrors of domestic and international awards, what Korean cinema lacks is tight execution and good old storytelling of otherwise creative concepts. Sometimes I feel Korean movies focus too much on sensationalism (be it gruesomeness or eroticism bordering on pornography), technical camera work and production value rather than storytelling, character development and execution. It's nice to see a movie that is well- made and reminds us of the fun of going to the movies. Nicely done.