The 2022 Korean cop film The Roundup shows two detectives busting criminals in a foreign land; Vietnam. This comic crime thriller is smooth and fast paced. It feels like a Lethal Weapon/Rush Hour mashup. Although to be fair it is more the former than the latter.
the story
A lead detective and his Captain are sent to Vietnam to collect a Korean criminal who has turned himself in for extradition. Once the two men arrive, they find a plethora of red tape, corruption and a group of thugs kidnapping Korean tourists and businessmen for profit.
The cops end up annoying everyone: The Vietnamese cops, the thugs and the Korean authorities are all up in arms with their actions. Thus setting the stage for murder and mayhem galore. In the end, the two decide to roundup the gang.
The Main Cast
Ma Dong-seok, aka; Don Lee is Ma Seok-do.
Choi Gwi-hwa is Capt Jeon II-man.
Son Suk-ku is Kang Hae-sang.
Yoon Byung-hee is Cooking Oil.
Park Ji-hwan is Jang Yi-soo.
More polish than brass
For a Korean cop film, The Roundup has more polish than usual. For an Asian action flick, the brass is there; enough fisticuffs and Don Lee fights to satisfy everyone. The movie feels, however, like a hollywood version of Asian Action films.
Lee, aka: Ma Dong-seok is Martin Riggs in this scenario. Choi Gwi-hwa is a reluctant Murtaugh here. The two play off one another almost like a Lethal Weapon pairing. Son Suk-ku is a brilliantly evil baddie here. He is on par with any of the Lethal Weapon villains on offer.
Park Ji-hwan is the Leo Getz in this one. I admit this is a bit of a stretch as there is not as much “give and take” in this relationship. It is, however, every bit as funny as the “real” Lethal Weapon character interactions with the small time crook.
*To be fair, the character of Ma Dong-seok seems more Dirty Harry than Martin Riggs. Although the plot and storyline of The Roundup feels more than a little like the Lethal Weapon films.*
It is interesting to note that none of the other “Roundup” films have the pacing and polish of the first one. The rest of the trilogy feels like standard Korean cop fare. A slower pacing with none of the tinseltown polish that the first The Roundup offers.
Interesting side note
After the film’s release, the Vietnamese government apparently banned the film. Allegedly, their main complaint was the way that Vietnamese officials, aka; cops, were depicted. However, the area; Ho Chi Minh City, where the filming took place was “seen as being too violent.” In reality, it seen as “… a lawless zone where Korean criminals do not hesitate to kidnap and murder tourists.” (IMDb.)
Behind the camera
Lee Sang-yong directs this one with flair and a certain panache. He manages to bring this Korean cop movie to an unprecedented level of polish. The script, something that Ma Dong-seok is co-credited for, has a total of four writers. This project manages to disprove the “too many cooks” adage with a vengeance. Sung-Lim Ju as DP works hand in glove with editor Sun-Min Kim. These two work in tandem with Sang-yong to give this a glitz not usually seen in Korean cop films.
And in Front of
The stunts are top notch as are the action sequences. Whether fights or shoot outs or chases, everything moves at a cracking pace. It is interesting to note that the large fight scenes feature a lot of knives, machetes and so on. Clearly, guns are not the end all a be all of other cultures.
The Verdict
The Roundup is a solid 5 stars out of 5. However, this is based upon watching the film with subtitles. The English dubbed version loses a full star as it does not sound the same in English. *I have the same issue with all dubbed films, with the exception of Chinese action films. Growing up watching Bruce Lee with those badly synced “American” accents makes them an almost secret and guilty pleasure.*
The film is available to stream via Prime, Peacock, Tubi and Plex, et al. If you are a fan of Korean cinema, action films or no, check this one out.
the trailer
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