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LKFF 2014: The Target Review

The TargetDirector: Chang.

Starring: Ryu Seung Ryeong, Lee Jin Wook, Yu Jun Sang, Jo Yeo Jeong, Kim Sung Ryeong, Jo Eun Ji.

Running Time: 98 Minutes

Synopsis: After an injured man arrives in his hospital, Tae Joon finds his wife kidnapped with demands made to release his latest patient. As things unravel, there may be an even greater conspiracy at play.

Director of DEATH BELL, Chang, brings us yet another genre piece of great competency. As a remake of the French film POINT BLANK, THE TARGET may not have the originality of some of Korea’s best thrillers, but it certainly has a thick layer of gloss and finish to make it look the part. Like it’s fellow Korean action thriller, A HARD DAY, THE TARGET starts as it means to go on, in that it seemingly starts in the middle of the film. We’ve already got people running and shooting, and explanations will come later. This is a time for action.

As a mysterious action thriller, we spend the first act trying to decipher who is going to be the focus. This proves to be a lot of fun, as Ryu Sung Ryeong’s injured single man army is cared for by a unassuming doctor, Tae Joon (Lee). After Tae Joon’s wife is kidnapped, paths become intertwined, as do the fates of our lead characters. But things aren’t that simple, and as the plot progresses, we find that those missing minutes in the opening allow for a number of shocks and surprises.

Although there’s a fast pace, we also get some well, if quickly, drawn characters. Sure, some fit into stereotypes or genre archetypes, but they are also just enough so as to not derail the train of forward momentum. We get a pair, that’s right…TWO strong female police detectives, who manage to go the film without mentioning boys or romantic partners. In fact, the film keeps the majority of roles genderless, in that they could be played by either sex. Best of all though, the film doesn’t use the femininity of the cops as a focal point. They get beaten and bruised as any cop would, and aside from a humorous moment of claiming sexual harassment to further an investigation, these roles are more progressive than in most Hollywood features.

The maturity of such roles also extends to supporting characters. Even the kidnapped, pregnant wife isn’t just a helpless woman in distress, as she is able to fight back, but also use her occupation as a psychologist to gradually understand her captor. This, as well as the other characters being doctors, cops, and killers, means we get a good mix of job roles playing into the plot.

The action is the real star though, and Chang handles it incredibly. There’s plenty of moments that incorporate comedy, such as good use of the hole in a massage table, but also lots of painful beatings too. It does become a bit disappointing when the indestructible lead only shows weakness when the plot calls for added tension; he can take on a building of men one moment, and then struggles against an incompetent lackey just because it’s the climax. However, the hell filled climax, that resembles the police precinct assault in THE TERMINATOR on crack, is an astonishingly enjoyable overdose of adrenaline. As sharp and full-throttled as it needs to be.

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Luke likes many things, films and penguins being among them. He's loved films since the age of 9, when STARGATE and BATMAN FOREVER changed the landscape of modern cinema as we know it. His love of film extends to all aspects of his life, with trips abroad being planned around film locations and only buying products featured in Will Smith movies. His favourite films include SEVEN SAMURAI, PASSION OF JOAN OF ARC, IN BRUGES, LONE STAR, GODZILLA, and a thousand others.

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  1. Pingback: LKFF2014 – the reviews | London Korean Links

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