I have not seen the original film, DRUG WAR yet.

I'm very impressed with this South Korean crime action film, BELIEVER.

I guess the original will also be very entertaining since its remake has succeeded in hitting all the notes perfectly. Ranging from action to twists to performances to background score: BELIEVER excels in all the departments. Seriously, BELIEVE me.

I could say this is one of the best movies made on this theme. It is perfectly edited at 123 minutes (though I've heard there's a longer version too) and on the way delivers loads of action and some unique plot twists with pulsating music. The director has successfully extracted brilliant performances from the cast, especially Cho Jin-woong, Ryu Jun-yeol and the belated Kim Joo-hyuk.

Without extending the character drama to an overboard limit, BELIEVER remains engaging for the most part. It's the execution which even makes me wonder if this is the best crime action film I've ever seen. The film holds its ground on the technical front. The splendid cinematography does justice to the film's mood and tone.

BELIEVER doesn't intend to evoke emotions; it intends to entertain with its thrilling storyline and heart-stopping action sequences. It uses twists in limit, and without the plot getting too convoluted, it becomes an easily likable film. And as far as the action sequences are concerned, I like the way how a particular setup leads up to the big ones. Hand to hand combat, gunfights, explosions, destruction: there is everything an entertaining action film would have and all of these action blocks are simply outstanding.

And I mean it; every single action scene is spectacular and worth repeated viewings.

To sum it all up, BELIEVER is a film I will highly recommend to anyone who likes crime action movies with a great climax which allows thoughts to flow in. If you haven't already seen it, see it now!