Following the usual espionage formula with spies, vengeance, betrayal and secrets; this film managed to stay intense for a very long time. It was fast-paced and too packed that it doesn’t allow you to blink an eye. Heck, it was even hard to follow subtitles. Many characters and events were thrown in an immense amount which felt quite entertaining and eye-catching. The car chase scenes were absolutely one of the better car scenes I’ve ever seen. Moreover, the violence, the bloody killings and many hand-to-hand combats were highly involving.
This film’s main issue was its over-length. For an action-thriller that problem can be a killer, The Suspect obviously fell prey to the usual Asian films’ shortcoming: The screenwriting is frequently unable to handle the running time making it incoherent with plot elements. If this film was 30 or even 20 minutes shorter then things would’ve been absolutely better. The second half was so slow which disabled the fast-paced impact of the first half to persist. It was unavoidable that some explanations would be inserted, like the main character’s background and reasons for vengeance but that drama was clearly overdone. It practically killed the action suspense mood so when it finally came back on track near the end, it was already too late for the viewer to go back to that high paced mood.
It was unfortunate because this film could’ve been a remarkable Action thriller if the screenwriter knew how to divide his narration approach and flashbacks on a 2 hours 20 minutes scale. It felt like he was working on a 2 hours version of this film. However, it’s appreciated that he didn’t try to turn this into an intelligence fight with his viewers. The plot wasn’t any complicated because it focused on action sequences and violence instead. I wouldn’t call it gory violence though; I mean that’s the right amount of blood splashing in Korean action thrillers.
The acting was good enough, Gong Yoo’s commitment to his role showed through his character’s movements. The martial arts sequences showed a nice side of him, his character was well written to fit a dark super spy. On the other hand, Park Hee Soon amazed me once again. Although his character wasn’t as important and as penetrating as Gong Yoo’s character but he was very convincing in showing the traits of his hot-blooded personality.
Other characters did well, even if their developments were plain obvious. At least they contributed in the coherence of the packed events.
The cinematography is your standard current-days Korean thrillers’ style. Occasionally, I feel like the same guy is doing the cinematography in all recent Korean thrillers, with some exceptions of course. Although the direction can be marked as decent but the camerawork bothered me in many takes, sometimes it doesn’t allow you to know what’s happening on screen.
Watch if:
-You like Korean action thrillers.
-You like intense films but beware of the events slowing down.
-You like spy films.
Do not watch if:
-You’re looking for a masterpiece out of the action thriller genre.
-You dislike action thrillers.
The Suspect is nothing more than an alright Korean action thriller. But being influenced by the intense high-paced first half, I came to appreciate this film for its entertainment values.
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The close up and fast moving camera shots were like the Jason Bourne series of films. Though here, I felt it was used more discriminately. I remember getting a bit of a headache after watching the US movies but had no problem watching this film. The fight scenes, as well as the foot and car chase sequences were amazing. I liked how the background music didn’t play during some of the fight scenes. I’m not sure why I noticed that but I did. Just hearing the sound effects of hard hits, breaking wood and screeching metal had more impact.
This movie was full of suspense and intrigue. It took a while to figure out who all the players were and who belonged with what organization but that was part of the fascination of the film. Defectors, government agents from various organizations and independent media personalities made for a complex and intricate story. It was a fun ride trying to tie all the characters together and understand their motivations. A piece of the puzzle would slide into place and another question created itself. The twists and turns this movie delivered were fantastic.
The extra layer of several characters being defectors brought an additional political aspect to the movie. When I think of defectors I think of Russia, not North Korea (though that has changed since I've started watching so many Kdramas). Seeing some of the issues defectors must face in South Korea was interesting.
This movie had some snappy dialogue. While the action scenes were the highlight of the movie (thank you Gong Yoo!), I especially appreciated the interactions involving the spy chaser, Se Hoon (Hee Soon). He was an intelligent guy and a bit of a smart ass. I got a kick out of his no nonsense, not going to take any crap attitude. His banter with his associate was funny.
I would recommend this movie to anyone who likes fast paced, intelligent action films. This one had thrilling action and a good story to back it up. I was glued to the screen the whole time and loved the suspense.
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In the early stages of the movie it was difficult to understand what was going on, and where each character loyalties lay. I would rewatch it only to understand the early parts of the movie better, in the context of the later part of the movie.
If I am correct, this is Gong Yoo's first turn as the lead in an action thriller. He is committed and his hand-to-hand combat scenes are quite gripping, but Park Hee Soon steals the show for me. His wily, dogged South Korean officer in the NIS, pursuing Dong Chul by all ways and means.
An alright action film with the necessary thrills and spills for about 2 hours.
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There was not a dull moment and the action scenes were good. And of course Gong Yoo is so manly and handsome all throughout. I just wished he had more lines and wished they have shown more scenes showing his soft side while with his wife.
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This review may contain spoilers
I for one, love the Bourne saga because of how much action was in each and every film. Those are my type of action movies!!I've seen a total of maybe seven Korean movies in my whole entire lifetime and this was one of those. I usually don't watch Korean movies because they lack.....I can't think of the proper word for what I'm trying to say but I'll say depth.
I'm not familiar with the main male character and did a little research on him. I had no idea how infamous he was. That led me to watching Goblin but I ended up dropping that series because of the cliche romance involved. I no longer watch Korean dramas that have romance as the basis of their shows but I did enjoy the bloopers from that series.
Now back to this movie. The main thing that I liked in this movie were the car chase scenes. I was rooting like a kid on those. The fighting scenes were on point for me as well.
Now I will say some things that happened in this movie like the main lead getting dropped through a floor by a rope around his neck and was able to free himself was a little bit far fetched but what length are you willing to go when you need to get to that person who was behind killing your family?
The end had me upset because I wanted to see more revenge being done to the wrongdoers but the movie was already over 2 hours.
This was also a movie that I watched twice and I've never watched a Korean movie twice.
If you like the Bourne saga or the Mission Impossible saga this is highly suggested. For those who gave this a low score obviously don't like action packed movies.
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This review may contain spoilers
Hey! hey! Action movie with Gong Yoo, hurrah! A rival to The Man from Nowhere?Unfortunately it ends up just too much. Too much shaky camera cuts, too much like Bourne, too much running time, too much crazy action...my disbelief was so suspended it had rope marks and a dead leg.
So homage to Bourne - the music, the control room dipping into CCTV, the shaky choppy camera etc. The assassin in the jeep ending up in the crash like the Russian in Bourne, the green river water. Not that I minded really but they just went too over the top. The thing with Bourne is it always felt at least a little bit real, I mean he limped for ages and drove a mini! But this? After about the fourth time he was hit by/he hit a car I was wondering if they are made from foam rubber in Korea.
The dude playing Min Se Hoon was dreadful as well so cool with his shades and bad attitude, not. Best spycatcher out there can't control his temper or follow clues abd stands out like a sore thumb. He just started bothering me every time he was on screen and the big car chase he was in was ridiculous. It was just farcical; driving at breakneck speeds through one of the most heavily populated cities in the world down narrow streets in a trashed car with one hand on the wheel whilst hanging out of the window popping off rounds - arse!
Add into the mix some poor pacing, serviceable but uninspired dialogue and too much chasing. I gave up about 25 minutes from the end I just didn't care anymore.
Gong Yoo and Yoo Da In did a good job with what they were given aided by at least some of the supporting cast. The music was OK. The plot was OK. I wouldn't ever try and watch this again.
If you are a Gong Yoo fan or you just like adrenaline fueled action then I'm sure you'll find enough in this to keep you going but in my book it goes down as a missed opportunity.
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Gong Yoo
So first and foremost I LOVE Gong Yoo. He did a fantastic job in Goblin so it's no surprise he didn't disappoint me with this action packed thriller. The plot was a typical revenge/rescue but still managed to be amazing. If you enjoyed the American movie "Taken" you'll love this movie. It's basically the Korean version of Taken lol Not too graphic but doesn't hold back on the action. Everyone's acting was impressive and convincing with music to fit the theme well. The ending was awesome if you have a wild enough imagination...you'll understand once you watch it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Oh my the car chase
I got a whole new appreciation for Gong Yoo after watching Suspect. The car chases have to be the best I can remember ever watching. My whole body was tense. I had to take a break here and there during some of the scenes.When I saw that Jo Sung Ha was portrayed Kim Suk Ho, I just knew he had to be a bad guy. Loved it when the formula was for growing buckwheat. Joke on him.
Appreciated the Captain (Jo Jae Yoon) who provided some light moments of laughter.
I just wanted to sob when Dong Chul found his daughter.
I usually don’t watch KMovies. I’m glad I watched this one.
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But, it still is a great movie! Some would probably find it a bit too long, but I thought it was perfect. It keeps you on the edge of your seat even if you more or less know what's gonna happen. The acting is superb- even for secondary characters. I didn't really pay attention to music, but I guess the music helped the feeling of thriller, even though there isn't a clear and memorable OST. I'd recommend this movie even to those that are fans of Korean thriller, because while being classical and maybe cliché, there are still a lot of amazing scenes and suspense. If you're not used to this kind of movie, then watch it, it'll give you a nice taste of Korean action movies!
As for the rematch value... Well, if you like action scenes, it's ok. If not, maybe wait a few month and then watch it again.
Also, the images were quite good. The stunt were amazing. And I loved how the main actor could have a change of expression only in his eyes.
So, even though the plot is quite classical, it's still a good movie. Maybe not the best, but that might be because I have already seen dozen of Korean spy/action movie, so most of the actions were a bit predicable. Still enjoyed it though. - it's a great movie!
-sorry for my bad English ^-^ -
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Like everyone is saying (on Letterboxd), "The Suspect" is a film that feels heavily influenced by the Paul Greengrass's "Bourne" films ("Supremacy" and "Ultimatum").
It's six years (circa 2013) too late to be accused of jumping on the hype train (like other American films, ah-la "Taken") and six years too old to be anything particularly entertaining or thrilling if you've seen the Bourne films and its imitators later down the line before this.
Despite being headlined by Gong Yoo (who, lathered up in the most egregious fake-n-bake, feels miscast as the stoic North Korean defector), I can't really find anything particularly positive to say about the film outside of its production values.
"The Suspect" lacks any of the subtlety or even so-called anti-government sentiment that Greengrass's "Bourne" films were accused of. If "Supremacy" and "Ultimatum" could be perceived as an indictment against American foreign policy because of their unflattering depiction of the US Government, "The Suspect" is rather the opposite despite featuring antagonists with government positions.
More to the point, I feel like I've been dropped into the middle of a story that had a film preceding this film's story. What's going and why I should exactly be rooting for or against anyone is a bit difficult to suss out even when I think I've gotten a handle on things.
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THE SUSPECT comes with bunch loads of surprises. These are quite effective as well. The story being a fine one and the screenplay being a decent one holds you, along with the action sequences being the best thing about the film.
One thing that is disappointing for sure is that the film doesn't have a proper execution in certain portions. The film's pace could've been better in the between when it begins to slow down. Certain sequences are deftly handled, while many are just executed in an unimpressive way. I can understand that the director would've tried his best, but he has not been successful in gripping the viewer completely. Some scenes look similar to many popular South Korean action films.
But these flaws flaws don't trouble you for long as the film lets go of the grip only occasionally. Once it regains, particularly in the second hour, it entertains fully with its terrific action scenes, cinematography and performances, heading towards a clapworthy climax. I was so overjoyed that I rewinded and replayed the ending scene. Here the director succeeds to a great extent.
Gong Yoo is excellent, and that needs not to be told. He looks even better and manly here. Park Hee-soon is terrific, and his character is quite likable to a certain extent, just like that of Gong Yoo. Yoo Da-in is just fine, and even though she overdoes her part in a few scenes, her act is a decent one.
THE SUSPECT may not be the best South Korean film, but with its stunning action, visuals and of course, its leading man, deserves to be seen at least once. I liked the action a lot, and I'll be watching it again.
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