Ki-sool-ja-deul (2014)

Ki-sool-ja-deul: Directed by Hong-seon Kim. With Woo-bin Kim, Yeong-cheol Kim, Chang-Seok Ko, Hyun-Woo Lee. An expert safe-cracker has 40 minutes to steal slush funds hidden inside a customs building.

“If one were to say that there are one too many heist films, hardly anyone would disagree. But u0026quot;one too manyu0026quot; is hardly a deterrent and, rightly so, it shouldnu0026#39;t be. The u0026quot;howu0026quot; of a piece can lift the most generic, trope-ridden, cookie-cutout film, book, play or what have you.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe Technicians, although boastful of the tropes of the genre, is not one such film. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eEven if this were the very first of such movies youu0026#39;ve encountered, it would hardly take your breath away. It may leave you in confusion at the unsatisfactory feeling playing in your mind but apart from that, it serves nothing more. Translation: if you watch it, itu0026#39;s all right; if you donu0026#39;t, itu0026#39;s all right.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eAdmittedly, the movie packs twists and turns but not enough to fully distract the audience from the dastardly surface and unequal development of its characters. 3/4 way, the writer seemed to have remembered to finally make known to the audience some glimmer of motivation for the lead Ji-Hyuk. Before this, we are expected to be invested in a character solely for his debonair ways and unfaltering bravery. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe sacrifice of character development, interaction and audience investment for the sake of a weaving plot leaves The Technicians desperately wanting for some depth.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThis is not to say that the piece lacks its moments –there are many well-executed and beautifully shot sequences that may have resonated more had I been remotely invested in the fate of these characters.u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMany will be watching this for Hallyu star Kim Woo-Bin, and if thatu0026#39;s your sole motivation, by all means, this movie may satisfy. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eA movie of wasted potential, a cast that tries to give life to one-dimensional characters (and barely succeeds) and a denouement that rushes in, surprising no one.”