No pun intended - Space Jam has got nothing on Don Lee ... or rather the character Ma he is portraying once again. And at least another time next year ... the yearly event. Someone told me the character name lends itself to make this his own "MCU" ... which he also was a part in (Eternals) - even if not many have seen that movie.
But back to part 3 of the Roundup movies (international title) ... Don Lee channeling Bud Spencer once again - maybe a bit less comedy in the fight scenes, though they were always quite painful. And another interrogation scene that is just ... amazing! Let's clean up ... you can see how this was only a lead up to another movie. At the end it even tells us, that they will be back! Something that the other movies did not really do - they seemed to be standalone. The stories were done - this ... well let's just say you could say it has loose ends.
You may also get ... I dare to say bored with the superhuman punches (I don't even think his MCU character had such power in his fists) ... but only if you do not appreciate the great way it is shot! You can feel every punch .. full power! Sound wise but also visually! Don Lee - introduced again with his back to the camera .. but we get to see his face way faster than in the previous movies.
What I did miss a little bit: the other movies had a few more character beats ... the dry humor (not for the sensitive people amongst us) hits its target with the same precision Ma (Don Lee) does ... looking forward to next year!
The Roundup: No Way Out
2023 [KOREAN]
Action / Crime / Thriller
Plot summary
Detective Ma Seok-do changes his affiliation from the Geumcheon Police Station to the Metropolitan Investigation Team, in order to eradicate Japanese gangsters who enter Korea to commit heinous crimes.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
January 02, 2024 at 12:26 PM
Director
Top cast
Tech specs
720p.BLU 1080p.BLU 2160p.BLU.x265 720p.WEB 1080p.WEB 1080p.WEB.x265Movie Reviews
Hit 'em hard
This was insanely good.....better than any Hollywood Production.
This is just siccccck! Forget John Wick, forget Equalizer, forget James Bond, forget Jason Borne or whichever action movie Hollywood has produced ever, this right here is the ish! Whaaat? I am going back to watch the previous edition just because I enjoyed this one so much.
I can't think of what not to like about this franchise. Yes, I heard people argue that Don Lee should pick on guys his size and that the villains are usually too weak compared to his size and strength. To an extent I understand and would certainly love to see him take on someone equally strong. But watching him kick these weaklings butts works because even though the villains are not as physically as strong, they are unbelievably wicked and you so badly want someone to kick their butt and Don Lee does that so nicely.
Aside that, the cinematography is spot on. The fight scenes are just incredible. The humor too is out of this world. This is the kind of movie that gets you laughing but demands your full respect when things get serious.
I guess the only questioning bit is why the villians don't use guns but choose to use bats, knives and swords. Maybe it's a cultural thing. But then again, I've seen other Korean movies where they used lots of guns. I'll like to see how Don Lee handles such a scenario.
Ma Seok Do Never Let Me Down
In The Outlaws, detective Ma Seok Do confronted thugs from Mainland China. In The Round Up, he clashed with Vietnamese robbers and kidnappers. And now in No Way Out, Ma Seok Do has to put his line of duty against Japanese Yakuza.
Explosive from beginning to the end, 100 minutes of running time seemed just fly by. Every 5 minutes or so, we get to see thugs flew around like scrap papers due to Ma Seok Do's invincible fists. It's very satisfying to watch, especially just before those scenes, we actually got to see how bad ass and brutal those thugs were. But Ma Seok Do managed to send them to slumberland one by one.
Explosive 9/10
Note: there's an end credit scene with a familiar face, that really put a big smile on my face, because I know that there will be a fourth installment of Ma Seok Do!