Action Member: Jung Doo-Hong

A true gangster epic with brilliant performances, direction and action and not a mockney geezer or wideboy in sight. Simply: great.

The story is nothing new or revolutionary and takes just a little too long to get where it is going. Still, the film is made with skill and the comedy often hits home just as much as the fights do.

An unflinching look at a violent part of Korea’s history and how the terror of war really does tear people apart both figuratively and literally.

An entertaining if hardly revolutionary piece of sports bio, ‘Champion’ benefits from some fine photography, a commitment to do the subject proud and some excellent performances from the cast.

‘Crying Fist’ feels fresh and exciting thanks to the considerable skills of its director, the novel use of two storylines happening at the same time and the excellent performances of the leads.

Not even the odd moment of black humour and Kim Jee-Woon’s knack for crafting exhilarating sequences of action and tension can elevate his film beyond pure nihilism.

‘Illang’ looks fantastic, often thrills, and features some incredible and expertly staged action but suffers from pacing issues and a lukewarm emotional core.

The film wears its fun proudly on its sleeve and if you can go along with it, ‘Jeon Woo-Chi’ does provide a lot of action packed, sorcery-laden entertainment.

‘No Blood No Tears’ may not be a film for all tastes, not least due its violent nature towards women and the slightly laid-back pace but it is a challenging and rewarding film as well as an entertaining one.

A very involving and enticing tale that is made all the more appealing by some top performances from Han Suk-Kyu and Choi Min-Sik.

Packed with switching allegiances, twists and turns and on occasion stellar set-pieces, ‘The Age of Shadows’ rockets along on its quest to keep one guessing and in a perpetual state of tension.

Ryoo Seung-Wan’s film is still compelling and stringently efficient like its two protagonists, a fact that outweighs the negatives that poke through.