Even though the title is similar, don’t expect Mission: Possible to appear like the Mission: Impossible series, with a series of large-scale action set pieces that make the actors defy death. It’s not a drawback, because the work of director / scriptwriter Kim Hyung-joo doesn’t aim there. The absurd jokes in the espionage action comedy, which recently revived after peaking in popularity in the mid-2000s, are the identity of the film. Best Movie Site
Even in this debut, Hyung-joo seemed to want to pour out “his inner fanboy” as ReVeluv (fans of the girl group Red Velvet). Just look at the characterization of the protagonist. Woo Soo-han (Kim Young-kwang in his first big screen acting since On Your Wedding Day three years ago) is a private detective, who puts his collections more than cases. Throughout his adventures, Soo-han still has time to hunt for merch, wearing a t-shirt with the words “Red Velvet” on it, while scuffling against the mafia who are apparently both ReVeluv (in a suitable scene depicting a fight between solo booths).
Due to a misunderstanding (plus a ridiculous accident that tore up Kim Tae-hoon’s cool image in the drama Navillera), Yoo Da-hee (Lee Sun-bin), a secret agent from China, thinks Soo-han is his partner. Instead of denying it, Soo-han continues the misunderstanding, tempted by the large amount of money he promised. Their mission is to uncover arms smuggling from China.
The plot is indeed very simple, even though the narrative feels complicated, due to the lack of clarity in the script to share information. Over time, we learn that Soo-han also keeps secrets. He is not as stupid as it seems, and acts in such a way as to cover up dark events in the past. This element has the aim of strengthening the main character’s motivation as well as adding emotional weight, but the delivery is too shallow, so it seems unnecessary (like taken from Bruce Willis or Steven Seagal’s straight-to-DVD films, with the word “Kill” in the title) . Soo-han can still be given “secrets” (to justify his martial arts skills) without trauma. Motivation to help Da-hee doesn’t need any “penance” element to appear convincing. Movie Review
Luckily the humor works pretty well. Hyung-joo has a lot of silly and creative ideas, the execution of which often brings out laughter (some miss can still be found) thanks to the element of surprise, when timing and absences come together, giving birth to situations, which are more unpredictable, the more funny.
The two main actors were instrumental in realizing the director’s vision. Lee Sun-bin is the embodiment of “pretty girl did silly things” who are always effective at stealing viewers’ hearts, while Kim Young-kwang is able to bring out his antics without having to overdo it (which in many cases, often weakens comedy and makes his character annoying). In the latter half, Young-kwang is also convincing in taking on the “new role”, while performing various melee acts. Mission: Possible is filled with generic firefights, but once the gun is replaced by a knife or other object that happens to be next to the character, the appeal of the action immediately increases.
Honey, reaching the middle, the film seems to hold back. Either Hyung-joo is running out of ideas, saving ammo, or missteps in balancing action with comedy. The jokes tend to be more “tame”, while the formulaic espionage plot, which we have encountered thousands of times, is taking over the spotlight. The excitement just returned when entering the third act, one of which was represented by a brief feud between Soo-han and Yoo-ri (Julien Kang), which in addition to presenting an inside joke for K-pop fans, also appeared like a ridiculous version of two classic scenes in Raiders of the. Lost Ark (1981) and The Untouchables (1987). Mission: Possible needs more of the same moment. Top Movie