| |
|
|
|
Public Enemy
|
List Price: $19.98
Our Price: $17.99
Your Save: $ 1.99 ( 10% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Adv Films
Starring: Park Seung-tae, Lee Seong-jae, Yu Hae-jin, Lee Mun-shik, Ahn Jin-su
|
Average Customer Rating:  
|
|
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Binding: DVD
EAN: 0702727119927
Format: Color
Label: Adv Films
Manufacturer: Adv Films
Number Of Items: 1
Publisher: Adv Films
Release Date: 2005-09-06
Running Time: 140
Studio: Adv Films
Theatrical Release Date: 2002
|
|
|
|
|
|
Editorial Reviews:
|
The essence of the police, public servant, maintaining public peace, striving for the safety of citizens, has nothing to do with Detective Gang of Gangdong precinct. The meaning of being a public official, putting public interests over his own, has been completely lost on him. Gang uses his job as an opportunity to generate side income and settle personal matters.
|
|
|
Spotlight customer reviews:
|
Customer Rating: 
Summary: 4 ½- Stars: Edgy, Gritty and Funny Cop vs. Killer Crime Drama...
Comment: Our boy QT loves Asian cinema, his film are influenced by samurai and martial arts themed films. However, the South Korean film "PUBLIC ENEMY" seemed to have turned the tables on the acclaimed director; this film has the coolness and grittiness of a Tarantino film. I've read once that "South Korea makes better Hollywood films than Hollywood itself". This film is another testament to that claim, (aside from the fantastic gangster film; "A Bittersweet Life") this film reminds us of the things that made us love to watch movies in the first place. Director Kang Wu-Seok's outing may have some similarities to "Nowhere to Hide", but it is a far cry from the usual gangster films that comes out of South Korea ever.
Ruthless, unkempt cop named Chul-Joong Kang is not your typical everyday detective. Chul-Joong's activities have a lot of illegal stuff that anyone would wonder whether he is a cop or a gangster. After his partner's suicide pending an Internal affairs investigation, Chul-Joong decides to try to become a good cop for a change. Being a public servant is somewhat new to him, and his superior often mock him about his lack of arrests.
One rainy night, Chul-Joong runs into a ruthless killer in a raincoat in a small alley and the two form an odd connection. A week later, dead bodies of an elderly couple are found with multiple stab wounds. Chul-Joong meets the couple's son, Cho Gyu-Hwan, he has the intuition that Cho is the killer but he has no evidence. Cho is actually the cold emotionless killer that he ran across with in the rain. The inevitable showdown between a dirty cop and a psycho-killer unfolds in a very personal manner.
"Public Enemy" easily sidesteps the usual cop vs. gangster that seemed to have become the thread in Korean crime drama lately. The film is an intelligent, gritty, humorous, well-structured film of the unlikeable dirty cop against a handsome homicidal maniac bent on murder. The film is not overly exaggerated and quite intense to follow. There is a lot of violence and blood that "gorehounds" will definitely be attracted to the film, and what's more fascinating is the violence is well-filmed and creatively shot that the sequences have the effect on a psychological level. Folks who enjoy realistic violence will definitely embrace "Public Enemy".
The film also boasts of an excellent script that may even make QT a little jealous. The dialogue is cool, clever and smart, there is a lot of comedic moments in the proceedings that has the same effective dark, sly humor that films like "Pulp Fiction" have made quite popular. There isn't much that goes on after the 10 minute mark, the director lets the audience form an attachment to its two main characters by taking its time. The two leads become well-developed that the viewer will definitely be amused and repulsed at the same by the escapades of our anti-hero; Chul-Joong (played by Seol Gyeong-Gu), while his antagonist, the psychopathic rich businessman (played by Lee Seong Jae) is suave, handsome with a bad temper will surely wow its female audience. Quite ironic that the villain is the handsome antagonist who emulates a likeable charisma while the "hero" is actually the character meant to be quite unlikeable. The two are opposite extremes in every way, but for some odd reason, they are exactly alike. While "Nowhere to Hide" is a film that depended on nice visuals and cinematography, "Public Enemy" is superior in every way because the film is more character-driven and plot-oriented. Some people may argue that the film may need some editing, it is long at 135 minutes but NEVER for a moment did it feel boring.
Lee Seong Jae (Kick the Moon) makes an excellent performance as the killer. The man exudes that creepy and unsettling charisma that gives his character a lot of depth. His facial features are indeed disturbing when he performs the murderous acts of violence, that even his handsome features become overshadowed by his frightening aura. Seol Gyeong-Gu is the main hero of the film; at first glance, you will immediately see that there is just something not right with his character. His violent actions aren't always justified, but from then on, Chul-Joong will likely grow on you. His persistence and fortitude in pursuing his "gut feeling" is to be admired that even though Chul-Joong is edgy and needs a lot of lessons about morality and good manners, you can't help but tend to be attached to him by the film's final act. The chemistry between the two works well that film lives around their interactions.
PUBLIC ENEMY is a worthwhile film that is a prime example as to why Korea has become a force to be reckoned with in great film-making. Dark, intense but never loses its comedic momentum, the film is a successful "play on genres" that those love this type of a blending of "noirish" coolness and sly humor will be satisfied. Treat yourself to "Public Enemy" and you won't be sorry.
HIGHLY Recommended! [4 ½- Stars]
Customer Rating:
Summary: If you're in for a laugh.
Comment: Dude, this was one of the funniest movies I have seen lately. Kind of like Ichi The Killer funny.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Smithereens
Comment: Woo-Suk Kang directs "Public Enemy" with a different sense of rhythm and style from our Hollywood products. His characters are vivid. There is a logical story line, punctuated with some great fight sequences. Some combat seems to be thrown in because it'd be a nice time for a fight. Sol Kyung-gu who won a Best Actor award from the Seattle Film Festival for 2003's "Oasis" plays the bumbling cop who takes bribes and would rather bash a criminal's head to smithereens rather than bring him into the station and have to do the paperwork. While all the other cops have desk drawers full of paper, his drawer contains only one pencil. Lee Seong-jae plays the heavy Gyu-hwan in the movie. He is a corporate type who is completely amoral as he wheels and deals. Unfortunately, his aging father wishes to buy and orphanage and help children rather than invest in one of Gyu-hwan's schemes. Gyu-hwan decides on the obvious solution and shows up in a raincoat on a stormy night and slashes his parents to death, thus inheriting the money. As a criminal, Lee Seong-jae is handsome and sinister. I didn't particularly understand the necessity for the male nudity in the first part of the film. We get a backward glance at Gyu-hwan in the shower performing some manual manipulation. This is followed by a hot tub scene where Chul-Choong's partner who is tattooed from head to foot showers and gets into a naked fight with his partner. That's followed by an odd scene where the tattoo cop scrubs his partner's back. Culturally, this must have a different significance in Korea. Some of Woo-Suk Kang's scene selections seemed to make the film unnecessarily long. There's a sequence where Kang Chul-Cheoong who's been put back on the street as a beat cop stops the wife of Gyu-hwan for a traffic violation. He accepts a bribe and then crumples up the money. However, the wife connection doesn't lead him toward catching Gyu-hwan; it just seems tacked onto the plot. Oh Seung-myeong and Oh Seung-tae as the father and mother of Gyu-hwan do nice jobs as their son's victims. However, while it may be a bit long, the film is filled with good characters and riveting action. Enjoy!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Not your typical good cop v. bad guy movie..
Comment: The title of this film says it all like a foreshadowing metaphor for the two main characters. As stated through his narration, you have this corrupt, violent, lazy, thuggish, not-so-bright-extortionist of a detective (played by Sol Kyung-gu from, "Oasis" and "Silmido") who on his way back from heroin heist from gang of dealers (3 kilos worth), witnesses his partner committing suicide after he finds out about an internal investigation from his chief (who gets the axe for corruption) in his precinct. Even after such traumatizing event does not deter his way of abusing his authority for his personal gain as he try to deal his stolen heroin to local dealers. Then we meet a character named Jo Kyu-hwan, (played by Lee Sung-jae from, "attack of the gas station") who on the exterior, not only is a successful stock broker, but also a good father and a husband - your typical upstanding citizen; however, deep within him lurks a cold blooded ruthless killer.
The irony of this movie is about these two characters. Who is the real public enemy? The corrupted detective who abuses his authority for personal gain or successful family man with a hidden agenda? Director Kang Woo-Suk does not use abstract contents or riddles (like David Lynch) that depends solely on intrinsic storyline nor does he dumb it down for the audiences to comprehend where the line of morality is drawn for these characters. The simple story is told straight through as the director forms outstanding character development through their distinctive contradicting personalities for greed, responsibility, and morality. You have this feeble-minded detective trying to solve a crime by botching critical evidence, to using unnecessary brute force for confession, to seeking help from local criminals for forensic evidence to a smart, calculated serial killer who unknowingly makes critical error that no right-minded detective has caught on? Yes, Woo-Suk scripts this movie almost perfectly with undertone of irony. He doesn't force feed the audiences with clich's of typical bad cop turned good cop like stereotypical Hollywood movies, but how a bad cop can retain his characteristics and yet enlighten himself to a point where he becomes somewhat useful, but not completely enough to eradicate his old personality and characteristics.
"Public Enemy," is a dark comedy wearing thriller in disguise. It is one of the most entertaining movies I've seen recently (last time I had this much fun was when I was watching Miyazaki's "Castle in the Sky," to Kon and Furuya's "Tokyo Godfather" to Nolan's "Batman Begins" to etc etc etc..). The movie is over two hours long and some tend to complain that the movie either side tracks or drags itself unnecessarily, but you be the judge. For me, I enjoyed every interaction between characters in different circumstances especially how the new police chief dealt with issues and corruptions -- it was just plain humorous and entertaining!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Public Enemy is hard edge drama that's funny
Comment: I really did enjoy this picture it was funny but not a comedy. It was more drama based. The story starts off Soule, Korea with a dirty detective who never arrested anyone in his carrer. He crosses path with this sociopath. (how that happens is very funny) The detective doesn't know he just murder two people till a week later. So he's determined to prove to his superiors that he's the guy. No one takes him seriously, because they know he's a big MESS up. He not the sharpest tool in the shed, he's hard headed, and one tuff cop. He probally one of the dumbest cops around but this movie is not a spoof type movie. It have a lot of great one liners and the action isn't what you expect from a Asian movie. There in no karate, some gunplay, but a lot of people getting getting knocked off there block. All fights are street styled fighting. When I seen the detective in this movie, he reminds me of Charles Bronson as far as being tough and taking no crap from anybody. He also reminds me of Chow Yun Fat in those old Hong Kong films when he goes off on just about anybody. You'll be say he's bad a## but why can't he just do this or that to get this guy. That where some of the comedy comes in. It a different type of movie if you're tired of seeing the same old tired movies.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
