Public Enemy 2 (2004) - 공공의 적 2

"Public Enemy Returns" to Shake up the B.O.

2008/06/24 | Source | Permalink |

The first Korean blockbuster of the summer, "Public Enemy Returns", opens June 19th, just in time to shake up a national box office that has been dominated by Hollywood fare for several weeks. Director KANG Woo-seok brings forth his third installment in the successful franchise that began with "Public Enemy" in 2002.

Star actor SEOL Kyeong-gu ("Oasis", "Silmido") reprises his original role as Chul-joon, a quick-tempered, tenacious detective on the prowl. SEOL also starred in the 2005 installment, "Another Public Enemy" ("Public Enemy 2"), yet playing a completely different character in that film. The new film was penned by writer-director Jang Jin, bringing his trademark humor and wit to the action feature.

The latest film pits detective Chul-joon against Lee Won-sul (played by JEONG Jae-yeong) the chairman of Geo-seong Group. Lee, an affectionate family man running several seemingly legitimate businesses, is really a longstanding mafia boss at the helm of a criminal ente...| More

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Seol 'Returns' as Kang Cheol-jung

2008/06/19 | Source | Permalink |

By Lee Hyo-won
Staff Reporter

This year has so far marked the return of many screen heroes, such as Indiana Jones and Rambo - and the antihero Kang Cheol-jung. In "Public Enemy Returns", Seol Kyeong-gu ("Public Enemy", 2002; "Another Public Enemy" - "Public Enemy 2" 2005) brazenly exhibits his sixth sense for acting as the diehard detective. Cheol-jung does not let his boss - or the audience - down in this funny, street-smart sequel, which also raises some critical social issues.

With disheveled hair, an unwashed windbreaker and a scar here and there, Cheol-jung is always diving headfirst into crime scenes. After 15 years of close calls with death, he's seen and done it all. The most notorious criminals sheepishly surrender to this thug of a man, who recklessly beats men twice his size, referees duels between schoolboys and openly accepts small bribes.

And of course, when a situation calls for good cop, bad cop tactics, we can guess the role Cheol-jung takes. But it's hard n...| More

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[MOVIE REVIEW] New 'Public Enemy' upgrades humor

2008/06/03 | Source | Permalink |

In "Public Enemy Returns", the third installment of the police action series by director Kang Woo-suk, the most visible -- and welcome -- change comes from the central character, detective Gang Cheol-jung.

Gang, played by veteran actor Seol Kyeong-gu, still works as a quirky, almost uncontrollable detective who specializes in hunting down the vicious villains. But this time around Gang is much more tenacious: even after he gets stabbed by an attacker and goes through a major surgery, he springs back to his feet and runs after what he sees as "a public enemy".

The enemy is Lee Won-sul (played by Jeong Jae-yeong), chairman of Geo-seong Group. An up-and-coming entrepreneur, chairman Lee runs a host of seemingly legitimate businesses, but his real business remains deeply rooted in his lifelong career of gangster. All of his employees are in fact members of a massive gangster group led by Lee, and their key business is to threaten, stab and kill for money.

Compared with the previou...| More

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Korean movies leap into box-office fray

2008/05/29 | Source | Permalink |

In late April, Iron Man arrived in the Korean cinema, smashing the box office into very profitable pieces. In mid-May, Prince Caspian took the baton and kept up the pressure on Korean competitors. Last weekend, whip-wielding Indy joined the Hollywood-only party, roped in plenty of movie tickets sales.

The bombardment of Hollywood films dragged down the share of Korean films to a record low. But the bleak development was widely predicted since only a couple of new Korean releases were made. June might be slightly different, as eight Korean movies are set for release.

"Girl Scout", directed by Kim Sang-man, will hit theaters on June 5, featuring well-known actors such as Kim Seon-ah, Nah Moon-hee, Lee Kyeong-sil. The film will test whether the audiences still have an appetite for a chase-the-money drama with fewer funny moments than publicized.

Waiting in line for the June 12 release are four Korean films: "Life is Cool", "Beyond All Magic", "Spare" and "Like Father, Like Son". ...| More

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My Wife is a Gangster 3 Tops Pre-Sales to Asia

2006/11/23 | Source | Permalink |

The American Film Market (AFM) saw a number of Korean films soldto various markets, with pre-sales on Korean sequel My Wife is a Gangster 3, closing successive deals throughout Asia. Korean distribution arm Showbox claims deals to Asian markets for the film reached a record high for any Korean film sold at AFM to Asian countries, not including Japan.

The original "My Wife is a Gangster" was a domestic box-office sensation in 2001, selling over 5 million tickets nationwide. The third outing for the franchise has already created a buzz, as it stars Taiwanese beauty Shu Qi as the gangster wife. She is known in the west for her award-winning roles in Hou Hsaio Hsien's films Three Times and Millenium Mambo and for her role in The Transporter.

The current sequel is directed by JO Jin-kyoo who also directed the original, and is produced again by Hyunjin Cinema. Showbox said total pre-sales to Asia was at $660,000 so far, with the film sold to Sahamongkol International for Thailand, Pano...| More

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