New World is a crime thriller about an undercover cop, Lee Ja-sung (played by Lee Jung-jae) navigating the underworld as those around him conspire to shake things up. Lee is undercover in a super- criminal gang that has gotten a bit too big for the Korean police force. After the death of the organization's leader, those both within and without the organization vie for power, and Lee is stuck in the middle.
This film had a very Godfather-esque plot, with similar music to boot. In fact the plot is so similar, that I found the "twist" at the end to be easily determinable, and the plot a bit stale. It was never in poor taste however, and kept me entertained right up to the end.
The actors themselves were good enough, with Lee Jung-jae leading the pack. His taught nerves and emotional stress were clear throughout the film. Choi Min-sik, one of my favourite Korean actors, felt a bit wasted in this film however, as the hard-boiled police retainer.
This movie was well shot too. The cinematography was interestingly done. The corporate landscape shone and contrasted nicely with the subdued costumes (mostly suits) that the characters wore constantly. However, the costumes seemed to get old, and the lack of variety (everyone always wore suits, all the time, without fail) was baffling.
Overall, the film was enjoyable, well acted, and pretty to look at. There was some wasted talent (Choi Min-sik), a weak and clichéd gangster film plot and some stale costume choices, but the film stilled turned out pretty OK.
Again, I enjoyed this film, but it did seem a bit stale and had a few directional choices I did not quite enjoy. This is a good fit for the gangster genre, but it is definitely not the best of its kind. 6/10
This film had a very Godfather-esque plot, with similar music to boot. In fact the plot is so similar, that I found the "twist" at the end to be easily determinable, and the plot a bit stale. It was never in poor taste however, and kept me entertained right up to the end.
The actors themselves were good enough, with Lee Jung-jae leading the pack. His taught nerves and emotional stress were clear throughout the film. Choi Min-sik, one of my favourite Korean actors, felt a bit wasted in this film however, as the hard-boiled police retainer.
This movie was well shot too. The cinematography was interestingly done. The corporate landscape shone and contrasted nicely with the subdued costumes (mostly suits) that the characters wore constantly. However, the costumes seemed to get old, and the lack of variety (everyone always wore suits, all the time, without fail) was baffling.
Overall, the film was enjoyable, well acted, and pretty to look at. There was some wasted talent (Choi Min-sik), a weak and clichéd gangster film plot and some stale costume choices, but the film stilled turned out pretty OK.
Again, I enjoyed this film, but it did seem a bit stale and had a few directional choices I did not quite enjoy. This is a good fit for the gangster genre, but it is definitely not the best of its kind. 6/10