The first Korean blockbuster of the summer, "Public Enemy Returns", opens June 19th, just in time to shake up the domestic box office that has been dominated by Hollywood fare for several weeks. Directed by Kang Woo-seok who brings forth his third installment in the successful franchise that began with "Public Enemy" in 2002. The film then attracted over 4 million spectators, just close behind another blockbuster of the year, “The Chaser” and the third Korean film to reach the 4 million mark this year. "Public Enemy Returns" is this time written by Jang Jin who fed it some of his characteristic humour. Seol Kyeong-gu ("Oasis") returns as a law enforcer, this time he battles a criminal played by Jeong Jae-yeong ("Someone Special"/Aneun Yoja). Now the film is up again for it DVD releasing, it’s time to see again how it works with the signature offbeat humor into the intense crime action thriller, and Seol Kyeong-gu 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 not to develop an affinity for this flawed man, who's seen getting seriously offended by a third grader's joke and submitting to his little daughter.
In "Return", Cheol-jung is the same disheartened man. He decides to quit once and for all when he is unable to get a proper bank loan for his house. His boss, detective Um (Kang Shin-il), files away the resignation form with a dozen more such "whines" from Cheol-jung. But he's serious this time. However, a high school murder case draws Cheol-jung back into the task force - or more precisely, the promise of a retirement grant does. A 17-year-old boy, the head of a gang of troublemakers, is found dead in his classroom. What appears to have been a skirmish among juvenile delinquents, however, takes an unexpected twist when the dead boy's fingerprints match those found in an unsolved homicide
While investigating the dead boy's friends, Cheol-jung senses that their new boss, Geoseong Group CEO Lee Won-sul (Jeong Jae-yeong), may be involved. Cheol-jung learns that the convict-turned-businessman brainwashes schoolboys and molds them into little devilish tools of murder. Their underage status prevents their fingerprints in crime scenes from being detected, and when they do get caught, their zeal for Geoseong keeps them quiet. But Cheol-jung does not back down, and is determined to annihilate the public enemy. Continuing the tradition of the "Public Enemy" franchise, "Returns" eschews the cat-and-mouse game typical to the detective genre, and the battle between Cheol-jung and Won-sul is more like one between two dogs.
The film is well crafted, with complex layers of narrative unfolding in an organic form, interjected with just the right amount of comic relief. Compared to its rather grave prequels, "Returns" is much more determined to make you laugh, particularly by downright making fun of the police.
DVD Specifications:
Product Title: Public Enemy Returns (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Language: Korean
Subtitles: Korean, English
Screen Format : Anamorphic Widescreen, NTSC
Sound Mix : Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region Code: 3 - South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Publisher: CJ Entertainment
Number of Discs: 3
Release Date: 2008-10-24 (Save your copy!)
This three-disc set comes with both Public Enemy Returns and Public Enemy, plus a bonus disc of features:
Disc 1
• Feature Film Public Enemy Returns
• Audio Commentary with Kang Woo Suk, Sol Kyung Gu, Jung Jae Young, and Kang Shin Il
Disc 2
• Making Of
• Interview with Cast
• Character Featurettes
• Poster Shoot
• Gala Premiere
• Trailer
Disc 3
• Feature Film Public Enemy
(Sources: YesAsia, DVDAsian)
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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 not to develop an affinity for this flawed man, who's seen getting seriously offended by a third grader's joke and submitting to his little daughter.
In "Return", Cheol-jung is the same disheartened man. He decides to quit once and for all when he is unable to get a proper bank loan for his house. His boss, detective Um (Kang Shin-il), files away the resignation form with a dozen more such "whines" from Cheol-jung. But he's serious this time. However, a high school murder case draws Cheol-jung back into the task force - or more precisely, the promise of a retirement grant does. A 17-year-old boy, the head of a gang of troublemakers, is found dead in his classroom. What appears to have been a skirmish among juvenile delinquents, however, takes an unexpected twist when the dead boy's fingerprints match those found in an unsolved homicideWhile investigating the dead boy's friends, Cheol-jung senses that their new boss, Geoseong Group CEO Lee Won-sul (Jeong Jae-yeong), may be involved. Cheol-jung learns that the convict-turned-businessman brainwashes schoolboys and molds them into little devilish tools of murder. Their underage status prevents their fingerprints in crime scenes from being detected, and when they do get caught, their zeal for Geoseong keeps them quiet. But Cheol-jung does not back down, and is determined to annihilate the public enemy. Continuing the tradition of the "Public Enemy" franchise, "Returns" eschews the cat-and-mouse game typical to the detective genre, and the battle between Cheol-jung and Won-sul is more like one between two dogs.
The film is well crafted, with complex layers of narrative unfolding in an organic form, interjected with just the right amount of comic relief. Compared to its rather grave prequels, "Returns" is much more determined to make you laugh, particularly by downright making fun of the police.
DVD Specifications:Product Title: Public Enemy Returns (DVD) (Limited Edition) (Korea Version)
Language: Korean
Subtitles: Korean, English
Screen Format : Anamorphic Widescreen, NTSC
Sound Mix : Dolby Digital 5.1, Dolby Digital 2.0
Region Code: 3 - South East Asia (including Hong Kong, S. Korea and Taiwan)
Publisher: CJ Entertainment
Number of Discs: 3
Release Date: 2008-10-24 (Save your copy!)
This three-disc set comes with both Public Enemy Returns and Public Enemy, plus a bonus disc of features:
Disc 1
• Feature Film Public Enemy Returns
• Audio Commentary with Kang Woo Suk, Sol Kyung Gu, Jung Jae Young, and Kang Shin Il
Disc 2
• Making Of
• Interview with Cast
• Character Featurettes
• Poster Shoot
• Gala Premiere
• Trailer
Disc 3
• Feature Film Public Enemy
(Sources: YesAsia, DVDAsian)
