Film: The Thieves

Director: Dong-hun Choi
Genre: Action
Source: South Korea (2012)
Rating: R
Location/Format: Netflix Instant Watch
Grade: C+

After the darkness of my last two Korean picks, I opted for something that looked a little lighter and frothier. The Thieves fits the bill there. A kind of Korean Ocean's 11 (though I couldn't comment on the fame on any of the actors myself), The Thieves is a kind of fun heist flick that ramps up the stakes as it develops. That at times it feels hampered by bad script writing and hammy acting might have more to do with the quality of the subtitles than anything else, but it did leave me a little flat in that regard.

Still, with its double-crosses and triple-crosses and increasingly dangerous criminal elements, the film is pretty entertaining. The culminating action sequence (fought in and on the sides of a large apartment complex) is exciting and clever, almost achieving a Jackie Chan meets American action frantic aesthetic. (Yes, I am aware Chan is not Korean. I'm talking about the feel of the stunts as characters run along walls, dive through windows, and make acrobatic leaps through space). It's pretty exhilarating stuff, and if the comedy reached the same levels of fun as the action, this would definitely be kicked up a grade or two for me.

Unfortunately, it's pretty hokey and underdeveloped in terms of character, which is unfortunate. It almost had the makings of a great heist movie. Instead, it's just a pretty good one. I'd recommend it to action fans or people looking to get a taste of Korean cinema, but so far this is the weakest of the films I've watched this month.

Note: A weird Netflix fluke meant that when I tried to watch it streaming through my PS3 I could not get subtitles, so I watched the whole thing on my iPad instead. Would it have done more for me if I'd seen it on a larger screen? I have no way of knowing...