Akjilkyungchal

Everyone is on the take in this Korea from the Chaebol, to government officials, cops and doctors. The 2014 MV Sewol ferry sinking serves as a backdrop for what the youth see as adult failure. Grab what you can and force deals as needed, nice guys are losers. The cop is caught in the middle as his own small scam intersects with a really big one. Some inventive fight scenes, the lead henchman is a terrific menace. The protagonist gets his redemption arc but all in all a grim story.

If you write a review and then complain that your problem is you can't tell which actor is which because all korean look the same to you, you should not be able to write a review aswell as its just not true. The movie is good, not sure why it has only 6.2, without spoiling anything the plot is not new but the idea is executed pretty well and it keeps you engaged, the acting is very good even from the begining of the movie there is a scene with the main protagonist that looks so real you think someone filmed him without him even knowing so this is a good sign in my opinion. I had a couple of out loud laughs even though you dont really expect it from the movie. I did not like the ending and somewhat reminded me of the recent Parasite in which Sun-kyun Lee (the dirty cop) is in, but of course this is only my opinion. Ignore the low rating and go see the movie its a solid action movie with a very realistic take on the genre.

The original title was Bad Police, but then changed to Jo Pil Ho: The Dawning Rage. I think this is a clever idea. It changes something that sounds generic into something more personal and intriguing.

Jo Pil Ho is a fascinating character. And Lee Sun Kyun did an amazing job portraying it. A dirty cop who is rude and always up to no good.

The writer also did an excellent job in building up Jo Pil Ho character. At first it was so easy to dislike him (which was intended to be) and as the story unfolded you will likely begin to root for him.

Nothing new with the story it self. But what makes this movie pops is you get the sense how realistic it is. It has realistic characters where they all are no saints. And realistic fight scenes where our protagonist were beaten countless times. This made me even more invested in the story.

One of minus point that i have to mention here is the unnecessary backstory of Sewol incident. It was a shame the writer seemed reluctant to dig deeper into this, using this tragic incident only for a decoration.

The film takes its time to lay out a well-constructed and engaging story with character development solid enough to deliver some emotional scenes toward its conclusion. Light on action but strong on plot and drama, with a convincing antihero 'bad cop' protagonist, and excellent support. The score is subtle, and the lighting is suitably moody. While it doesn't have the impact of 'The Man From Nowhere,' it's still worthwhile viewing.

A great mixture of action, comedy, drama and thriller.

At times this feels like it's a little too much all in one movie, but the film manages to keep the balance between these elements pretty well. Perhaps the main character could have had a little more depth. But overall I really enjoyed it. You definitely won't get bored.