Kill Boksoon

Seen a lot of people reviewing and comparing this movie to John Wick and saying that it isn't as good. But John Wick is soooo cliché and gratuitous with it's violence and isn't very good. I stopped half way through John Wick 2 because I couldn't take it anymore. In Kill Boksoon, I liked the main story and I also liked the mother-daughter story as an opposite to the main which brought some balance between action and emotion. The characters are well developed and have depth. The acting is very good. It's worth watching and doesn't feel as long as the 2hr 14min suggest. If you like John Wick and assassin movies but don't like this one then I'm smh.

So, what's Kill Boksoon all about? It's the story of a mom who slices people up by day and struggles to understand her teenage daughter by night. Kind of like John Wick, but with parent-teacher meetings thrown in. Boksoon handles contracts like a ninja, but her daughter? That's a whole different battlefield. Let me tell you, in this movie, the action isn't just on the job-it's also at home. Because raising a teenager? Way more violent than a katana to the guts.

The movie throws you into a world where hitmen operate like on-demand delivery services. The agencies are super organized, to the point where you almost want to drop off a resume. But behind the professional facade, it's Game of Thrones-backstabbing, plotting, and Boksoon in the middle, with her badass mom charisma. The only downside is that this world is barely touched on. You want to know more, to see how these agencies really function, but it's like you're only getting the appetizer without the main course.

Jeon Do-yeon delivers hard. She seamlessly transitions from smashing heads in one scene to arguing with her daughter in the next, and you totally buy it. The contrast is striking and gives her character depth. Boksoon is strong but also vulnerable, and that's where the movie nails it. She can annihilate anyone with a knife, but when it comes to talking to her teen? It's like she's playing Dark Souls on hardcore mode.

When the action hits, it hits hard. There are some killer fight scenes, but not enough for my taste. We know Boksoon is a deadly assassin, but I would've loved to see more of her "cleaning house" in her own brutal way. The film could have gone all-in with more missions, more fights. There are moments where you're left wanting more, like showing up for a feast and only getting appetizers. And the secondary characters? They're just there for decoration, barely fleshed out.

The mother-daughter relationship is the heart of the film. Boksoon tries to raise her daughter with her assassin's precision, but obviously, that doesn't work out. You can feel she's lost, and that's what makes her endearing. But at the same time, you realize parenting and guns don't exactly mix. The daughter is just as tough as her mom, and their verbal battles are just as intense as the physical ones. It's almost more dangerous than a shootout!

Kill Boksoon is a cocktail of action and family drama, with a heroine who makes you want to either adopt her... or run far, far away. There's fighting, there's emotion, but there's also the frustration of not seeing enough of the hitman world that could have been explored so much more. Despite that, it's still a good surprise. And if you're having trouble managing family life, watch Boksoon-you'll see even crime pros struggle with adolescence.

I enjoyed the movie. Very well directed and acted. I found the ratings and reviews of this movie are quite unique. The current rating is in the range 6~7 but there are few who scored 6~7 but one third scored very low and the two third scored very high (including me) and the average is that.

I think some people may criticize the movie for its stereotype, typical or cliche. But I don't get the bad reviews criticizing its improbable story or violence. Hey, this is not a suspense nor a drama. It's a dark black comedy, homage to Tarantino movies. An Asian variation of Kill Bill. Fair ratings should be based on the level of completion of the movie itself, not by the personal preference of special genre.

Not my typical watch. Lorry loads of blood delivered via a plot that only exists to provide an excuse for violence.

Yet this film does transcend those limitations. The characters are well drawn and acted with meaningful relationships. This is one of the key strengths of k drama that makes me watch so much of it.

So, much of the violence is more than mere violence. Otherwise it would grow ever more boring. But here virtually every duel to the death involves some complication between the characters that adds interest.

But the most important (and difficult) relationship is between the female protagonist and her daughter. I found that relationship believable and meaningful. It gave this film a much-needed dimension beyond the gore. It raised this film above watchable to almost recommended.

It's really about an 8.5 for me, but like others, I felt the need to aid in getting this movie more appropriately rated.

What keeps it from being a full 10 for me was the length, a somewhat dissatisfying ending, and a not fully explained flashback scene.

But what it did well, it did very well indeed. The fight scenes were absolutely outstandingly choreographed and filmed. The angst between mother and daughter was realistic. The irony of honor and rules being part of an assassin's "moral" code was breathtaking in its absurdity, but the film still manages to convince you of the sincerity of their convictions, even as you disagree with them.

So please give this movie a fair shot. I probably won't watch it again, as gore isn't usually my thing. But it is a movie worth seeing for some amazing acting, fight scenes, complex characters living double lives, and the thing I loved the most was seeing a middle aged woman be attractive, strong, and portray such depth.