If one were to say that there are one too many heist films, hardly anyone would disagree. But "one too many" is hardly a deterrent and, rightly so, it shouldn't be. The "how" of a piece can lift the most generic, trope-ridden, cookie-cutout film, book, play or what have you.
The Technicians, although boastful of the tropes of the genre, is not one such film.
Even if this were the very first of such movies you've encountered, it would hardly take your breath away. It may leave you in confusion at the unsatisfactory feeling playing in your mind but apart from that, it serves nothing more. Translation: if you watch it, it's all right; if you don't, it's all right.
Admittedly, the movie packs twists and turns but not enough to fully distract the audience from the dastardly surface and unequal development of its characters. 3/4 way, the writer seemed to have remembered to finally make known to the audience some glimmer of motivation for the lead Ji-Hyuk. Before this, we are expected to be invested in a character solely for his debonair ways and unfaltering bravery.
The sacrifice of character development, interaction and audience investment for the sake of a weaving plot leaves The Technicians desperately wanting for some depth.
This is not to say that the piece lacks its moments --there are many well-executed and beautifully shot sequences that may have resonated more had I been remotely invested in the fate of these characters.
Many will be watching this for Hallyu star Kim Woo-Bin, and if that's your sole motivation, by all means, this movie may satisfy.
A movie of wasted potential, a cast that tries to give life to one-dimensional characters (and barely succeeds) and a denouement that rushes in, surprising no one.
