As "Seoul Vibe" (2022 release from South Korea; 140 min) opens, it is "1988 Saudi Arabia", and two guys are driving a Jeep in the Saudi desert, delivering cases of weapons. The two guys then return home to Seoul just as the Olympics are about to open. As they are picked up at the airport, it seems they are followed by "men in black". At this point we are 10 minutes into the film.
Couple of comments: as the movie unfolds in the first half hour, this results in an easy comparison of the wanting to be the Korean version of the "Fat & Furious" franchise, and in and of itself, there is nothing wrong with that, if this version is compelling in its own right. Alas, that is where the movie falls way short. The multiple street car chases, which form the core of the movie, are okay at best. I can't help but think back to that other Korean action movie that was recently released: "Carter", Korea's version of "Mission Impossible", and a movie that absolutely blew my mind on every level. Compared to "Carte", "Seoul Vibe" is a poor third cousin once removed, if you know what I mean.
"Seoul Vibe" opened this past weekend on Netflix, and the New York Times had an interesting review on it. That was good enough for me to give it a chance. I must say, I was quite disappointed when all was said and done. Of course don't take my word for it so I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
