The Target is one of the greatest action-thrillers that has ever been created in the history of cinema. Do I have your attention now? This South-Korean masterpiece is a remake of French film À bout portant, internationally known as Point Blank. While most remakes are indeed lacklustre, predictable and repetitive, The Target stands out as one of the best of its kind and is certainly worth your attention.
The movie revolves around a former mercenary and his mentally challenged brother who get caught up in a dangerous scheme. The former is framed for the death of a businessman and escapes from the hospital with the police hot on his heels. A doctor at the hospital gets involved when he learns that his pregnant wife has been kidnapped. The police officer who leads the chase turns out to be deeply involved in the scheme and eliminates all witnesses on his trail. These different story lines intertwine and lead to a spectacular showdown at a police station.
This film convinces on all levels. First of all, the movie has a perfect length of ninety-eight minutes that will keep viewers on the edges of their seats from start to finish. There isn't one single unnecessary second of boredom. The movie is dynamic, fast and fluid at all moments.
Up next, the different characters are truly intriguing. The cool mercenary who is haunted by his dark past, his mentally challenged brother who goes to great lengths to save his brother, the courageous pregnant wife who keeps calm under the most difficult circumstances, the resilient doctor who adapts fluidly to challenging situations and the cruel police officer with a hidden agenda are all absolutely fascinating. The actresses and actors involved in this movie play their roles authentically and manage to become one with them.
The story is also quite intriguing. At first, there seem to be quite a few characters and story lines but they all come together and lead to a clever conclusion that leaves no questions unanswered. This addition of profound intellect to an intense movie feels like a welcome breeze of fresh air.
The action sequences in this movie are second to none. The daring escape from the hospital, the fast-paced car chases and the brutal shootouts are executed with attention, details and realism. The shining highlight is the final confrontation at the police station that has to go down as one of the greatest action sequences in the history of filmmaking. This stunning conclusion was breathtaking upon release but has also aged very well and is still better than what many contemporary genre movies tend to offer nowadays. You certainly won't forget this movie anytime soon as you will start reminiscing upon the masterpiece you have just watched as soon as the credits will start rolling.
At the end of the day, The Target deserves much more attention and acclaim. Anyone who likes action films or thrillers should definitely watch this movie that goes down as one of the greatest of the last decade. The Target has aged very well, so it's never too late to give this movie a try.
