“You feeling it? We have to get this guy.”
Korean box office legend actioner “The Outlaws” is back with a sequel that promises to surpass the original. “The Roundup” throws beast cop Ma Seok-do and his Major Crimes Unit into the deep end in a breathtaking crime action film.
With Ma Seok-do (portrayed by Ma Dong-seok) leading the charge to get rid of vicious criminals that threaten the lives of a peaceful district in Seoul, 2017’s “The Outlaws” became a box office sensation which resulted in over 6.88 million admissions and earned a spot in top 3 best-performing crime actioners in Korean cinema history.
“The Outlaws” has spawned a legitimate action franchise with “The Roundup”, which takes place 4 years after the successful mop-up operation in the Garibong district. The antics of Ma’s Major Crimes Unit is through the roof as they jump between Vietnam and Korea in order to apprehend another psychotic killer. Actor Son Sukku takes on the challenge of becoming an unbelievably vicious villain Kang Hae-sang, who could make a lasting impression on the audience for years to come.
Synopsis
4 years after the events of Garibong district round up operation, Geumcheon Police’s Major Crimes Unit is given a mission to repatriate a fugitive who fled to Vietnam. Beast cop Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok) and Capt. Jeon Il-man (Choi Gwi-hwa) intuitively realize that there’s something wrong with the suspect’s willingness to turn himself in and uncover crimes committed by a terrifying killer named Kang Hae-sang (Son Sukku). Ma and his unit begin their investigation across two countries and follow the bloody breadcrumbs left behind by Kang…
Review
Ma Dong-seok, who made his debut in Hollywood for his role in Marvel’s Eternals (2021), is back with The Roundup, a sequel to his previous crime-action film The Outlaws (2017). The movie has been well received in South Korea, becoming the most-watched Korean film since the pandemic era.
The movie was set in the early to mid-2000s era where the characters were all communicating via flip phones and landlines. Back in those days where the technology was less advanced, police officers and villains had to depend a lot on strength and brute force to fight. As an individual who lived through those days, it was refreshing to re-live these nostalgic retro vibes on the big screen.
Throughout the entire movie, which was set in both Ho Chih Minh City (Vietnam) and South Korea, there were a lot of humour scenes alongside with the bloody gory violence. At one moment, you can hear the crowd snickering from the funny banters between the characters and the next moment you will be grasping in suspense as you figure out where the next knife slash or punch would fly in from. It was a thriller action packed movie filled with a lot of MMA fighting and blood. Halfway through the show, my friend and I were contemplating among ourselves on whether it was given a M-18 rating for all that violence; but hey, it turned out to be only NC-16!
The main plot centralises around a kidnapping case where outlaws capture Korean tourists in foreign countries and extorts money from their family members. As the detectives dig deeper, they uncovered the psychotic and vicious Kang Hae-sang (played by Seon Seok-koo from current drama ‘My Liberation Notes’) as the ruthless mastermind of the entire operations. Watch the movie to see how burly Ma fights against all the villains using not just his strength, but also his wit.
To add on, I was very pleasantly delighted with the sound effects of the show and I personally felt it was super on-point and it helps to keep your heartbeat racing in those intense scenes. The chemistry between the actors, especially those who returned from The Outlaws, deserves astonishing praise as well.
Are you looking for an entertaining and action-packed blockbuster? Catch The Roundup in cinemas today!
Disclaimer: The Roundup is rated NC16 in Singapore due to its violence and coarse language.
“The Roundup” (범죄도시2) opens in Singapore cinemas on 26 May 2022.
