Confidential Assignment
Director: Kim Sung-hoon
Year: 2017
Rating: 6.5
Tell me if you have heard this plot before. Two cops are assigned to work
together who have nothing in common, who have very different approaches to
their job, who don't like each other but over time they grudgingly realize
they have to work together, then a grudging respect for another, then a grudging
friendship and finally risking their lives for one another. No? Probably
not more than fifty times. That is what we have here where you could write
the plot outline yourself. But nevertheless, this is fairly entertaining
because of good performances, solid production values and some excellent
action sequences. The rub is that one of the cops is a North Korean super
cop while the other is a bit of a South Korean schlep. So you have the political
divide as well though this was done in Hong Kong films going back to the
1990's when they would team up a Hong Kong cop and Mainland cop. Like those,
this one is a mix of action, comedy and a jigger of pathos.
These sorts of films are made in Korea whenever the two countries are attempting
a reconcilement as is happening now. A similar film of re-approachment was
As One in 2012 about the uniting of the two ping pong teams based on a real
event. On the other hand when the two countries are at each other's throats
you get a film like Shiri or The Presidents' Last Bang which portrays the
North as villains. It is a fascinating dynamic. For the most part - though
not entirely - the North is given respect here. At one point the two men
get into an argument about which country is better and it is basically a
draw. Though being equally poor doesn't strike me as a great argument.
But the trouble begins in the North where the government has created a set
of $100 plates that can make counterfeit bills that cannot be detected. In
fact, North Korea has a history of doing this - though I understand that
Kim told Trump that they have never done this and that Trump accepted his
word. Also no labor camps, starvation and executions by canon ball - all
denied and all believed. Hollywood should make a film in which our CIA teams
up with their Security apparatus to get the goods on the Canadians. And Donald
and Kim give each other a big hug in the end. Putin is smiling in the background.
A renegade North Korean army unit decides that they want to join the free
market and breaks into the facility and steals the plates leaving everyone
for dead except Lim (Hyun Bin) who blames himself for screwing up - which
he did - you never give up your guns because the bad guys have a hostage
- never - rule number 1 with psychos. So he is assigned to go south and find
the head villain (Kim Joo-hyuk) and since they need the co-operation of the
South he is partnered with the whiny, a little corrupt, a little cowardly
Kang (Yoo Hae-jin). This is done on purpose because the Big Boys don't really
want the North Koreans to find these bad guys. But hey, you know how this
ends. And though predictable it is reasonably satisfying.
Yoo Hae-jin gets somewhat annoying as the film progresses as he complains
about everything but Hyun Bin is terrific though being a North Korean he
doesn't get to show much emotion. His physical abilities and stunts (pretty
sure not doubled) are eye-popping. The film sags a bit in the middle when
Kang brings Lim home to meet the family and the goofy comedy misses its mark
as often as it hits it but the final 40 minutes is just one great action
set piece and saved the film for me.