Uriah43
After his father is killed by South Korean security police, his teenage son, "Ri Myung-hoon" (Seung Hyun Choi) and daughter "Ri Hye-in" (Yoo-Jeong Kim) are sent to a North Korean concentration camp as punishment for their father's failed mission. At least that's what they are told. The real reason behind their imprisonment is to entice Ri Myung-hoon into volunteering for a highly classified mission in which he is to assassinate North Korean agents working in the South but under a rival official. Naturally, he isn't told anything but what he needs to know and since his sister's life depends on him he doesn't ask any questions. However, upon getting into South Korea he is then instructed to assume the identity of a high school student and this makes his mission even more difficult. Now rather than reveal any more of this film I will just say that I thoroughly enjoyed the political intrigue and accompanying drama. Although Seung Hyun Choi looked a bit too old for a high school student he still managed to perform in an excellent manner as did Ye-ri Han (as "Lee Hye-in") to a lesser degree. In any case, as anyone who has been to South Korea surely knows, the North Korean mindset is more than a little fanatical and this movie manages to capture it pretty well. That's not to say that this movie is totally realistic because it isn't. But it's still enjoyable all the same. I have rated the film accordingly. Above average.
kosmasp
While this movie has not as much impact as other Korean action movies, this still has quite a lot of punches in it. The movie itself stars with one big punch that hangs over the movie the whole time. It's about suppression and blackmail and it is about the late North Korean dictator too. But some of it is just facade.There are motives to some of the characters that come off as clichés and you'd be excused if you didn't like this because of that. But look beyond that and you'll see a more than decent action movies. The action stunts are really good. The main character could have a bit more flavor though and some story strains get left behind to get to the whole picture. Good, but not great then
KineticSeoul
Cool is all this movie is, and I don't mean that in a completely positive way either. This movie suffers from what made "71: Into the Fire" lacking in substance. It has some action sequences with good enough choreography but underneath it all, there just isn't much. This movie tries to attract younger audiences with the main characters being in high school and with the main protagonist constantly trying to act cool. Which is fine, since it worked in "The Man From Nowhere" but just doesn't really work here. Sure there are parts with characters getting all emotional and all, but it doesn't pierce the audiences. The way it's developed I just couldn't care for the protagonist and his situation. The martial arts sequences are alright but that is all that is going for this movie, which is fine if it's main focus is the martial arts but that isn't the case either. It tries to integrate a thrilling and gripping story, but fails. I may get some heat from T.O.P fan girls but the guy can't act and I just couldn't believe that a scrawny skinny guy like him is able to beat the crap out of people by slapping the around. He does his trademark look of looking oblivious until another fight scene starts. I know this is to show the characters innocence which he tries to do with every show and movie he is in but it gets tiresome. His stage performance as a rapper is fierce and cool though. I am fine with him wearing make up on stage as a rapper, but he freaking wears eyeliner in some scenes where he plays the action hero in a movie. Which does not work for me, no matter how big the pretty boy trend is in Korea. I just couldn't take him seriously. Anyways when it comes to the action sequences, they are far between and when it tries to focus on the story without the action it gets boring real easily and seems to drag without much interest development. Even the climax wasn't much, it's a forgettable movie overall and I think it just stood out in Korea because T.O.P is a popular entertainer.5.5/10
drjgardner
Commitment is a spy drama that takes place during the change of guard in North Korea where forces in the North are jockeying with forces in the South. Into this struggle, the son of a murdered spy is recruited to go to South Korea as an assassin, his reward being that upon the successful completion of his mission he will be reunited with his sister.The acting is uniformly good, especially from Seung Hyun Choi as the spy, Ye-ri Han as the girl he meets, and Park Ji-Il as the South Korean agent who hunts him down. Most of these actors will be unfamiliar to U.S. audiences.In recent years Korean films have been able to master the art of action sequences - "OldBoy" (2003), "The Chaser" (2008), "Bittersweet Life" (2005), "The Man from Nowhere" (2010). The current film does well, but at the heart of an action film one must believe that the hero is capable of performing the feats ascribed to him. In this case, it's only partially true. Neither by dint of his own physicality, nor the back story, are we able to believe that Seung Hyun Choi is capable of the martial arts skills he displays. In fairness to Choi , he does do OK, so it's not a question of disbelief, but neither is there an unquestioning acceptance.Apart from some good action sequences, the film is an interesting travelogue about life in South Korea, as well as a look at police work in that Country.
AD
