Cop action flick 'Veteran' offers pleasure

Yoo Ahn-in stars as a villain in "Veteran." / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Baek Byung-yeul

As an avid fan of Hong Kong action films, director Ryoo Seung-wan has made his name in the Korean movie scene for producing action-based flicks unique to his own taste and style.

The director, whose recent film was the spy thriller "Berlin" (2013), returns with the new film "Veteran," set for an Aug. 5 release. Seemingly, it looks like another variation of a cop action movie depicting tough and moral police officers who fight for social justice, but Ryoo spices up his film by depicting the villain in a verisimilar way.

The villain, portrayed by Yoo Ah-in, is a rebellious heir to a chaebol, or a family-controlled Korea conglomerate.

The 28-year-old actor brilliantly portrays the audacious and ill-bred chaebol heir who acts as though he is above the law, reminding audiences of all the stories they hear about such people. He not only enjoys drug-fuelled wild parties, but also slaps around one of his employees for protesting in front of his office building.

Hwang Jung-min in a scene from "Veteran" / Courtesy of CJ E&M

And there is a righteous police officer who knocks down the enemy. Though there is no Ryoo Seung-bum, an actor and the director's younger brother who appeared in every one of Ryoo's films except for "The City of Violence" (2006), the director instead chose actor Hwang Jung-min to shine in the film.

As always, Ryoo is brilliant in fast-moving action scenes co-created with action sequence director Jung Doo-hong, and the 123-minute film drives the audiences to the final scene in a breath where Hwang has a final showdown with Yoo.

"If I say I don't refer to any illegal acts committed by chaebol heirs, I am lying," Ryoo said to reporters at a premiere of "Veteran" at a theater in Wangsimni, Seoul, Tuesday.

"But I focus on emphasizing Korea's social system that creates this kind of social evil," he said.

Can CJ E&M win again?

"Veteran" is also significant for its distributor CJ E&M.

The country's largest entertainment firm overwhelmed last year's summer box office with the history flick "Roaring Currents," which garnered nearly 18 million viewers, but it will not be easy for them to repeat the huge success again this year as two other large distributors are loaded with big titles.

Meanwhile, box office hit creator Choir Dong-hoon's "Assassination," an action history flick set in the 1930s during the Japanese colonial rule of Korea, will start screening at Showbox Wednesday. The film has already been received well, topping the ticket reservation list.

After a week from the release of "Veteran," a martial arts film "Memories of the Sword" is slated to be released on Aug. 13 by Lotte Cinema, one of the biggest distributing companies. The Korean equivalent of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" has gained attention for casting Korean hunk Lee Byung-hun and Cannes-winning star Jeon Do-yeon.

Along with Tom Cruise's new "Mission Impossible" franchise installment, which will hit screens here on July 30, a war of big budget films has begun and the attention is growing whether "Veteran" can survive.

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