|
 here
have been a lot of films done in the "Lethal
Weapon" style of moviemaking, many of them by
imitators right here in the
United States
, but Americans rarely get the chance to see how
it's done in the rest of the world. Thanks to
import video merchants, American viewers can see
Korea
's version of the veteran cop/cocky rookie/female
cop/married cop formula. It's a nifty idea that
gets the blood pumping, but unfortunately
Korea
's "Never to Lose" doesn't show viewers
anything they haven't seen before. Yet, despite
sticking to the formula at almost every turn, the
film is undeniably and vastly entertaining.
"Never to Lose"
concerns the men of Homicide Unit 3, who are in
dire straits at the moment. While Unit 3's cops
are full of ambition and talent, they never seem
to crack a case. The team is comprised of
Detective Koh, a 15 year veteran, Detective Kim
(Min-jun Kim), a rookie eager to make a name for
himself, Detective Koh, a married man who spends
more time on the job than with his wife, and
Detective Ryung (
Sang-mi
Nam
), who can't get taken seriously by her peers
because she's a woman. While at a party with his
girlfriend, Kim happens upon information about a
drug deal that could get the team the respect
they've been looking for. But what the team gets
into turns out to be not just a big drug bust, but
a case that makes Homicide Unit 3 the target of
the largest drug lord in
Korea
.
One of "Never to
Lose's" biggest asset is its likeable cast.
Heo Joon-ho turns in a good performance as
Detective Koh, a cop who's been on the force for a
decade and a half, and who is the father figure of
the group. Kim Min Joon does a comparable job as
the neophyte of the team, wet behind the ears but
a bundle of eagerness. Jang Hang-seen is good as
the long suffering married man, whose biggest
problem isn't the criminals, but rather the
nagging wife back home. As the lone female of the
group, Nam Sing Mi is easy on the eyes.
If there's one thing director
San Hee-chang doesn't want you to be, it's bored.
Apparently a graduate of the Renny Harlin School
of Filmmaking, San doesn't skimp on the
adrenaline, and his action scenes are imaginative
and well executed, making them easily the
highlight of "Never to Lose". The film's
running time clocks in at almost two hours, but
the film never feels that long. The movie's swift
pace is helped by Ko Im-pyo's skillful editing,
which lets the film flow smoothly onscreen. The
script by Ki Seung-te allows for a lot of action
and snappy dialogue, but as mentioned, isn't
particularly original. It duplicates the formula
with aplomb, but never really adds anything new to
it.
Despite being derivative of
many films you've probably seen before numerous
times, "Never to Lose" is nevertheless a
worthwhile import and fine addition to any action
fan's movie collection. Substituting for
originality is an awfully good time and major bang
for the buck. It's been said that imitation is the
sincerest form of flattery, and "Never to
Lose" more than capably honors the action
genre that it takes obvious inspiration from.
KD Media presents "Never
to Lose" on DVD in a beautifully transferred
anamorphic widescreen presentation. The picture is
sharp and clear, with crisp bright colors and
aspect ratio of 1:85:1.
The Dolby digital sound will bring a smile
to any audiophile's face, and is especially nice
in stereo surround sound. |
