Movie Digest
Several convicts are brought together in a prison which can be only described as a death snare. As expected of people who are often forced into a life of crime, they do not have the necessary skills to cooperate. They lack general common sense and often cause unnecessary fights. This has made the whole atmosphere hostile and volatile to aggression.
Good-hearted prison warden, Hye-Myeong has become fed-up with the continual fights. To teach the inmates a lesson, he arranges for an international crime boss, Tae-Sik, to be admitted into the same prison. However, the lessons of good behaviour and cooperation that Hye-myeong strives to impart among them are done through non-violent means.
Tae-Sik is there to show them how easy it is to behave well. He does so by being a model inmate. This ploy works out: soon, the inmates begin to learn from his example and begin to live in harmony with each other. But the peace doesn’t last when the new warden Pyeong-ho comes to oversee them.
The Feel-Good Part
The action sequences, the growing comraderies between the inmates, and the warden’s good intentions are some of the reasons I had a smile on my face. It is a typically Korean prison comedy and I am not ashamed of acknowledging that I quite enjoy it. The initial problems between the inmates provided unintentional comedy.
In-Depth Analysis
This is one of those low-budget prison films that aim toward an audience that craves cheap, feel-good movies with a sprinkle of prison drama. The one highlight of this is Hye-myeong, who is more than the typical depressed jaded prison warden. His goals and motivations are believable and we, as the audience, root for him to succeed in them.
The Disappointing Factor
This film could have been improved by investing a little more in the budget; even if it’s a low-budget film. The prison doesn’t live up to its deadly reputation, and the reason is that there is a dearth of extras to make that believable.
Also, since the film shares the same location and the male lead with the film King of Prison, which was made the previous year, a lot of scenes feel like deja-vu. Also, after the appearance of the second prison warden, the film gets off-track.
The sound quality is atrocious. The lead is a bit bland. The hype of the film was spectacularly exaggerated by the presence of Lee Sol-gu, who was actually very successful in King of Prison. In King of Prison, he breathes and lives as a man who had to experience prison life and the weariness that comes with it. In this film, he has little meaningful dialogue with the other characters.
Star Power
Lee Sol-gu tries his best. If you saw King of Prison, you would get a better idea about the range and diversity of the actor’s acting skills. Lee Wong Jong, Jang Gwang, and Lee Dal Hyung also try to pull through.
Overall Opinion
The film could have been better. A lot better. It had all the right elements; good capable actors, a good plot, and a good filming location. But it was let down by poor direction, sound design, and an unwillingness to better invest in its potential. It can be viewed as a guilty pleasure, but there is ultimately nothing profound about it. The only worthy thing is its action, although even that seems a little cringe at times.
