Movie Digest
Choi Ji Hoon is transferring to Daehoon High, the worst high school in the country. This happened after he got into trouble on multiple occasions. His only goal from now on is to get at the top of the student hierarchy. When he arrives in school, he tries to instigate many fights, but none are successful. He later realizes that his classmates are perpetually going somewhere after the bell rings. He follows one of them and finds out about the active fight club. This is the ticket to fulfilling his mission of topping the hierarchy as the singular rule of the fight club is that the winner gets to be the top dog of the year. Will he succeed in his quest?
The Feel-Good Part
The film’s concept is bizarre, which packs an element of surprise. The film’s setting is quite appealing, and fits the show well. The school building looks deserted and the motivational lines that are plastered around the area, hint at the nature of the school as their education is just a front for the fight club. The film is relatively self-aware and occasionally makes fun of the self-indulgent absurdity that surrounds the film’s premise. The film is action-packed, which makes for a fun and entertaining viewing experience.
The Disappointing Factor
The story is pretty cliché and doesn’t stray away from the common plot points of this genre, which makes it predictable, and may make it boring to watch. The film lacks depth. The characters aren’t well written and the subplots don’t fulfill any purpose. One of the few things going for the film is the action sequences, but sometimes, even those feel unnecessary and long-drawn.
In-Depth Analysis
The entire movie feels like a bunch of people decided to make this film for the sole purpose of showing teenage boys engaged in crude action scenes. The lack of substance is such a big problem that even the show’s self-awareness can’t save it. The only time the show gives the audience something more than action is jokes that don’t land well. The movie would have benefited from giving its characters distinguishable personalities and solid backstories as it would have helped the audience connect with the movie. The film has unfulfilled potential, as the core concept was interesting, which is highly disappointing.
Star Power
All the performances were decent. The cast didn’t have much to work with, as the action is overbearing and takes up the most amount of space in the screenplay, which leaves little room to focus on acting performances.
Overall Opinion
Gang is your regular, run-of-the-mill commercial action flick that revolves around teenagers. The movie is not unwatchable, but it doesn’t have the sophistication it promises through its visuals and production design. It’s still an entertaining film, especially for those who enjoy hand-to-hand combat scenes. You’ll enjoy the movie if you watch it with no expectations.
