Movie Digest
Soo Byeong is a detective. He lives in the countryside with his daughter and wife. The family has been struggling financially since he lent money to his friend, Yong-Bae who conned him and escaped to the Philippines.
On his tenth wedding anniversary, his family requests him to take them on a holiday. He decides to take them on their first trip abroad to the Philippines. However, he is also planning to find Yong-Bae.
He meets a tour guide, Man-Cheol. With his help, he is able to find his old friend. He finds out that Yong-Bae has been framed for murder and is currently jailed. Despite their differences, Yong-Bae convinces Byeong to investigate.
However, while doing so, Byeong gets framed himself. It happens because of an assassin in the mafia, called Patrick, who was looking for Yamashita’s treasure, a legendary war loot stolen by the Imperial Japanese forces in World War II. Thus begins Byeong Soo’s journey in clearing his name and getting to the bottom of the whole affair
The Feel-Good Part
The moments between Byeong and his family, or the conflicted friendship he has with Yong-Bae give the viewers a sense of lightness. A surprising revelation in the film adds depth to the film that can be easily overlooked. Some of the comedic scenes are fine.
In-Depth Analysis
This movie is average. It has some noteworthy action and fighting scenes, but they cannot be called the highlights of the movie. This is mainly because the lead is an ordinary man, with ordinary skills. The comedy is okayish and sometimes exaggerated.
The best part of this film is that it is shot in the Philippines and it makes full use of the location. It doesn’t just portray the place as a beachy paradise; instead, it explores important historical locations and the many posh hotels in it. For a lot of us who are stuck in our homes right now, this offers some much-needed touring of the beautiful country, even if it’s from the couches of our homes.
The Disappointing Factor
The film is poorly done. It doesn’t hurt to point out that it could have been better. For starters, it is a bit strange to believe that an adult man would rush off to the rescue of a former friend when he had a family to care for. Especially since they can be easily used to hurt him. Besides the protagonist is broke and the friend is responsible for his poor financial status. If there were a bit more elements leading to his decisions, it would have been more believable.
One of the subplots in this film explores is friendships. One is between the main characters and one is between the secondary characters. The friendship between the secondary characters, although underdone, still is more developed than the one between the main characters. It does give a nice little twist to an otherwise typical narrative.
It meanders from theme to theme, never really completely investing in them. This is one of the frustrating aspects of the film. Halfway through the film, it is hard not to get a little annoyed at the jumping narrative.
Although the film does a great job of exploring the Philippines as a tourist spot, the scenes of corruption and pickpocketing, ultimately show the country in a poor light. It is problematic because this is a common stereotype and can be offensive.
Star Power
Kwak Do-Won does his best to push the film forward as the Soo Byeong. Shin Dong-Mi does a good job as Mi-Yeon. Lee Han-Seo is extremely cute as Ji-Yoon.
This film introduces a lot of Filipino talent to the audience. Veteran actor Mon Confiado gives a good performance as Police Lieutenant Shawn Martinez. Christian Villete and Fredie Abao play gag characters; they nonetheless give their best to have their characters stand out. Actor Kim Hee-Won gives a noteworthy performance as a typical villain.
Overall Opinion
Watching this film is like opening a packet of Lays in the middle of the night: you know it does nothing good for you, but it does give you some cheap thrills. It is one of those cheesy thriller comedies that you shouldn’t look too deep into. It is entertaining to some extent and does have some nice views of the Philippines, but that’s it.
