Sang-hwan is an idealistic young policeman whose life is changed after he chases a thief. The thief is actually caught by martial arts expert Wi-jin but she accidentally hits Sang-hwan with her powerful 'palm blast' technique. She takes him to the Masters of Tao to be healed; they believe he has a very powerful 'Qi', a spiritual energy that could make him a Master of Tao one day. Sang-hwan begins his training however he soon gets frustrated with his lack of progress. Soon after he starts training the villainous Heuk-woon is accidentally freed from his underground prison; he is more powerful than the Tao masters and intends to become more powerful by taking a key from them which could enable him to control the world. Ultimately it will be up to Sang-hwan and Wi-jin to stop him.
This Korean film is a lot of fun if you like special effects enhanced martial arts with a good dose of comedy. The story is solid and easy to follow and the characters are fun. The more humorous parts of the film are mostly in the first half as Sang-hwan attempts to train and the masters try to find more people who are interested in their ancient skills. As we move into the second half the action increases and there are some great set pieces most notably when Sang-hwan is confronted by local gangsters in a restaurant and the ultimate fight against Heuk-woon. While these fights are obviously somewhat exaggerated they feel real within the context of a film where such powers exist. The cast does a solid job; Seung-bum Ryoo and So-yi Yoon work well together as Sang-hwan and Wi-jin and Doo-hong Jung is suitably menacing as Heuk-woon. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to martial arts fans; especially if you like those with exaggerated skills and a touch of humour.
These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.
This Korean film is a lot of fun if you like special effects enhanced martial arts with a good dose of comedy. The story is solid and easy to follow and the characters are fun. The more humorous parts of the film are mostly in the first half as Sang-hwan attempts to train and the masters try to find more people who are interested in their ancient skills. As we move into the second half the action increases and there are some great set pieces most notably when Sang-hwan is confronted by local gangsters in a restaurant and the ultimate fight against Heuk-woon. While these fights are obviously somewhat exaggerated they feel real within the context of a film where such powers exist. The cast does a solid job; Seung-bum Ryoo and So-yi Yoon work well together as Sang-hwan and Wi-jin and Doo-hong Jung is suitably menacing as Heuk-woon. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to martial arts fans; especially if you like those with exaggerated skills and a touch of humour.
These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.