Fuerza bruta: Sin salida

The third installment of currently the most famous Korean action series Round Up is another decent gangster flick, but it adds nothing new, doesn't surpass the second or the first installment, and is simply too much of a safe bet using tried and tested methods. In the first we had gangsters from China, in the second we went to Vietnam, where the film benefited from the unfamiliar setting, and in the third we are back in Korea, but we have the Japanese Yakuza. I quite like the fact that each installment focuses on gangsters from a different nationality, which is a trademark, and a lot of the success of the series lies in its choice of villains, though this one is perhaps the weakest (it may be due to the fact that the Yakuza doesn't enter the film until somewhere in the 40 minute mark). But compared to the other films, it's still a decently charismatic and uncompromising villain. We've got a new drug on the scene, Hyper, with the protagonist, the Yakuza, and corrupt cops all going after it. Story-wise it's fairly straightforward, it's just a case of who gets beaten to the drugs first, but it's still decent above-standard entertainment. Visually top notch, Ma Dong Seok uses his boxing skills to the max and every time he busts up a whole room with one hard punch it's a joy to watch, though it’s a bit of a bummer that he doesn't have many equal opponents this time. I was a bit bothered that they cut down on the violence, it felt maybe PG-13 because when the Yakuza are swinging katanas and knives there is absolutely no blood (we only see blood on the main character), and any potentially brutal scene is out of focus, which is not the norm in Korea, but maybe that's due to the fact that this is already a mainstream series where they have to tame the violence. There are a few humorous interludes thrown in as well, which I also don't find too fitting for such a genre. In sum: this is the weakest installment in the series, but it's still a fine action ride. 7.5/10. (09.07.2023)

The Korean action film is back on the scene! I must admit, I missed that they were shooting the third installment right after the second one. But I’m not complaining. Dong-seok Ma has recently risen to the top of the list of my favorite Korean actors. This guy is the modern embodiment of Bud Spencer! The third film continues in the same vein as its two predecessors, blending drama and comedy. I really don’t know how the Koreans manage it, but this unconventional combination works perfectly. The action also meets the highest standards, with plenty of solid hits throughout the film. The lines are again fantastic (the scene with cleaning up at the police station was particularly fun... it was spot on). And the two Japanese villains from the Yakuza were decent too (though the bastard from the first film remains unbeatable). For me, the third installment gets an 8/10. P.S. The fourth one has already been greenlit!!! So let’s see when it will hit our screens :) (17.08.2023)