Public Enemy Details

Fantastic!

Firstly, and most importantly, this film is fantastic. A straightforward, brilliantly crafted, cop versus killer thriller that is as funny as it is vicious. There’s no whodunit set-up, no big twists at the end and no script tricks to keep you guessing, because what you have, and all you need, in Public Enemy is a dynamic story filled with powerful performances that charge the story recklessly towards a crunching kick-ass finale.

Bottom of the shop cop, Kang, is on the wrong side of an internal affairs enquiry that does little to help him with his explosive temper and lack of success on the job. Successful businessman Kyu-hwan has an even deadlier temperament, despite an outward appearance that suggests the opposite, and when he becomes Kang’s chief suspect in a double murder they go head to head in a battle of wills that only two stubborn angry men would have the passion for.

Hilarious in parts, very gory in others, there is little to doubt about this piece of film-making that goes a long way to proving that a straight forward, well acted cinematic journey doesn’t have to be full of concepts bigger than the story itself in order to be intelligent and entertaining.

[Highly rated reviewer]

Public Enemy

Its always nice to see a well trodden genre given some fresh vigour. Here we have the age old archetype of the loose cannon cop given a nice twist by Kyung-gu Sol as Detective Kang. He is certainly an enjoyable character to watch. Barely tolerated by his superiors, unable to control his rage, his behaviour is so extreme at times its hard to differentiate him from the gangsters he's suppose to be taking down. His wild impulsive nature is neatly counterbalance by the films villain, a ruthless and calculating serial killer, played to icy perfection by Sung-jae Lee.

Many stand out scenes involve the two protagonists getting in to brutally violent confrontations as their paths circle one another and eventually collide. Its a well crafted cat and mouse game, although the tone does shift erratically at times.

From cop drama, to stalker slasher, to bizarre slapstick comedy, it starts to become tricky to know where the film will go next, which is part of the fun of course, but it doesn't quite pull off the eclectic style. The inconsistency is a shame because the two main characters are really well developed. In the end it just never quite manages to ratchet up the stakes enough to generate serious tension. It is a good film though and worthy of your attention, especially if you enjoyed the likes of Infernal Affairs or City On Fire.