In a not-so-distant future in which we still take cabs but fire guns that look like blowdryers, a war has broken out on the Korean peninsula. This time around, however, the conflict is not between North and South (which want to reunite despite international pressures to the contrary). This time around, the fight is between The Sect (rebel forces) and The Special Unit (an elite police force). At least that's what it seems like at first. As the movie progresses, the battle appears to actually be between The Special Unit and Public Security, a rival law enforcement agency. None of the groups comes across as a force for good, although The Sect theoretically represents the proletariat. Do they uphold the sanctity of life? Not a chance. And really can you blame them?
Humans have grown worse over time. Our basest traits have evolved. Im Joong-kyung (Gang Dong-won) is an affectless soldier who was part of a mass killing of young girls. Lee Yoon-hee (Han Hyo-ju) is a faux bookseller who will betray anyone for her ailing little brother. Can these two fall in love? Even if they're working at cross purposes? More to the point, can they feel anything? Furthermore, what do either of them have to do with the young suicide bomber (Shin Eun-soo) in Little Red Riding Hood drag? Let it go. Let it all go. The best part of Kim Jee-woon's scifi snoozer are the shootouts and fistfights during which I found myself as unconcerned with who'd come out on top as I was tickled by the fight choreography.
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