Another Standalone Gem in Crime City Franchise

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MOVIE REVIEW
The Roundup: No Way Out
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Genre: Action, Crime
Year Released: 2023
Runtime: 1h 45m
Director(s): Sang-yong Lee
Writer(s): Kim Min-sung
Cast: Don Lee, Lee Jun-hyuk, Munetaka Aoki
Language: Korean with English subtitles
Where To Watch: in select theaters now

RAVING REVIEW: Korean action cinema delivers yet another surprise with THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT, the third part in the CRIME CITY franchise; with THE OUTLAWS releasing in 2017 and THE ROUND UP in 2022, THE ROUNDUP: PUNISHMENT is set to release next year. As our leading man, Don Lee, returns to the screen as the iron-willed Ma Seok-do, the plot plunges into a whirlwind of excitement. His promotion to Metro Investigations triggers a relentless search for a pair of sinister bad guys.

Rewinding to 2017, Lee filled the boots of Ma, a character that seemed nearly invincible and quickly became the pulse of the Korean crime genre. The subsequent chapter, unveiled in 2022, projected Ma onto a global stage, plunging him into a maze of international crime.

In this third film, THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT, Ma is embroiled in a dark conspiracy revolving around a spine-chilling new synthetic drug controlled by the calculated criminal mastermind, Joo Sung-chul (Lee Jun-hyuk). Stirring the pot further, a Japanese Yakuza tough guy, Ricky (Munetaka Aoki), adds an international touch to the plot, turning the heat up a notch or two.

This adrenaline-pumping series has caused a seismic shift in the Korean cinema scene, creating the much-loved “Ma Dong-seok Cinematic Universe (MCU).” This trend has taken the public by storm, and its ripples felt far beyond the confines of the third film, with the fourth film already in the works. Does the FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise have a competitor?

This series is different; each entry is its own, so you don’t have to know the entire franchise to know what’s going on. I found it easy to jump right in without feeling like an outsider. I'm not sure how long they can keep that up. I guess the two previous films were based on reality. This one takes creative freedom further and dives into fiction.

While Ma is a constant in the series, his crew around him is ever-evolving (again, similar to how the F&F franchise keeps Vin Diesel as the core and has others come and go.) The unique selling point of THE ROUNDUP: NO WAY OUT is Ma's transition to Metro Investigations, throwing up new hurdles and necessitating a fresh combat style. The raw, judo-flavored action that characterized previous chapters gives way to a more boxing-oriented approach, offering a fresh perspective on Ma's legendary fight scenes (so I may have had some help describing that!)

Lee's representation of his character is dead on, an over-the-top but commanding screen presence, vs. Ma's extraordinary blend of brute strength, charisma, and steadfast determination craft an engaging movie-watching experience.

While the action sequences will make your jaw drop, it's clear that Ma and his squad aren't untouchable. They take their hits, but Ma's spirit stays unbroken. I don’t know if this series will ever take on the world, but I’m excited to go back and check out the past two while patiently waiting for the fourth installment next year!

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[photo courtesy of CAPELIGHT PICTURES]