[FILM REVIEW] THE ROUND UP: NO WAY OUT (2023)

Thinking about watching a movie which contains a balanced amount of thrill and humour? Or what about a crime film which will not have you perplexed and trying to piece together information till the end of the movie? If so, The Round Up: No Way Out is the perfect choice of movie to watch with friends and family over the weekend!

Directed by Lee Sang Yong, this third installment of the movie series The Round Up has since made USD$69 Million after it made its debut in cinemas across South Korea this year, according to Variety. Get on a thrill ride of belly laughter with Detective Ma Seok Do as he sets off on another gripping mission with his team.

Ma Dong Seok, also known as Don Lee, started to gradually gain fame, as well as the love of international fans, when he appeared in Train to Busan alongside Gong Yoo. Now, Ma Dong Seok is back again as Detective Ma Seok Do with the third installment of the Crime City movie series. Alongside him, Lee Joon Hyuk, Munetaka Aoki and Lee Beom Soo are also part of the main cast this time round! Weaving humour into the storyline, The Round Up 3: No Way Out is sure to keep the audience on the edge of their seats throughout the entire show.

Fists speak a thousand words

It all starts when Detective Ma’s team is tasked with a murder case. He suspects that it may have something to do with a synthetic drug called Hiper, which has been making its rounds across nightclubs in South Korea. Ever since then, he and his trusty sidekick Kim Man Jae (Kim Min Jae), have been on the lookout for every person who has had any connections with the drug. In order to overthrow the bad guys and to get more clues, Detective Ma will not hesitate to use his fists.

Detective Ma takes down his enemies and those unwilling to heed him, with his bear-like physique and thick arms. However, he will encounter two groups of people along the way, as more information unravels and he gets closer to finding out the mastermind behind all of this. Teeming with charisma and a pair of useful fists honed from years of boxing, nothing will get in Detective Ma’s way. This is evident in the way people are being flung left and right effortlessly by him throughout the movie.

Villains, and more villains

Detective Ma discovers that there is more to the drug than meets the eye, and that something larger may be at stake. Not only are the Korean mafia involved, but even the Japanese yakuza are tangled up in the messy web. Soon, Detective Ma will fave two groups of thugs hot on his heels; one led by corrupted cop Joo Seong Cheol (Lee Joon Hyuk) and another one led by Japanese hitman Ricky (Munetake Aoki).

As it becomes clearer that there are several parties involved, a few men from Detective Ma’s squad get temporarily incapacitated after raiding and finding millions of dollars worth of drugs. This only spurs Detective Ma on even further, though he is digging himself deeper into trouble as his enemies get closer. Taking down his opponents with swift punches, Detective Ma will soon find himself stuck between the two gangs as everyone goes on a wild goose chase.

Review

Even though The Round Up: No Way Out is the third installment of the Crime City series, be assured that it can be watched as a standalone film. Unlike the usual grim action genre movies, The Round Up: No Way Out infuses humour into its storyline. This makes it more enjoyable for movie-goers who are not avid action movie watchers. While Ma Dong Seok packs a punch with his charismatic and dependable image, Lee Joon Hyuk and Aoki Munetaka will send chills running down spines with their nefarious and sinister acting.

However, Jun Suk Ho and Go Gyu Pil’s characters are the opposite of the villains, offering comedic relief with their perfectly timed punchlines before the situation gets too depressing. Another great thing about the film is that it is easy to follow the storyline. This means that movie-goers do not have to worry about getting confused halfway through, or the fear that too many characters will be introduced. Be prepared to laugh along with everyone in the theatre while watching the film, as there is no definitely way out of it!

The Round Up: No Way Out will start showing in cinemas from 22nd June 2023. We would like to thank Golden Village Pictures for the media invitation!

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Running Time: 105 minutes
The Seoul Story’s Rating: 5/5
Rating: NC-16, Coarse Language & Some Drug Use

Written by: Aqilah
Photos by: Golden Village Pictures

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