[KFCC] Guns & Talks Review

Story: Guns and Talks: In the heart of Seoul, Korea, a band of killers-for-hire is slowly making a name for themselves in the business. Their style--kill the victims the way their clients want them to be killed, no questions asked. For this group to succeed, they need the help of each other--and an uncle who designs super cool gadgets in the privacy of his own home. However, the foursome will need more than manpower and an uncle to carry out a new mission they just accepted. Along with an intelligent detective hot on their trail, the killers must accomplish "the perfect crime" or face the consequences. Will their mischievous ways be too much of a burden or will they pull out the crime of the century?

Review: Hey Miramax/Disney, I know you're in dire need of a new movie to remake and even though we've had our differences in the past, I'll lend you a movie that will simply blow away box office records. It has style even your Fairy God-mamas can't handle. It has a story line more beautiful than Belle and her hideous Beast. And it has far more class than Jasmine's ass. I'm talking about my new favorite cinematic experience this year, the Korean hit comedy/action movie Guns and Talks.

When you talk about exceeding expectations, there's no other movie that has done it better (in my eyes) than Guns and Talks. Director Jang Jin, who I believe is a hired-assassin himself, concocts a bizarre look into a group of hitmen's life. When I say bizarre, I mean it in a magnificently surreal manner. The way Jin manipulates our thoughts and makes us believe in this story is quite an amazing feat. Four ragtag guns-for-hire, each with their own specialty, can't possibly have a mundane lifestyle. However, Jin creates a low-key, normal day-to-day aura around the group that makes for a very engrossing funny movie.

In the words of Mr. Kwang himself, "In fact, it's a rather talky comedy than extreme action." And kudos to Mr. Kwang for that lovely summary. The film is reminiscent of movies like "Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" and "Snatch," in terms of style and dialogue, of course. It adds impressively smooth camera shots that explode off screen. Furthermore, Guns and Talks have that superior Korean comedic dialogues that we all have grown to love and trust and adore and make sweet love to . . . err . . . and so forth. This film is a cinematic feast for movie buffs all over the world. The splendor this film brings is something Asian movie lovers cannot miss out on.

The storyline is not at all bewildering if you're curious. It has its normal twist and U-turns, but not totally up the yin-yang, if you get my drift. The film is basically narrated by the youngest hitman of the group, Ha Yoon, played by Won Bin (a Korean heartthrob, I think). He is the computer hacker specialist and also the younger brother of the groups' leader, Sang Yoon, played by Shin Hyun Jun (Bichunmoo). The rest of the team consists of a bomb specialist, Jung Woo (Shin Ha Kyun), who is probably the most comical figure among the group, and a very poised, quiet sniper, Jae Young (Jung Jae Young). Sang Yoon and his group of professionals are highly intelligent men with a twisted look at their "occupation." They feel they are "needed" in society to carry out heinous deeds for their significant clients. The plot focuses around a basic cat and mouse game where a sly and cunning detective is in hot pursuit of our criminals.

Let me spill out my feelings to you viewers, these four actors make for the most cine-orgasmic onscreen non-sex orgy ever. Ooh, aah. They have the best chemistry, quad wise, I've ever seen. And, yes, I saw "Ocean's Eleven" with Pitt, Clooney, Damon and Garcia. The only thing these second generation Rat-Packers had on these Korean guys was a "Pretty Woman." The situations these individuals get themselves into are hilarious and it's sheer genious. After watching Shin Hyun Jun play the role of Jinha/Jahalang in Bichunmoo, I was expecting a performance worthy of comparison in Guns and Talks. However, I didn't get that from him in this movie. Being the leader of a group of killers would be the most fitting role for him after leading those black-caped Korean assassins in Bichunmoo, but that cold-hearted trait that seems to accompany all Osama-like leaders wasn't there. What I found instead is a direct connection to why viewers will marvel at this movie. Shin Hyun Jun brings a sense of light-hearted nature to the forefront as the leader. Yes, I'll admit his character will be the one arranging all of their cruel acts and he will jump on your case if you don't carry them out, but it's the unspoken pride that brings him to do all that--not his true self. This, exactly, is what drive this movie forward. The hidden aspect is what we'll eventually uncover as the story unfolds before our eyes. It was a very fun ride for me as you can tell.

Get your friends together and enjoy this "gotta catch the bad guys, but who's the bad guys anyway?" movie. It's a comedy with some action thrown in for good measure. Guns and Talks is an enthralling new movie that puts some recent American action/comedy flicks to shame. If only Disneyland had a ride like this, you can be sure you'll find me there while stealing a little twirp's ticket and cutting in line. In other words, like Disneyland, the fun never ends--well at least until the ending Korean credits.