Today’s quick review: Troubleshooter. Private detective Kang Tae-sik (Sol Kyung-gu) has to go on the lam when he is framed for murder. Using the tape that can clear Kang’s name as an incentive, the killer (Lee Jung-jin) forces Kang to kidnap Yoon Dae-hee (Lee Sung-min), a key witness in a corruption investigation. Meanwhile, Detective Choi Sang-cheol (Dal-su Oh) deduces that there is more to Kang’s case than meets the eye.
Troubleshooter is a Korean action thriller about an ex-cop forced to break the law to clear his name. Caught in the middle of a political cover-up, Kang must use his wits to figure out why he was targeted and what to do about it. Troubleshooter offers a fair amount of action and a plot with some interesting twists. However, a weak opening act, a nondescript protagonist, and mediocre fight scenes keep the movie from standing out.
Troubleshooter suffers from poor motivation, at least at first. The frame job on Kang is flimsy enough that he has no reason to run from the police, while the killer goes to a lot of trouble to have Kang kidnap Yoon, a job he clearly could have handled himself. The reasons for these discrepancies are eventually revealed, but the movie plays coy with what is really going on, making it hard for the audience to invest.
Later on, Troubleshooter’s plot becomes one of its strong points. Kang pulls off some clever tricks once he has some idea of what is going on, and the conspiracy to frame him has some good layers to it. Viewers willing to push through the movie’s rough start will find a rewarding second half.
As for its action, Troubleshooter is a mixed bag. The quantity of the action, as well as few bursts of inspiration here and there, should be enough to satisfy fans of the genre. But the overall quality is not that high, and the movie uses choppy camerawork to cover for its basic stunts.
Give Troubleshooter a shot when you are in the mood for an action thriller and are willing to forgive some rough edges. The movie does not stand with the best of its genre, and its poorly motivated opening makes the rest of the movie an uphill struggle for the audience’s approval. But between its well-chosen plot twists and sense of urgency, Troubleshooter manages to be worthwhile in the end.
For an action thriller with a similar plot and similarly shaky execution, try Quicksand. For an action thriller with a similar setup but a more dangerous protagonist, try Shooter. For one that delves even deeper into the political conspiracy angle, try Enemy of the State.
[6.2 out of 10 on IMDB](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1846803/). I give it a 6.0 to 6.5 for a solid plot hurt by a weak start and mediocre action.