Today’s quick review: Revenger. For taking revenge on the criminals who killed his family, Interpol agent Yul Kim (Bruce Khan) is sentenced to death and sent to a prison island in the Indian Ocean. There he saves the lives of Maly (Yoon Jin-seo) and her daughter Jin (Kim Na-yeon) in exchange for the location of Kuhn (Park Hee-soon), the prisoner who rules the island. With Jin in tow, Yul sets out to kill Kuhn and finish avenging his family.
Revenger is a violent Korean action movie about an ex-cop on a single-minded quest for revenge. Set on a jungle island where Asia’s worst criminals have been left to fend for themselves, Revenger pits the unlikely trio of Yul, Maly, and Jin against a sadistic drug kingpin and his men. Sharp action, decent acting, and a tight plot make Revenger a worthwhile entry into the action genre. However, the movie never ventures beyond the basics.
Revenger gets its action right. Yul Kim has a distinctive fighting style that relies on firm footing and swift kicks, letting him dispatch swarms of foes with ease. The early fights are skewed a little too heavily in his favor, but the later ones give him more of a challenge. Revenger also suffers from a lack of variety—the fights all have roughly the same setup—but Maly’s bow, a few knives, and Yul’s later foes keep the action just fresh enough.
Revenger’s story is not as satisfying. At its core, the plot is a straight shot from Yul’s arrival on the island to his confrontation with Kuhn. The film attempts to flesh out this skeleton with the trouble Jin gets into along the way, Maly’s reluctance to accept Yul as an ally, and the antics of the other survivors. But none of these efforts are enough; the story remains shallow, linear, and lacking in terms of emotional connection and payoff.
Watch Revenger when you’re in the mood for uncomplicated action on the darker side of the genre. Its solid stunt work makes it a serviceable entry into the genre, but its weak story and lack of variety keep it from being anything more. Skip it if you’re looking for an engrossing story, likable characters, or bigger stunts. For a revenge story with sharper martial arts and more heart, try The Protector.
5.6 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 out of 10 for basic but effective action, let down by a mediocre plot.