A Violent Prosecutor (2016) (DVD) (Hong Kong Version) DVD Region 3

Hwang Jung-min plays Byun Jae-wook, a prosecutor with little time for the niceties of the job, known for his foul temper and often violent methods. Byun's life is turned upside down when he roughs up a suspect involved in a land development scandal, who later dies in custody, with the prosecutor being accused of his murder. Despite following the advice of Assistant Prosecutor General Jong-gil (Lee Sung-min), he ends up being sentenced to 15 years behind bars, where he makes life more bearable by using his skills to win over the guards and other prisoners. After five years in the slammer he meets new arrival Han Chi-won (Kang Dong-won), a slick swindler who happens to have been involved in the land development case, and the two form an uneasy alliance to try and get to the bottom of the conspiracy.

Originality clearly isn't the strong suit of A Violent Prosecutor, the film seeing Lee Il-hyung playing things as safe as possible with his debut, following the formula laid down by a long list of other films to the letter. The film plays out entirely as expected, with very little in the way of surprises or real tension, and anyone familiar with Korean thrillers over the last decade should have a very clear idea of where it's going from the opening scenes. As a result, it's hard not to get an impression of the film going through the motions at times, and ther'’s a distinct lack of creativity on show, so much so that the film becomes indistinguishable from many of its similarly-themed peers. Even the central mystery and conspiracy are blindingly obvious, and Lee never manages to instil any sense of danger or threat to either of its protagonists.

To be fair, this is a criticism which could be levelled at an increasingly high proportion of Korean films of the type, and A Violent Prosecutor isn't really a worse offender than any other of the accused. To his credit, Lee does manage to hold the interest, and viewers not tired of the form should find his treatment of the usual themes of corruption, social morals and righteousness worthy enough. The film does benefit from at least having a bit of variation, shifting in and out of prison and the courtroom, and the mix of comedy and drama is a pleasing one, with a few funny scenes scattered throughout. Lee also works in some decent action scenes, mostly the expected chases and mass brawls, and these help to keep the pace up during a somewhat overstretched two hours plus running time.

More important, and likely the chief reason behind the film’s box office success, is the presence of the always-likeable Hwang Jung-min, who adds a very welcome touch of charisma and tough charm. Though Byun Jae-wook is the kind of role the actor could likely play in his sleep, it's fun seeing him chewing the scenery, even if he doesn’t have that much to do for significant stretches of the film. Kang Dong-won gets around the same amount of screen time, and so it’s fortunate that he's similarly on enjoyable form, his tricky con artist getting most of the film's laughs, mostly revolving around his shabby seduction attempts of unsuspecting women. The film is at its best when the two are sharing scenes, Hwang and Kang having an entertaining chemistry and dynamic, which Lee makes the most of in the best mismatched couple and buddy movie fashion, with plenty of banter and bickering.

To an extent, this helps to distract from the shortcomings of A Violent Prosecutor, making it a modestly successful debut for Lee Il-hyung. Perfectly watchable but imminently disposable, it's a film which should be enjoyed by fans of Hwang Jung-min, though even they will probably find themselves yearning for a little more innovation and effort.

by James Mudge - EasternKicks.com