Seu-pa-i (2013) Reviews

• Good times with a Korean super spy and his oblivious wife

  Quebec_Dragon2014-08-08

  It was a very enjoyable and fun movie reminiscent of the old Arnold Schwarzenegger movie True Lies that was also a remake of a French Film called "La Totale". There are very similar elements between "The Spy" and "Trues Lies" but "The Spy" is far from a copy. In both, it features a super spy/counter-terrorism agent who goes on missions while his wife thinks he's just a normal man holding a boring, ordinary job. The wife eventually gets involved in a case. She's a flight attendant desperately wanting to get pregnant as apparently that's very important in South Korea. She's obsessed with that goal seeming one-dimensional even annoying at times, but she eventually turns out to be perhaps the best and funniest element of the film. The action mostly takes place in Thailand where, through sheer coincidence, or is it, the husband and wife are there at the same time. She doesn't know he's there but he keeps tabs on her as a tall, young and handsome man (actually a "terrorist") tries to subtly woo her for reasons unknown. The jealous and awkward reactions of the spy/husband make for some of the funniest bits. Very funny also are the reactions of a female agent at base regarding the handsome "terrorist". It's a very dynamic movie with good action pieces and decent special effects that didn't really look computer-generated (as often happens in modern action/fantastical Asian movies). The plot itself involving a pretty North Korean nuclear scientist wanting to defect to South Korea is quite entertaining and full of twists, better than most action movie plots, as several agencies (from different countries) compete to get or keep her. Parallel to all that is our hero more interested in what his wife does than the mission at hand and having to secretly protect her because she keeps getting in the thick of things. I saw this at the Montreal Fantasia Festival. There were several laugh-out loud moments and I laughed too although I'm usually quite difficult when it comes to humor. I enjoyed the acting (except for all the Caucasian people who seemed bland and amateurish) but keep in mind it's played broader and sillier than what we're used to in North American movies, especially for the wife. The Spy: Undercover Operation was a very entertaining film from start to finish and I'd recommend watching it for a good time. Rating: 7.5 out of 10 (Very good)

  More

• The Spy Review: Full-on entertainment!

  Prashast_Singh2018-03-18

  Movie: The Spy (15): Action/Comedy - Korean Positives: Negatives: Repeat value: Yes THE SPY is a completely entertaining action comedy which is gripping from the start to finish. Do watch it, and especially, don't miss the end!

• Fast paced action comedy...

  paul_haakonsen2017-06-30

  Not being familiar with "The Spy: Undercover Mission" was not a hindrance for me when I decided to sit down to watch it. All that really was needed was the fact that the movie was South Korean. I am a big fan of Asian cinema, and South Korea make some really great movies. And the fact that this was an action comedy just made it so much more appealing. The movie starts out at a really great pace, showing Chul-Soo (played by Kyoung-gu Sul) during an undercover operation gone bad, all the while his wife Young-Hee (played by So-ri Moon) is constantly calling him. Then it changes to Chul-Soo's mother's 70 year old birthday, where the wife is being scolded for not having had any children and with Chul-Soo running very late. So this pretty much sets the atmosphere of the movie and showcase what we can expect from very early on in the movie. And I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed this introduction, because it puts the audience into the movie from the very beginning, and there is no having to sit through a prolonged introduction of characters and establishing of storyline. Already from the very beginning it is quite obvious that the production value to "The Spy: Undercover Mission" is quite impressive. So you know that this is going to be a fun ride. The characters in the movie were quite good, and also very likable. Chul-Soo was especially interesting, as he transferred the rules of negotiation even to his marriage. And his wife Young-Soo was also a good character, because she was a very good counter-piece of character to his character. As for the cast recruited to perform in the movie and perform as the various characters and roles throughout the movie, well then I will say that they had a good assembly of good acting performers. It is always nice to see Kyoung-gu Sul in a movie, because he is a diverse actor. I can't really claim to be particularly familiar with So-ri Moon, but she performed quite well alongside Kyoung-gu Sul. The storyline is a good combination of a good story, comedy, action and character development. So writers Su-jin Park and JK Youn really did come up with something quite clever and entertaining. And director Lee Seung-jun brought the script and storyline onto the screen quite well. The action sequences are quite nicely choreographed and equally so executed on the screen by the performers. There is a good flow to them and they seem quite believable. The movie gets wide and far around, because there are Koreans, Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Americans present throughout the course of the movie. So there is also an abundance of different languages being spoken, most of which is Korean, of course. If you enjoy South Korean cinema, or Asian cinema in general, then you should definitely take the time to watch "The Spy: Undercover Mission".

  More