CERT: TBC | DIRECTOR: LEE BYEONG-HEON | SCREENPLAY: BAE SE-YOUNG | STARRING: RYU SEUNG-RYONG, LEE HANEE, JIN SEON-KYU, LEE DONG-HWI, GONG MYUNG | RELEASE DATE: TBC
A failing narcotics squad is given a golden opportunity to catch Korea’s biggest drug lord – but in order to do so, they must go undercover in a chicken restaurant and undertake an Extreme Job.
Comedy is a subjective genre. Some like slapstick and body humour, others well written witty dialogue – so when a film manages to combine all of those elements whilst making it relatable and engaging, you are on to something special. It’s very clear to see that not only Extreme Job one of the best comedies of 2019 but also why this film dominated the South Korean box office and even beat the Disney powerhouse, Avengers Endgame.
The squad of five which consists of Chief Go (Ryu Seung-ryong) the determined leader of the group, the badass Detective Jang (Lee Hanee), the regimented Detective Young-ho (Lee Dong-hwi), Detective Ma (Jin Seon-kyu) who has a hidden talent and the loveable newbie Detective Jae-hoon (Gong Myung) – all possess unique skills and all share immensely powerful family-esque chemistry that allows the audience to buy into the plot straight from the word go – and so do the laughs!
The team end up purchasing a chicken shop to go undercover and accidentally create one of the most popular eateries in all of Korea which puts a strain on their operation and hilariously blurs the lines between reality and the mission.
The dialogue is sharp, concise and allows each character to develop their own personality and traits. For example, Chief Go is nicknamed “Zombie” due to the fact that he’s been stabbed multiple times and has never been killed by it. A subtle detail which is ingrained into your mind early on and pays off in the final act to glorious comedic effect.
However, the only aspect which prevents the film from hitting a home run us the slight exposition-heavy pacing issue about halfway through the runtime, but the film combats that by getting straight back to the laughs.
Extreme Job is another absolute smash hit for South Korean cinema and takes the buddy cop action movie genre to the next level. Side splittingly funny from start to finish with unrivalled chemistry from each of the lead actors – it’s the action-comedy we’ve all been waiting for. (as you may have guessed, Hollywood has now got their grubby mitts on the property for an English Language remake…)
