The Roundup: No Way Out

The third part of a Korean police series. Ma Seok-do now works in another unit. His method has not changed: he breaks the door, goes in without asking questions and puts the man in front of him down with one punch. In this film a new synthetic drug comes onto the market. It arrives from Japan and the man organising distribution is a policeman using his own jurisdiction to run it. At the same time a yakuza group comes over from the Japanese side and wants its share. Ma has to deal with three sides at once: the dealers, the corrupt policeman and the group from outside. The structure keeps to what the series does: short passages of investigation, humour and long fights. Guns are used sparingly in the action and the fights are at close quarters. The appeal of the character comes from the simplicity of his method, and the narrative is built on that and explains little. Don Lee plays Ma; he is also a producer and took part in the writing. Lee Sang-yong directed. It was a large success at the Korean box office and the series continued. A production that goes straight for its target for anyone who likes Korean action cinema. For a viewer expecting a complex police story, the film keeps the investigation simple and gives its weight to the fights.