PUBLIC ENEMY RETURNS (Korea, 2008)

INTERNATIONAL PREMIERE

127 minutes, 35mm, in Korean with English subtitles
Directed by: Kang Woo-Suk
Starring: Sol Kyung-gu, Jung Jae-young, Lee Moon-shik

The Korean film industry has not been having a very good year, and all hopes are pinned on this summer blockbuster, that will open at the NYAFF just a few days after it premieres in Korea. The original PUBLIC ENEMY told the story of a corrupt, burnt-out cop, Kang Chul-Joong, whose professional passions are reignited when he crosses paths with a pampered, spoiled thrill killer. This time around, Kang is ready to retire. A lifetime of fighting crime has given him scars, injuries, a credit rating of zero and no savings. He can’t afford a house, and caring for his family is out of the question unless he can find a way to come up with some cash. On the other end of the social spectrum is Lee Won-Sul, a successful businessman who has hundreds of investments, a country house, a doting family and an influential place in society. He’s much-loved, he’s highly respected and he is a great man in all the ways the irascible, corner-cutting, deadbeat Kang is not.

So when Kang comes up with a link between Lee and some recent murders, people tend not to believe him. The more he tries to prove that everyone’s favorite fella is a slimy crook commanding an empire of crime, the more he’s dismissed as jealous, crazy and, finally, downright dangerous. The original PUBLIC ENEMY was a massive critical and commercial hit when it was released in Korea back in 2002. But the sequel, ANOTHER PUBLIC ENEMY, was a lifeless, talky flick that died of paralysis and while it made a lot of money, no one was very happy with it. Now, director Kang Woo-Suk is back for the third installment and he’s teamed with screenwriter Jang Jin/ and they’ve sworn that they won’t make the same mistakes again.

Considering that Kang Woo-Suk was voted the most powerful man in Korean entertainment for seven years running and that Jang Jin is the industry’s current high priest of writers (he wrote the sparkling WELCOME TO DONGMAKOL) that’s not an empty promise. The cast alone is enough to give you pause. Sol Kyung-Gu of last year’s NYAFF crowd-pleaser, CRUEL WINTER BLUES, is one of Korea’s best grizzled actors and he returns to reprise his role as the hard-drinking, hammer-fisted cop, Kang Chul-Joong. Writer Jang Jin’s favorite leading man, Jung Jae-Young, plays his first villain role as Lee Won-Sul, and the rest of the cast are a host of Korea’s most popular character actors. This may be a simple flick about cops out to take down the bad guys, but it’s the movie into which all of the Korean film industry has poured its hopes this summer.

Public Enemy Returns will be released in Korea on June 19, 2008. Visit the official website