Korean Fried Chicken (2019)

Mostly dumb but overall entertaining slapstick police comedy

This movie has been a huge hit for the South Korean box office and is starring very well-known veterans actors. It is a police comedy with a lot of slapstick humour which works overall well but lack emotions.

I was a bit disappointed by the story because the team of cops we follow are overly dumb and bad at their job. I know that it is the point of the film to have seemingly "good-for-nothing" police officers trying their best during their investigation and raising to the occasion, but it felt really too much here and I found myself not really invested in their successes.

Overall, characterization was lacking in the scenario. The protagonists are not that endearing to the viewer and seem written quite superficially in a caricatural way. There are very few female characters but I was happy to see that the couple of them more central to the plot were represented as bad-ass and strong women.

The cast did a good job however I think the script was a bit limiting for them, preventing them to express their full potential. It is especially the case for Ryu Seung Ryong and Shin Ha Kyun which are both delivering solid performances (but nothing compared to the outstanding roles they hold in others series I recently discovered them in).

Despite those defaults, I still had a good time watching the movie. I found the production value pretty high and I enjoyed the invigorating soundtrack as well. Overall, it is entertaining and well made.

I would recommend this to people looking for a blockbuster police comedy with a good ensemble cast. It is a fun ride which lack substance and characterization but does the job in term of entertaining value. And sometimes, that is enough for sure.

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I wanna eat that emperor chicken

I am one of those who watched the Chinese remake Lobster Cop, first and overall kind of liked it, but when I watched the Original Korean Movie “Extreme Jobs” I was stunned. I felt like what crap did the Chinese do to such a good movie. The original movie is 1000 times better.

Story: “Extreme job” which is running the restaurant is their undercover but it also shows how they are trapped in the crime while trying to entrap a criminal gang.

Acting: the actors seem to be made for the characters. They not just acted but they lived the characters. Their dialogues and expressions were spot on. Actors looked unattractive with rugged and rough language, but that was the beauty. They are not on some fashion show, but cops who catch criminals so their personalities and looks suited them.

Humor: is extremely good. It is situational-based and not forced. Every act feels like my jaw would drop laughing.

Action: it is awesome. I just love it. They fight like humans, not superheroes. They get hurt and bruised but they continue with all their might

Music: in action movies what counts as music, gunshots or the fight squeaks, or walking with shoe sounds. Otherwise, BGM is done finely.

Rewatch: this movie is worth rewatching. It can make one laugh and happy.

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What a funny yet talented cops!

I actually watched this in two parts (30-minutes and 80-minutes) but that didn't decrease the mood and the enjoyment that has been set by this movie at all. I still remember vividly what was the 1st 30-minutes about. That's one of the signs of how good this movie is. There's nothing new about the overall story, but I really appreciate the way this movie portrays the "unique" friendship between different teams in the same police department. I mean it's still rare (I think) because what I've always found in this kind of genre was the high tension, over-competitiveness, and hatred growing between teams in the same department or even in the whole police office like, "are all police an enemy in the blanket for each other or what??". And for the acting skills...THEY ALL NAILED IT AS I EXPECTED. I laughed a lot, smiled a lot, and also THRILLED A LOT. No bad actors could make me feel that way. Overall it's a really GOOD MOVIE. Not too much but not too less, just a perfect dose of seriousness and hilariousness "for me". I don't know why the rating is only 8.3 on MDL. After all, people have different tastes and I'm not one who enjoyed the too-serious type of movie, so this movie is just perfect for me. I really enjoyed it and will respectfully rewatch it.

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Unique Plot

The movie truly shows how far hard work can get you, even if you work as a police officer or as a chicken restaurant employee. They used the situation they were in and made the best out of it. And it all makes it easier when you got your friends around you. Friendship can get you through most situations.

With its unique plot and a unique type of characters, Extreme Job leaves you wondering what you just watched. All of the actors fit their role so good, its a pleasure to watch. I liked how you don't really expect what to happen throughout the movie and just sit there laughing at the unreal coincidences. It was truly a funny movie to watch and it might be something I will rewatch one day.

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Extreme Job is a movie that features a somewhat average plot, but turns it into a fantastic experience. I got into it with little to no expectations, but I was blown away by how amazing it was.

The story is pretty basic: we've got a group of cops who are trying their best to catch bad guys. However, there's the fried chicken twist and it keeps it all fresh. The action scenes are exciting, well shot and awesomely choreographed.

The soundtrack was enjoyable and funny, but it's nothing special. It added to the atmosphere quite a bit, though.

I was entertained throughout the entire ~2 hours of runtime. The pacing was excellent and the characters were all eccentric but real and lovable people. Honestly the best thing in this movie was the cast - I absolutely loved it, they totally owned the characters and this is what REALLY made this a great experience.

I haven't rewatched Extreme Job yet, but I'll be sure to. Recommended to everyone who's tired of crying their heart out at depressing movies - you'll be crying tears of laughter this time.

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The hype surrounding the movie was what turned me off from watching it for a long time, but I must say that it delivers. The cast is fantastic, with the team of underdog detectives having some hilarious chemistry with each other. The villains and gangsters were equally well-played. The plot is interesting, but quickly delves into cop-comedy territory which we've all been in before, yet it is executed very nicely.

The highlight of the movie is the humor. It's not very over-the-top, or cringe-worthy. Although I had previously read a lot of criticism for the style of humor in this movie, I must say that I enjoyed it thoroughly. I remember laughing out loud at some of the jokes as well.

Music-wise, it was alright. I don't remember anything exceptional from it.

The movie was well-done. It's a fun watch, and you can definitely enjoy it if you're in the mood for something to make you laugh.

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A MUST WATCH FILM, especially for those that enjoy comedy, action, and crime genres!

Overall - 10/10

I absolutely loved this film. There were many elements that captivated me. The story suited the cast exceptionally well, while the cast played out the story exceptionally well. The chemistry between the main characters was top notch. The depth of the plot and the nonchalance of the delivery was a refreshingly brilliant combination. This film is known to have done amazing in Korean box office but I still feel that it is very underrated. The film deserves way more recognition, especially on a global scale.

Story - 10/10

From the first scene on, I was already laughing. It truly stayed true to its comedy tag. It was absolutely hilarious. I would catch myself unable to stop myself from laughing many times throughout the film. Personally I'm not a fan of comedies, I often see that most times the plot and direction is sacrificed for the laughs. But not this, it had a clear plot, that was easy to understand. The writers didn't compromise the story for the laughs but rather used comedy to further emphasise the plot. Comedic elements came at exactly the right times, not allowing the film to lose its lightheartedness at any moment. It was easy to identify the reason as to why those characters were chose as a team and why they had great teamwork. There was no need for an elaborate back story to showcase the closeness of the main characters. There was never too much depth and never too little, there was just enough to get you hooked. The action was seamless. At no point did the action and the dark undertone of the film compromise its carefree ambience. The characters were all unique and dynamic.

Cast - 10/10

I watched this movie for Lee Ha Nee. You just know that she's going to go home with her characters. Lee Ha-Nee and a comedy tag? Speak no more, I'm in. As expected Ha-Nee will never not do amazing! I can't imagine any others playing these characters. The cast did a spectacular job in bringing their characters to life. The film was saturated with A-Listers and veterans. Every single role was played to perfection. The film was packed with some of my favourite actors: Lee Ha-Nee, Ryu Seung-Ryong, Gong Myung, Shin Ha-Kyun, and Oh Jung-Se.

Music - 9/10

I was simply too focused on the actions and lines of the characters that I didn't pay attention to the music and sound effects. Nothing stood out for me to remember or recall a memorable OST or instrumental element. However, there was also nothing that the film lacked either. The sound effects and music did its 's job emphasising action and shied away from stealing the limelight.

Rewatch Value - 9/10

The only reason the rewatch value was not a 10/10, was because I felt that the film was extremely memorable. The film made a long-lasting place for itself in my mind. I, personally, am not the type to rewatch content in general, even more so if the content is memorable and good. Although, I'd love to rewatch the film with friends so, that I can enjoy all the inevitable laughter with the company of others.

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"오늘부터 퇴근 없다!"

서투르고 한심하고 어리석다.
I just can't stand all these poorly made dumb movies that make a fortune by involving big names and accessible concepts while small authors with better filmmaking skills don't get attention.

?️Separate scenes are hanging loose, and the acting and lines feel very forced. Lee Byeong Heon totally abandoned that thing called rhythm. He is one terrible director among many in the action thriller genre in Korea. I just despise that type of movies, including Master and the recent Alien. Imagine how would it flow if Edgar Wright shot it - because that's what cinematography is about!

I am damn revolted, and I hope I never make anything like this when it's my time to shoot a feature.

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