by Charles Kirkland Jr.
Acclaimed action-film genius Ryoo Seung-wan, fresh off the success of his aquatic-crime epic Smugglers,
brings us the highly anticipated sequel to his blockbuster, Veteran called I, The Executioner.
Returning detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min) now faces the challenges of fatherhood while
grappling with the impact of his brutal job on his family. Joining him is rookie officer Park Sun-woo (Jung
Hae-in), an ambitious young agent enamored with the dark side of police work and the intoxicating
power it has lent him. They team up to hunt a serial killer, emboldened and empowered by social media,
who is targeting criminals who seemingly have managed to escape justice.
I, The Executioner is written and directed by Ryoo Seung-wan. It stars Ahn Bo-hyun, Oh Dae-hwan, Oh
Dal-su, Jung Hae-in, Hwang Jung-min and Woo Jung-won.
Ryoo Seung-wan offers a film that is not only a stylish martial arts film documenting the work of the
major crimes unit in Korea, it is a dark, yet super-smart commentary on social media and its influence
upon law enforcement both potential and real. At the same time, Seung-wan offers a very obvious
condemnation of media outlets that provide “fake,” manufactured news and profit from misery and
exploitation.
At its heart, Executioner is a highly stylized martial arts masterpiece. The stunt choreography is rapid-fire and exhaustively electric but also gritty and real and tinged with comedy. Somehow Ryoo Seung-wan finds a way to combine great martial arts with a true crime plot that makes sense and is suspenseful.
With a content advisory for violence and bullying, I, The Executioner is a standalone sequel that builds
on the legacy of the original. The film’s reflection on the blurred lines between good and evil resonates
deeply, offering a complex view of justice and violence in today’s society.
Grade: B+