“Big Deal” Theatrical Poster

Director: Choi Yoon-jin
Cast: Yoo Hae-jin, Lee Je-hoon, Byron Mann, Son Hyeon-ju, Choi Young-Joon, Kim Ki-Hae
Running Time: 104 min.

By Paul Bramhall

Watch any Korean movie from the last 30 years, and it won’t be too long before the ubiquitous green soju bottle (usually several of them) makes an appearance, the alcoholic beverage that’s remained the number one best selling hangover inducer in the world for almost as long. While soju has always played an integral part in Korean cinema – from the tipsy conversations of practically every Hong Sang-soo movie ever made, to the comedic mishaps in the likes of Daytime Drinking – Big Deal is certainly the first production that can label itself as a soju themed financial drama.

Spanning 6 years from 1997 to 2003, the plot takes its inspiration from the real-life story of Jinro Soju, which was acquired by Hite with a little help from Goldman Sachs in the late 90’s (check the back of any soju bottle in your local Korean restaurant or Asian supermarket, and chances are you’ll find it was made by Hite Jinro). For obvious reasons, in Big Deal the name of the soju brand is the fictional Gukbo, with the narrative opening in the midst of the Asian Financial Crisis. With Gukbo facing bankruptcy, the company president tasks the loyal financial director to work with a consultant from a global investment firm, with the latter promising they have the strategy to get Gukbo out trouble.

The CFO is played by Yoo Hae-jin (Yadang: The Snitch, Exhuma), bringing his typical mix of cheerful amicability to the role while hiding a sad past, with his unwavering dedication to the company costing his relationship with his wife and daughter. His dedicated company man is played off against the consultant he’s paired with, played by Lee Je-hoon (Escape, Time to Hunt), who after living overseas for 10 years views working as simply a way to make money, and can’t quite fathom why Hae-jin is so passionate about securing the future of Gukbo. But secure it Je-hoon he does, finding a way to offer the company a 5-year reprieve from debtors, while hiding the fact that behind the scenes he’s using his access to Gukbo’s financial records to set up a takeover by the investment firm he works for, the plan being to then sell it off for a significant profit.

Financial thrillers are a tricky proposition (see Herman Yau’s A Gilded Game for the perfect example of how not to do one), however in recent years Korean cinema has occasionally looked to the Asian Financial Crisis era for inspiration, with 2018’s Default also set during the period. While Default told the bigger picture of Korea’s negotiations with the International Monetary Fund when the country was on the brink of bankruptcy, comparatively Big Deal feels like a more intimate portrayal, instead using the crisis as a framework to focus on the relationship between Hae-jin and Je-hoon. Indeed there are times when the movie it most recalls is Pretty Woman, just minus the woman part. Je-hoon and Hae-jin’s relationship echoes the dynamic between Richard Gere as the detached businessman buying up faltering businesses, and Ralph Bellamy as the traditionalist, unwilling to let go of the company he’s dedicated his life to.

Does the world really need a Korean take on a side story from a 1990 Hollywood romcom? The odds feel stacked against it, however for the most part Big Deal works as an engaging character drama. It also feels like a distinctly Korean topic (a comment I also made about The Match that was similarly released in 2025 – could it be the Korean film industry is shifting back to more local tastes after years of targeting the global market?), as there’s no escape from the fact it’s the story of a soju company experiencing financial trouble, and the question of if it can be saved or not. It’s not going to be immediately relatable subject matter for overseas audiences, and there’s a lot of the inevitable soju talk of how “the taste is bittersweet, just like life”, however Hae-jin and Je-hoon make for a likeable pair, and their onscreen chemistry works well.

Outside of the pair though other characters don’t fare quite as well, with a supporting cast that occasionally dips into caricature territory. The number one guilty party is the casting of Steven Seagal regular Byron Mann (Belly of the Beast, A Dangerous Man), who plays one of the Chinese American executives in the investment firm Je-hoon works for. Wearing a smarmy villainous grin for the entirety of his time onscreen, liberally using the word “f*ck” in every other sentence, and generally hamming it up to pantomime like levels, there’s a glaring lack of subtlety to his portrayal that makes it impossible to take him seriously. As a trivial side note, while Big Deal marks Mann’s debut in a Korean production, he notably played the bad guy in the Park Joong-hoon starring Hollywood movie American Dragons from 1998.

The directorial debut of Choi Yoon-jin, who previously wrote the scripts for 2013’s Steel Cold Winter and 2014’s Office, for his first time helming a production Yoon-jin is also expectedly behind the script of Big Deal. There’s some welcome humor interspersed amongst the talk of bonds and creditors, with one particularly fun poke at how many feel soju brands all taste the same, as Je-hoon struggles to describe the taste of one of Gukbo’s latest concoctions. Due to his character having lived in New York for 10 years, the script understandably gives him plenty of lines in English, which unfortunately come across as a little too phonetic to feel authentic. While I always admire actors tackling a language that isn’t their own, when the result is that it reminds us precisely that it’s an actor delivering lines in a language they’re not used to, for the audience it breaks the immersion in the story, and that’s sadly the case here.

Despite these minor issues though, for the most part Yoon-jin displays an assured hand for his first time in the director’s chair, and shows a welcome level of restraint in keeping the runtime to a brisk 104 minutes. In a climate where it often feels like everything needs to be shown rather than simply suggested, it’s admirable that we never have to sit through any flashbacks of Hae-jin back when he was still living with his wife and daughter (and I confess I was expecting them!), instead letting his facial expressions show the regret he feels. There’s a simple joy in seeing an actor be allowed to act, and trust that their acting is enough to tell the story without explaining it through exposition (or throwing in pace deadening flashback sequences), and it’s refreshing to see such an approach in a directorial debut.

Admittedly some of the symbolism feels a little on the nose, none more so than how the likes of the company president and villainous lawyers all insist on sipping glasses of whiskey rather than soju. At one point I wouldn’t have been surprised if one of them declared “soju is too much of a working-class drink for our educationally superior tastes!” Thankfully the implication is kept visual, and at least most of the whiskey sipping is done by the stellar supporting cast. Son Hyun-joo (The Phone, Hide and Seek) is suitably entitled as the self-serving company president who inherited its riches from his parents, with almost every line he speaks related to how he can make himself richer. While his character may be two dimensional, he still imbues it with a few distinctive quirks, with the constant opening and closing of his Motorola flip phone to express frustration fleshing out his character in a way the script fails to do.

Surprisingly Big Deal opts for more of a low key ending over any kind of corporate histrionics, a decision that works in its favour, with Yoon-jin using a post-credits sequence to show the passing of time from the closing scenes, one which offers up a satisfying coda on the simplicity of finding happiness. Transcending the financial drama label to end up more as a story of friendship and life lessons learnt, much like a bottle of soju after a long day at work, Big Deal hits the spot. Best of all, it’s only the former that leaves you with a headache the next day.

Paul Bramhall’s Rating: 7/10

The post Big Deal (2025) Review first appeared on cityonfire.com.

Rise of the Legend | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Roy Chow
Writer: Christine To
Cast: Eddie Peng, May Wang, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Sammo Hung, Jing Boran, Wong Cho Lam, Simon Yam, Max Zhang Jin, AngelaBaby, Feng Jia Yi, Byron Mann
Running Time: 131 min.

By oneleaf

19th Century China was a time of turmoil. The majority of the populace suffered from extreme poverty and Western imperialist pressure was slowly rearing its ugly head in major cities all over the country. Local feudal-like gangs engaging in turf wars have become a commonplace along with the proliferation of opium dens. An undercurrent of discontent from the masses was about to boil over…

This is the backdrop of Rise of the Legend in the port city of Guangzhou, China revolving around its main wharf controlled by two factions, the Black Tiger Clan and the Northern Sea Clan.

Rise of the Legend stars Eddie Peng (Unbeatable) as Wong Fei Hung and Sammo Hung (Once Upon a Time in Shanghai) as Lei Gong of the Black Tiger Clan. The film is a re-imagining of the life and times of Chinese folk hero Wong Fei Hung. Martial arts movie fans will no doubt remember the character made famous by Jet Li (Flying Swords of Dragon Gate) and Tsui Hark in the Once upon a Time in China film series. This new glossy interpretation chronicles Wong’s meteoric rise from street urchin to folk hero.

Rise of the Legend opens with a drenched Wong – obviously in distress – running amidst a heavy downpour, fighting for his life as axe and sword wielding goons rush at him from every direction. The Corey Yuen-choreographed clash is beautiful to look at. The slow motion pan and scan, the CGI and even some ‘wire-fu’ makes Peng (a non-martial artist in real life) look believable with his “shadowless kick” Wong is famous for. The almost-endless rhythmic ballet of punches and kicks – packed with a cacophony of sound – left me affixed to the screen. Heightening the life-and-death action in progress is the outstanding score by Shigeru Umebayashi (The Grandmaster).

Yuen finally redeems himself from the debacle that was Badges of Fury. Rise of the Legend is vintage Yuen. He’s truly in fine form here with his visual flair for summersaults, aerial wireworks and a variety of connecting kicks and punches. One particular inventive sequence made me want more: During a sword battle between Wong and his opponent, Wong’s sword flies out of his hand and impales onto a pillar on the opposite side of the room. After leaping atop his enemy – landing a near-fatal, closed fist knuckle blow to the head – Wong continues to strike him repeatedly. Stumbling backwards from the attack, his opponent basically decapitates himself, falling back onto the aforementioned sword. This clever scene has to be seen to be believed.

Peng’s casting as Wong was a good choice. His charismatic presence is well-balanced by his nonchalant, under-the-surface seething. Hung is excellent as s Boss Lei Gong, the cruel, tyrannical leader of the Black Tiger Clan. He’s ruthless, yet in his own way, benevolent to those he deemed loyal and worthy.

Peng reportedly buffed up and trained for almost an entire year in Nanquan (Southern fist) to prepare for the role. His dedication paid off: His moves are no mere mimicry; they appear powerful, effective and real (take this from someone who actually practices martial arts). He’s also quite adept at using the broadsword, which is no small feat for someone with a year’s training.

Rebooting the much beloved folk tale of Wong into Rise of the Legend was a gamble. Some detractors would label the film sacrilegious, compared to the Once Upon a Time in China series. However, even the Once Upon a Time in China series is a fictionalized rendition; not a biopic. The gamble, in my opinion, did pay off and this new tale of Wong stands on its own.

Rise of the Legend is not without drawbacks. Clocking in at over 2 hours long, the script borders on information overload: too many thematic elements are explored, but none are fully developed. As a result, Roy Chow’s (Nightfall) directing and pacing isn’t as smooth as it should be. It constantly transitions from one theme to the next with flashbacks. These transitions left very little room for character development for two main characters in the film.

Nevertheless, the film’s excellent choreography, overall storytelling and inevitable duel between Wong and Lei Gong make up for its shortcomings. What a finale.

Rise of the Legend is definitely recommended.

oneleaf’s rating: 7/10

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“The Man With the Iron Fists” Theatrical Poster

Director: RZA
Writer: RZA, Eli Roth
Cast: Russell Crowe, Cung Le, Lucy Liu, Byron Mann, RZA, Rick Yune, David Bautista, Jamie Chung, Daniel Wu, Gordon Liu, Chen Kuan-tai, Eli Roth, Pam Grier, Jon T. Benn, Terence Yin, MC Jin (Jin Au-Yeung)
Running Time: 96 min.

By Laser Beahm

If your 11-year-old son, nephew, grandchild, or alter-ego were to write and star in their own version of a Kung-Fu film, “The Man With the Iron Fists,” would be that film.

“The Man With the Iron Fists,” is an entertaining, gory thrill-ride that takes place in the fictional Jungle Village; a place for pirates, gangs, and whores. The film throws in everything a good Kung-Fu movie should have: action-packed fight scenes, a battle of good and evil, beautiful women, and fortune. “The Man With the Iron Fists,” however, reads more as parody to Kung-Fu movies than it does homage. The plot is muddled. The characters are underdeveloped. The scenes range from embarrassingly over-acted to confusing. But, for all its faults, it still has heart and is almost endearing.

The film is former Wu-Tang Clan member, RZA’s directorial debut. While it’s chaotic and perplexing, I found myself rooting for RZA, his character the Blacksmith, and, most of all, his movie. It’s as if I am watching my own son act in his first play. Sure, it’s riddled with flaws but there’s something so charming about the enthusiasm that oozes throughout the movie as a whole that I can’t help but love it despite all of its pitfalls.

There are moments of sheer brilliance. The scenes are beautiful. Zen Yi/The X-Blade, played by Rick Yune, does a fantastic job on screen. His martial arts skills are amazing, and his acting skills bring a brooding and stunning richness to his character. The main villain Silver Lion, played by Byron Mann, is the epitome of an anti-hero. He’s coarse and money-hungry, willing to hurt and kill anyone who gets in his way of amassing a quick fortune. His performance is reminiscent of David Bowie in “Labyrinth”: cool, beautiful, and Broadway-esque.

RZA himself does a great job as the films protagonist. He is enigmatic, dark, and worthy of the love of his muse, Lady Silk (Jamie Chung). However, the film takes a very strange turn while explaining RZA’s character, the Blacksmith. Taking us down a tangled web of slavery, monks, and a shipwreck, it’s never very clear just how the Blacksmith ended up in Jungle Village at all. But that’s just par for the course. The entire movie is built on a maze of stories that never really lead up to the action at hand.

The most confusing character of all is the Brass Body. While former WWE wrestler Dave Bautista looks amazing as he shows off some of his classic professional wrestling moves in the film, there is never a discussion as to who he is, who he is working for, why he is living in Jungle Village, or just how he came to have a “Brass Body.”

Russel Crowe also appears in the film as an Aussie mercenary named Jack Knife. His introduction into the film begins with him ripping a large man in half with his knife, then delving into a night full of debauchery in the Pink Blossom whore house, led by Madame Blossom (Lucy Lui). While Knife ultimately helps the Blacksmith, again there are problems with explaining why Crowe’s character is so sociopathic yet so willing to help the Blacksmith.

If you’re up for sheer entertainment and too tired from a long week at work to care about a precise plot, then I say “The Man With the Iron Fists” is definitely worth the money. If you are a Kung-Fu purist, with a knack for character development, then this movie will definitely lead to disappointment. Go with absolutely no expectations and you will come out feeling puzzled and completely entertained, like I did.

Laser Beahm’s Rating: 5.5/10

The post Man with the Iron Fists, The (2012) Review first appeared on cityonfire.com.

“Double Edge” VHS Cover

Director: Ralph Hemecker
Cast: Michael Biehn, Park Joong-hoon, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Don Stark, Byron Mann
Running Time: 91 min.

By Mighty Peking Man

Double Edge is one of those titles you’d see at your local video rental store and say: “Oh God…what the hell is this, another straight-to-video piece of shit?” or “Who the hell is that asian guy standing next to Michael Biehn, a wannabe Jackie Chan?” Well, I can’t blame anyone for making those remarks. After all, it’s an unknown flick. Other than the presence of Biehn (Terminator), Double Edge is a hard movie to sell (unless you’re a B-movie enthusiast who thinks Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa of Mortal Kombat is a selling-point).

But you know what? I know better. I’ve been doing my homework and can easily separate crap from the decent stuff. As much as I don’t mind Biehn, I didn’t see this movie for him. I saw it for the performance of Korea’s Park Joong-hoon.

Park Joong-hoon, probably best known for playing a psychotic cop in Lee Myung-sae’s Korean police-drama Nowhere To Hide, is barnone, the baddest mutherfucker working in Korean Cinema today (well, maybe not to that extent. Clarence Worley from True Romance possessed me for a second…). I’ve seen him in many Korean flicks and love his acting-style, so I had to check out his work in a Hollywood. The result: Even in an U.S. movie, this guy can act.

Park Joong-hoon’s english is almost flawless and his overall screen presence is something that can be compared to Chow Yun Fat. Basically, if you like Park Joong-hoon, then you don’t wanna miss this. If you don’t know who he is, watch Nowhere To Hide first, then I guarantee you’ll wanna see this; because other than a small part in The Truth About Charlie, it’s the only American-made film he has co-starred in.

Double Edge is a low budget action film with that typical buddy-cop thing thrown in. It’s a decent film that’s definitely steps above cheesy flicks of the same genre like Tango and Cash and Showdown in Little Tokyo. Keep in mind that it’s not a martial arts movie (I’m sure there’s a schmuck out there who thinks that just because there’s an “oriental” guy on the poster, he assumes the film has “kung fu” in it).

The director (Ralph Hemecker, who directed some of the X-Files TV episodes) and entire cast, including Byron Mann (The Corruptor) all make the best of it, despite the fact they probably knew it would only reach about 50 household DVD players.

It should be noted that Double Edge was co-written by Keith W. Strandberg, who is known for not only writing, but producing the No Retreat, No Surrender series, King of the Kickboxers, as well as Bloodmoon. Standberg is no Paul Schrader, but to fans of martial arts movies, the guy is respected (again, Double Edge is NOT a martial arts movie).

Double Edge is fair entertainment, but don’t go totally out of your way for it. If it’s on cable or something, watch it. If you’re a fan of Park Joong-hoon, definitely watch it!

Mighty Peking Man’s Rating: 6/10

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“The Corruptor” US Theatrical Poster

AKA: N.Y.P.D. 15
Director: James Foley
Cast: Chow Yun-Fat, Mark Wahlberg, Ric Young, Paul Ben-Victor, Jon Kit Lee, Andrew Pang, Brian Cox, Elizabeth Lindsey, Byron Mann, Bill MacDonald
Running Time: 110 min.

By Numskull

After seeing this movie, I breathed a huge sigh of relief. While not spectacular, it’s very solid in every way that counts, and after the abysmal Replacement Killers, Chow Yun-Fat was in dire need of a well put-together film with reasonable mainstream appeal to regain lost ground with American viewers.

It appears I breathed too soon, though, as neither The Corruptor nor CYF’s next U.S. film, Anna and the King, made significant impact. He had to return to Asia to make a movie that really delivered financially as well as artistically (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon). So does this mean his Hollywoodization is a doomed prospect? Maybe so, but never let it be said he didn’t put some effort into it.

The Corruptor has unjustly been labeled an action movie. I suspect that this is not so much because the powers that be are aware of what brought Chow Yun-Fat to the dance (his collaborations with John Woo, mostly) but because American standards regarding what constitutes an action flick are all fucked up.

“Oh, look, a shootout. File under action.”

“Oh, look, a car chase. File under action.”

“Oh, look, that girl slapped that guy. That’s almost a fist fight. File under action.”

Well, The Corruptor does have a couple of shootouts, and it does have a car chase (a ferocious one at that), but these are plot points. Storytelling tools. The violence is not the focal point of the whole film. It’s a story with familiar HK themes of redemption, betrayal, and honor among thieves. Perhaps this is why it didn’t sell well to most Americans…it’s too complicated for them.

In the wretched pile of feces known as The Replacement Killers, Chow Yun-Fat had his first English-speaking role and was stuck with an absolutely clueless director. He just kind of coasted through the whole thing, trying to look cool and not trip over his tongue. Here, he is clearly much more comfortable with the English language and does some actual ACTING instead of just reciting his dialogue for the camera. There are a few “What did he say?” lines but most of his speech is quite sufficient.

Unlike Antoine Fuqua, director James Foley “gets it”.

CYF’s co-star Mark Wahlberg is a former rapper and therefore obviously has no taste in music, but his acting abilities really aren’t bad. The supporting cast, which includes quite a few Chinese, is remarkably solid. There are no performances that truly suck. Almost every character in this movie is a villain on some level, and most of them are suitably despicable.

Really, the only bad thing about this movie is the soundtrack. It’s loaded with rap and pseudo-rap, the lowest forms of communication ever devised. Mercifully, none of it lasts very long, and it’s generally not obtrusive.

No reason not to watch this one, folks. It may not be spectacular but it’s finely polished and it’s got heart and originality, two things Hollywood films almost always lack.

Numskull’s Rating: 8/10

By Yates

James Foley’s The Corrupter isn’t a terrible film. It is an American one. Don’t go in expecting The Killer, this is more along the lines of Year of the Dragon. One thing I really liked about the film was the acting. Chow Yun-Fat gives a wonderful performance as the corrupted cop, Nick Chen, and Mark Whalberg is fine in his role. The cinematogrophy is another plus, and so is some of the action. The few complaints I have about the film are that there are too many under developed characters and a rather anti climactic ending. If you liked Year of the Dragon, you will enjoy this film.

Yate’s Rating: 7.5/10

By James H.

“The Corruptor” is a step in a new direction for James Foley. He has never really directed an action film before. He’s made outstanding character dramas (“Glengarry Glen Ross” and the brilliant “At Close Range”), but never an action-oriented film like this.

The plot concerns a white cop, Danny Wallace (Wahlberg), joining the Asian Gang Unit in New York’s Chinatown. A veteran of the Chinatown beat, Nick Chen (Yun-Fat), takes him under his wing. Together the two try to take down the head of the crime syndicate, and learn along the way that all is not what it seems.

Foley’s directing has this almost hyperkinetic energy to it. There is some really beautiful cinematography. The car chase in the film is exceptional. It’s one of the more realistic I’ve seen in a while. It shows the consequences of the stray bullets. The violence in “The Corruptor” is quite graphic. It is in no way glorified and some of it will make you cringe.

I think this film failed at the box office for two reasons. First, I think people were expecting another “Replacement Killers” kind of flick. Lots of guns, lots of explosions and very little plot or character. This film did have a plot, and while maybe a bit cliched, it still worked very well. Also, the characters were somewhat developed.

The other reason is that Mark Wahlberg is in it. For some reason people look down on him because he was once leader of the Funky Bunch. Some people might have to face the fact that Wahlberg is a decent actor. His performances in “Boogie Nights” and “Three Kings were not just accidents. Wahlberg was able to hold his own on screen with Chow Yun-Fat.

The DVD put out by New Line is a dandy one. It has plenty of extras, such as a very interesting documentary on the making of the film. The documentary contains the original version of the car chase which is longer, bloodier and more violent. DVD owners are in luck, the disc also has the widescreen version, which is much better than the pan & scan. The sound is also very clear and crisp; the gunshots sound incredible.

“The Corruptor” is an American film starring Chow Yun-Fat. It is directed by James Foley. If you rent it expecting a John Woo-type movie like “Hard Boiled” or “A Better Tomorrow”, go rent “The Killer”.

James H’s Rating: 8/10

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