Escape
review by Bobby Blakey
Well Go USA brings all the best in Asian cinema to the US market with most of them focused on the martial arts genre, but that is far from all. They have been bringing a wide variety of other genres to the market as well with the latest being the South Korean film Escape starring Lee Je-Hoon, Koo Kyo-Hwan, and Hong Xa-Bin from director Lee Jong-Pil. Could this film bring the action it promises, or will it be an attempted escape not worth trying?
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Escape follows a North Korean sergeant who makes a sudden shocking attempt to defect to the South, risking life and limb for the chance to finally determine his own destiny after completing his required decade of military service and being honored as a hero.
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I am hesitant on some of these war films as they tend to get tedious and boring more often than not. The theme here had the potential to be something that stood out so I decided I would give it a fair shot and glad I did. While it hits some bumps on the road here and there, overall, it manages to keep the action and intensity going right up until the end.
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The story wastes no time letting you know the plans for escape with an opening sequence showcasing that this plan has been a long time coming and so well thought out you know it can’t go right. The attention to detail to each section of the planned route is well thought out and adds to the set up to also let you know of the dangers on the road outside of those that would likely be in pursuit. Due to the usual issues of human nature, it ends up pushing up the planned time and an additional person that takes on a more chaotic adventure than it was planned to be.
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The film plays as a game of cat and mouse between those trying to escape and the obsessed officer trying to catch him. The officer in pursuit is played to perfection by Koo Kyo-Hwan who has a relaxed intensity that erupts from time to time. He is laser focused and unleashes his fury from time to time making him someone that is clearly to be feared. On the other side is Lee Je-Hoon who is dedicated to his freedom and comes off as a strong determined soldier as opposed to the fearful character you might assume to be due to the defection.
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I was really surprised how well this film works. There are some moments that are frustrating with characters making irritating decisions causing unnecessary issues, but at the same time there is a sense of realism to the behavior that makes it work. I found this to be a decent dramatic action film that keeps you engaged until the last violent moment. It’s not breaking down any barriers in the genre, but it stands out as something worth seeing.
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Check out Escape no streaming from Well Go USA.