A very solid but lacking film which I'm sorry to see becoming a representative of the Korean film industry

Rating: 6/10 (18 February 2020)

Solid-to-good movie (would almost give a 7) that I definitely enjoyed. It's got Bong's style and especially his tone written all over it, which is characteristically simultaneously all over the place (in this case, goofy, tense, thrilling, emotional, tragic, violent, and even reminiscent of Oceans 11) and seamlessly interwoven without feeling sudden moving one from one feeling to the other, which is something I don't know any other director to pull of so well. But that's something you can say about most of the guy's films.
It's a "fun" move but that's where it stops more or less. Yeah, there's OMG THEMES and CLASS, but throwing those in doesn't change the movie.
I'd go through the things that lessen the film for me, but I've typed enough as is, and the issues are pretty apparent on your second/third viewing.
Don't know, it's a fine movie, but there were GREAT ones that people don't bat an eye over.
I just dread hearing people talking about this and saying "OMG DID U EVER TRY WATCHING KOREAN MOVIES BEFORE???" It's sure happened to me. I hope it dies down.
All in all, it's a decent, well-placed movie with masterful use of tone, but Cannes and the Oscars and all the people on this very site raving could do so much better. I just hope the movie will be a gateway for people rather than being that movie that lets you say "Hey, I've seen FOREIGN films before!"