“The Suspect” is no doubt one of my favorite action films of 2014 thus far! In-your-face action and a storyline full of twists and turns, “The Suspect” is highly recommended!
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TITLE: The Suspect
YEAR OF FILM: 2013
DURATION: 137 Minutes
BLU-RAY DISC INFORMATION: 1080p High Definition, 16:9 Widescreen, Korean 5.1 DTS-HD MA, Subtitles: English
COMPANY: Well Go USA Entertainment
RELEASE DATE: July 22, 2014
Directed by Shin-yeon Won
Produced by David Shin
Cinematography by Sung-je Lee
Set Decoration by Shing Seung-hoon
On-Set Dresser: Oscar A. Colom Cruz
Starring:
Yoo Gong as Ji Dong-cheol
Jae-yun Jo
Seong-ha Jo as Kim Seok-ho
Seong-gyoon Kim as ri Gwang-jo
Hee-soon Park as Min Se-hoon
Da-in Yoo as Choi Kyeong-hee
Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) is the best field agent in North Korea – until he is abandoned during a mission, his wife and daughter murdered. Hunted and on the run, torn between grief and vengeance, he takes a job as a night driver for the CEO of a powerful corporation. The chairman is brutally assassinated – but gives Dong-chul a pair of glasses before he dies. Now, he’s on the run again. Accused of murder, wanted for treason, and desperate to uncover the volatile national secrets hidden inside the glasses. Dong-Chul wants the truth. And he’ll start a war to get it.
It has been referred to as Korea’s “Bourne” film, Shin-yun Won’s spy thriller, “The Suspect”, has received rave reviews worldwide and now it will be released on Blu-ray in the U.S.A. in July 2014!
The film revolves around former North Korean special forces agent, Ji Dong-chul (portrayed by Gong Yoo), a man who wants revenge against his ex-colleagues that were involved in the murder of his wife and unborn child.
While trying to find the killer of his wife/child during the day, during the night, he is the chauffeur to Chairman Park, a business executive with ties to Pyongyang.
On the final day that Ji Dong-chul was to work with the Chairman, he notices that something is awry with the security cameras. When he goes up to check on the chairman, he catches a man injecting poison in the foot of the Chairman. After a brief fight in which Ji Dong-chul defeats the assailant, the Chairman asks for Dong-chul to take his glasses and bury them.
Meanwhile, those involved for the murder is the South Korean Intelligence Service led by Kim Seok-ho (portrayed by Jo Sung-ha), the director of the NIS.
Seok-ho pins the death of the chairman on Dong-chul and has colonel/drill sergeant Min Se-hoon (portrayed by Park Hee-soon) to find Ji Dong-chul (a man that he has history with) and bring him back alive.
Meanwhile, Dong-chul gets assistance from a documentary filmmaker named Choi Kyung-hee (portrayed by Yoo Da-in), who has been doing a story on North Korean defectors and believes that Dong-chul did not commit the murders but he is more determined in getting revenge for the people responsible for killing his wife/child.
But using the latest in technology and having one of fiercest men and the intelligence service after him, will Dong-chul be able to outwit them and find out who was responsible for murdering his wife/child and will he get revenge?
VIDEO:
“The Suspect” is presented in 1080p High Definition (2:39:1 aspect ratio). The film looks amazing in HD! Featuring amazing detail during closeups and vibrant colors, the film is well-contrast and black levels are nice and deep. I saw no problems with picture quality, if anything, there is nothing negative to say about the picture quality.
AUDIO & SUBTITLES:
As for audio, “The Suspect” is presented in Korean DTS-HD MA and as one can expect from a heavy hitting action film, the lossless soundtrack is immersive and action sequences are so often throughout the film, it’s definitely one of the most immersive Korean films I have watched on Blu-ray!
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“The Suspect” only comes with a theatrical trailer.
There have been a good number of action films from Asia that have won me over.
So many films are rehashed, regurgitated and you can’t help but feeling that you want to see something unique and original.  And I have to say that while there have been many heavy hitting action films to come out of Korea, “The Suspect” is one of the most awesome action thrillers I have watched. And this film is relentless when it comes to action as it keeps going and going and it’s in your face action that ranges from chase scenes, fight scenes galore and action that no doubt compliments the fast-paced storyline.
Watching “The Suspect”, I was amazed by how many twists and turns were set throughout the film and with its ending, it left me with a big grin in my face and wanting to see more of the character of Ji Dong-cheol in more films.
Actor Yoo Gong was excellently cast for this film as a man bent on revenge for the death of his wife and unborn child, but because he is one of the top North Korean spies, to see so many police after one man and to see how he is able to outwit them, suffice to say, these moments were among my favorite!
And then you have the cat and mouse chase between the characters of Ji Dong-cheol and the “don’t frack with me” Colonel Min Se-hoon. Dong-cheol as the main target, these two have a heated past and you wonder how this will pan out when these two men confront each other at the end.
But the enjoyment is the vast journey that the character takes you through Korea. You will see Dong-cheol all over Korea, from stores to rooftops, driving a car during a chase (forward and backward) and so much more! Definitely well-cast for the film’s protagonist, this is one character that no doubt can be Korea’s Jason Bourne or Jack Bauer or even better as this is one character no one wants to mess with.
The Blu-ray for “The Suspect” features fantastic picture quality and magnificent lossless audio. Unfortunately, this is a barebones Blu-ray release with only a theatrical trailer, but I wanted to see how this film was created and was really hoping to see a “making of” featurette.
Overall, “The Suspect” is no doubt one of my favorite action films of 2014 thus far! In-your-face action and a storyline full of twists and turns, “The Suspect” is highly recommended!
