Veteran (2015)

Veteran was such a wild ride. It's a David and Goliath setup surrounded by great acting, great writing, and great characters that I felt really invested in. I watched this on a plane and got weird looks by the people sitting next to me when I sobbed and laughed at the same time.

Bottomline: A wild ride supplemented by stunning performances. I had an adrenaline high after I finished watching.

Acting: With a cast boasting names like Hwang Jung Min and Oh Dal Su it feels like you're watching real life play out in front of you. Yoo Ah In was a standout for me whose role I imagine wasn't an easy task since he was acting opposite Yoo Hae Jin. His performance as Cho Tae-Oh was spine-chilling but nuanced. He was a monster, but he had shades that were achingly human. It was a villainous role that made you angry at him but also for him and that's really a stunning feat.

Writing: I love adore crave stories like Veteran. Is it new or original? No. But the best thing about Veteran is that the script takes roles that have already been set and makes them human, makes them more. Everything is driven by them, their motivations, their desires. Hwang Jung Min could've played a good lawful cop who always does the right thing, but instead, the script throws that archetype right out the window in the stunning opening scene. They make him compelling: idealistic but realistic, someone who fights for what he believes in but in underhanded ways, a knight in rusty armor. Yoo Ah In could've played the spoiled son of a chaebol, an archetype we've seen a million times and then some. But here he plays someone so truly and deeply frightening that you think, this is what evil is. I read an interview where Director Ryu Seung-wan stated he wanted to look at the humans involved in this sort of story rather than the story itself. And the way he did is a beautiful thing to watch.

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It's important to remember that the point of movies and TV shows are, primarily, to entertain. Yes, there are shows that are less than entertaining, but have plenty of artistic value and originality. But movies that entertain and take you for a wild ride are probably the ones you'd talk about and recommend to your friends for weeks afterwards. Veteran is one of those movies.

The story is not original - a good and dogged cop chasing after an elusive villain. The characters themselves are not that original either. But the cast make this script an electrifying movie to watch. Hwang Jung Min is fantastic as an everyday-man kind of cop who is passionate about his job and genuinely cares about people. Yoo Ah-in pulls you in with his performance as a villain who you love to hate, yet can't help but find out more about. Yoo Hae-jin is a sidekick with a difference and he does a great job of it, as he does with all his other roles. Special shout-out to Jin Kyung, who puts in a great performance in any show she's cast in.

You can tell that the cast are having so much fun playing their characters, and it is infectious, because this show is a thoroughly entertaining ride. Yes, you are rooting for the good guys, but you are also excited to see what tricks the bad guys next pull out of their hats. For this reason, I think this show has a decent rewatch value.

Overall, greatly entertaining with outstanding performances by the cast.

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