High entertainment value and not much more
I feel the same way about this movie as I did about its prequel. They are fun and action-packed. There's nothing inherently wrong with them, no big flaw that will make you frown, in fact you'll even have a good time watching them. Despite that, there's nothing that makes them particularly great or memorable either.I watched Veteran 1 eight years after its original release so I had to take that into account and recontextualize, think about what kind of movies were being made back then. It made it harder to judge it. However, when it comes to this prequel I can confidently say this: it would've been an amazing film had it come out a decade (or more) earlier. But it's 2024 and it feels like Veteran 2 brings nothing new to the table. It isn't novel or fresh in any aspect, be it in terms of writing or execution.
It was extremely predictable, as in you can figure out the plot and most twists in the first twenty minutes or so. It feels like I've seen this very same story or variations of it many times before in books, TV shows or other movies. Obviously, its selling point isn't its originality—it's not supposed to revolutionize the genre—but rather its entertainment value, and it certainly delivers on that front.
The acting is good, as you'd expect from this cast; seeing Jung Hae In in this kind of role is fun. The execution, while far from being mind blowing, is still very clean: the movie looks great for sure, and there's some nice cinematography here and there. The OST wasn't anything note-worthy, I honestly didn't even notice it (which isn't necessarily a flaw for this type of film). I thought the choreography for action scenes was pretty neat too.
When it comes to the plot, as I mentioned earlier this isn't where the movie shines, but the story is definitely well-paced and the comedic moments should at least get you to smile or snort.
There are some references to the prequel as well, although you don't need to watch it to understand this (but I'll always recommend watching prequels before sequels). They've also added some depth to Seo Do Cheol's character. Nothing too big but it was just the right amount imo. I liked Park Sun Woo as a character too but there were a few things that were kinda questionable to me.
Overall I slightly preferred Veteran 2 over its prequel, but I also got to watch it on the big screen so that might've played a part. I think it's up to personal preferences at this point because both are quite similar.
In the end it's a popcorn movie. You watch it because it's entertaining, not because it's a masterpiece. It suits the characters and the story: it's not a bad thing. Not all movies need to be 10/10 philosophical pieces. Movies like these are important and worthy in their own way; they should be made. I just wish there had been something, anything, to make the plot a tad bit more original, because this is basically the only thing keeping it mid rather than great.
I'm glad it exists nonetheless and who knows, I might even rewatch it in a few years?
(Btw don't miss the post-credit scene)
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Make sure to stay and watch after the end credits!
This was even better than the first movie! I watched the first movie 6 months ago once I heard about this project and say that Jung Hae In would be in it. I liked the first one but this one was even better! It was done by the same director but it felt very different from what I remember from the first one. The colors were super well done (I think that's cinematography or photography's job but I don't know for sure), and the sound track was great! I will say though, that it felt like it wasn't directed by the same person but maybe there style has changed over the past nine years. The story was a little hard to follow at times but I think that was because I watched in a theater so I couldn't rewind 10 seconds to reread the subtitles. Overall I totally recommend watching this movie if it is showing near you, it is action packed and keeps you at the edge of your seat wanting to know what will happen next.As for the post credit scene I feel like it could potentially set up for another movie which I wouldn't complain about, but it also feels complete as is. I would love to see move of the Seo Do Cheol character but we will just have to wait and see :)
I also wanted to note that you don't need to see the prequel, but it does add to the watching experience, so I would recommend it.
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