There was a whole lot of violence and a huge amount of gore for a Korean movie , which surprised me. It suited the plot, however.

A definite action movie, which could have been formulaic but wasn't because it was extremely well-paced, crisply written, and outstandingly cast. This was a high quality cast which lifted the story far above where it would have been with lesser talent. Even when actors were portraying stereotypes, they were skilled, nuanced, and sardonic; those roles which could have been trite were made amusing and believable by superior acting. I thought the settings were well-chosen and some quite beautiful. I can't say much about the Bechdel test, since there was only one woman in the movie, and she was terrific in her part.

I have to give special credit for the lead male character who managed to make all other mobsters look like pansies in comparison to his sheer, unstoppable, relentless determination in his final scene.

I might watch it again to pick up things I missed during the first go-round, and I would still enjoy it just as much.