By Jae-Ha Kim
Substack
September 28, 2024
☆☆☆☆
Lee Jung-do (played by Kim Woo-bin)
Kim Sun-min (played by Kim Sung-kyun)
↑Note: Korean names denote the surname followed by the given name.
“Officer Black Belt” is an action-packed thriller starring Kim Woo-bin. Is it predictable? Yes? But is it a fun watch? Absolutely!
Written by Jason Kim, the mastermind behind the film “Midnight Runners,” as well as the dramas “Bloodhounds” and “Black Knight” (which also starred Kim), “Officer Black Belt” depicts what a man can do when given the chance.
Jung-do is a martial arts prodigy, who’s a third degree black belt in judo, kendo and taekwondo. He’s also incredibly laid back, gaming with his friends and working as a food delivery man for his father’s chicken restaurant. That’s all he needs in life, so he doesn’t aim any higher.
He’s fearless, perhaps a bit too much. When he sees a police officer being beaten, he doesn’t hesitate to help. His capture of the violent criminal wins the admiration of the local police force, which recruits him to join their team of martial arts officers.
If this sounds goofy to you, bear in mind that South Korea doesn’t have a gun culture like the United States. Martial arts officers actually exist in Korea and are appointed by the country’s Ministry of Justice. As is portrayed in this movie, the real-life martial arts officers are highly skilled and have at least third-degree black belts. They work closely with probation officers, who monitor (and sometimes re-capture) electronic monitoring device-wearing sex offenders who are no longer imprisoned.
Jung-do and his crew of gamers are hysterical together, goofing around as only good friends can do. But when it comes time for Jung-do to help apprehend a crew of sadistic sex offenders, pedophiles, purveyors of snuff films, and other disgusting miscreants, the Scooby Gang comes up with clever ways they can aid the police. Safely.
“Officer Black Belt” moves quickly and is a must-see not only for Kim Woo-bin fans, but also for those who appreciate well-choreographed fight scenes.
Release date: This 1-hour 49-minute film dropped on Netflix on September 13, 2024.
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