Soo (film)
Encyclopedia
Soo is a 2007 South Korean film directed by Choi Yang-il.
. Tae-Jin becomes a police detective. When a call brings the brothers together, they get ready for brotherly bonding, but Tae-Jin gets killed. Tae-Soo decides to get revenge on his brother's killer.
on March 22, 2007, and was ranked fifth at the domestic box office
on its opening weekend, grossing $
795,086. In total it sold 218,314 tickets, and as of April 15, 2007, had a gross revenue of $1,275,162.
Derek Elly of Variety.com reviewed the film saying, "A onetime killer hits the road to self-redemption by tracking down his brother's killer in "Soo," a coolly told, often brutal yarn that remains strangely involving despite its flaws. High-concept idea -- a twin brother takes on his dead cop brother's identity to solve a crime he's also been hunted for by the cops -- has strong remake potential. Pic itself, which bombed on South Korean release in March, is more ancillary or film week fare."
A reviewer of KoreaTimes reviewed the film saying, "Soo is a memorable film. In Korean, "soo" means water, the very essence of life. Throughout the film Soo seeks to free his brother from "han" or spiteful grudge, as well as his own soul from staggering guilt. Even the Bad Guy wishes to spare his father the fires of hell. Choi's lasting imagery of water washing away blood suggests the pervasive human instinct to survive and the desire to purge oneself of one's impurities."
Plot summary
Tae-soo tries to steal from a gang. The gang catches Tae-Soo's brother, Tae-Jin, instead. The incident causes the brothers to separate. Tae-Soo becomes a mob fixer and an assassinAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
. Tae-Jin becomes a police detective. When a call brings the brothers together, they get ready for brotherly bonding, but Tae-Jin gets killed. Tae-Soo decides to get revenge on his brother's killer.
Theatrical release
Soo was released in South KoreaSouth Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
on March 22, 2007, and was ranked fifth at the domestic box office
Box office
A box office is a place where tickets are sold to the public for admission to an event. Patrons may perform the transaction at a countertop, through an unblocked hole through a wall or window, or at a wicket....
on its opening weekend, grossing $
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
795,086. In total it sold 218,314 tickets, and as of April 15, 2007, had a gross revenue of $1,275,162.
Critical reception
Kevin Ma of Lovehkfilm.com reviewed the film saying, "Soo's concept is somewhat successful on paper because it doesn't take the easy way to revenge. In execution, Soo is wildly uneven, moving between slow exposition scenes of plot development and raw, brutal fight scenes dominated by chaos. However, it remains a compelling and violent action film thanks to Sai's fluid camerawork during the action scenes and the performances of his actors. Special kudos go to star Ji Jin-Hee, who sheds his romantic leading man reputation to become a believable killer who can stab and punch his way out of a fight. Sai also sheds the expectations put on him after Blood and Bones by delivering an arthouse spin on a straightforward revenge film. Still, the film's ultimate effectiveness remains highly debatable."Derek Elly of Variety.com reviewed the film saying, "A onetime killer hits the road to self-redemption by tracking down his brother's killer in "Soo," a coolly told, often brutal yarn that remains strangely involving despite its flaws. High-concept idea -- a twin brother takes on his dead cop brother's identity to solve a crime he's also been hunted for by the cops -- has strong remake potential. Pic itself, which bombed on South Korean release in March, is more ancillary or film week fare."
A reviewer of KoreaTimes reviewed the film saying, "Soo is a memorable film. In Korean, "soo" means water, the very essence of life. Throughout the film Soo seeks to free his brother from "han" or spiteful grudge, as well as his own soul from staggering guilt. Even the Bad Guy wishes to spare his father the fires of hell. Choi's lasting imagery of water washing away blood suggests the pervasive human instinct to survive and the desire to purge oneself of one's impurities."