Asian Cinema Scene: Will 'Public Enemy' Save Korea?

South Korean filmmakers are facing a box office crisis. "Local movies accounted for just 7.8% of the South Korean box office in May," The Hollywood Reporter noted, "the lowest level since records were started in 2000." Domestic film admissions are only half what they were two years ago. Therefore, hopes are high that tomorrow's release of Public Enemy Returns will start to lure audiences back into theaters.

The original Public Enemy was a box office hit in 2002. Sol Kyung-gu starred as Detective Kang, an anti-heroic cop chasing a family man turned killer. Mixing comedy with bloody action, director Kang Woo-suk made a dark, funny and smart film, according to koreanfilm.org. Kang next made the terrific real-life drama Silmido (2003), the disappointing sequel Another Public Enemy (2005) and the poorly-received Hanbando (2006).

In Public Enemy Returns, Detective Kang wants a job change. Before he can quit, he must solve a murder case involving a business executive who is recruiting high school students as violent gangsters. Kang told JoongAng Daily that the new film has less action because he "tried to emphasize character and drama more." But he still believes in the value of comedy -- all the better to make the story more emotional.

We'll see what Korean moviegoers think this weekend; Public Enemy Returns has its international premiere at the New York Asian Film Festival on July 3. You can check out the trailer, which looks more funny than menacing, at the official site.

[ Via HanCinema ]