Just watched: Cold Eyes

A recent bout of flu left me stuck on a sofa for two days and, as usual, when I’m ill I like to watch Korean variety shows. I rewatched a bunch of old Running Man episodes, and my eye was caught by episodes 151 and 152. The guests included Jung Woo Sung and Han Hyo Joo, and they were both so funny that I wanted to see the film they were promoting. This was perhaps the first time that an appearance on a game show has made me want to watch something!

This 2013 film is about a high-tech surveillance police department on the trail of a deadly gang of criminals. Han Hyo Joo is the newcomer to the team but, unlike too many cop shows, she is not there for comic relief or to annoy her old-fashioned bosses with her clever techniques. Instead, she’s good at her job and she fits into the team just fine.

Jung Woo Sung, meanwhile, is the criminal mastermind who is behind these meticulously planned and violent crimes. The acting is great. Han Hyo Joo is totally believable as the cop with a photographic memory and Jung Woo Sung impresses as the impassive killer that they have to track down.

The film throws everything into the mix, car chases, martial arts, gun fights, forensic science and even some comedy, too. It’s amazing that it all flows together and nothing seems forced. It's a lot of fun from start to finish. I shall definitely have to track down the original version: Eye In The Sky, a Hong Kong film made in 2007.

Meanwhile, if you can find episode 151 of Running Man, take a look. Jung Woo Sung is just as intense in a variety show as he is in a big-budget movie.