Summary
A Korean action thriller with a mixed ride.
This review of Yaksha: Ruthless Operations is spoiler-free.
Mainstream action movies always become one of my fascinations in the way of exploring movies. Not because I am a big action movie fan but because they give wholesome entertainment and work as a guilty pleasure for me. Netflix’s new K-action thriller Yaksha: Ruthless Operations starts with a high-octane action scene with some spectacular shots. Some unconventional camera angles and compositions set the right pitch for the action-packed spy thriller I am looking for. As the movie goes from this point, it gives you the escapism one can imagine but goes through a bumpy road and ruins the fun in that process.
The film revolves around, Ji-hoon, an upstanding prosecutor, sent to Shenyang on an assignment to review the espionage operations of the black-ops team led by a notorious leader, Kang-inn aka Yaksha. Though Ji-hoon warned about the perils he might face in Shenyang, he accepts the assignment as an opportunity to prove his capability to reinstate himself as the chief public prosecutor for the government. But once Ji-hoon lands in Shenyang, he finds himself in an ongoing war between the spies.
Director Nah Hyeon tries to treat Yaksha: Ruthless Operations in a slick fashion by setting the film in the precarious political landscape of Northeast Asia. Also, the way the film is shot deserves praise for the attempt to maintain it visually. With the cinematography sometimes that works, but oftentimes that diminishes due to heavy-handed execution. The editing is too unmotivated and abrupt, which acts as a barrier to the cohesiveness of the overall narrative. Also, overdramatization (especially in the third act) interrupts the flow of the film and dragged it to exhaustion.
Though the action scenes maintain the adrenaline rush to keep you enjoying and the actors do their best to convey the emotions, the overall film is undoubtedly half-cooked. The chemistry between Yaksha Sol Kyung-gu and Prosecutor Ji-hoon Park Hae-soo is one of the highlights of the film. Their partnership is the strongest aspect of the entire film. From their comic timing to complementing one another in the emotional scenes, they are always at the center of attraction.
Yaksha: Ruthless Operations seemed quite promising to me when I first saw its trailer. But after the movie ends, I somehow feel disappointed. Definitely, it gives you moments of entertainment, but the bumpy roads give you the jerk, which is neither comfortable nor satisfying.
You can stream Yaksha: Ruthless Operations exclusively on Netflix.
