Movie review - Ransomed

Ransomed *** (out of 5) Korea has exported a slew of first-rate action flicks in the past few years, and Ransomed counts as another. Most have been built on cops vs. bad guys within the country. This one, supposedly based on real events, takes us to Lebanon in the 1980s. It also plies the waters of plot and suspense more, without sacrificing the action component.

As factional wars rage within Lebanon, one group kidnaps a Korean diplomat, holding him for over a year before finally demanding a ransom. A colleague, Min-joon (Ha Jung-woo), volunteers for the risky task of delivering the cash and returning with the hostage, even though he’s been a desk jockey without any military training for the anticipated difficulties. His supposedly covert arrival quickly proves to rank among the worst-kept secrets of all time. Corrupt police are at the airport waiting to grab him and seize the dough. He barely escapes, leaving him too little time to locate his contact. Fortunately (or possibly not) he finds a fellow Korean, Pan-su (Ju Ji-hoon) in the line of taxis, allowing them to speed away from the cops. That sets up the first of several chase scenes.

Pan-su, who is quite a hustler, and understandably averse to being shot at, reluctantly agrees to take him to the exchange point, after being offered a lot of money. They have to sneak through a checkpoint and continue avoiding the militarized cops. Meanwhile, another well-armed terrorist faction also knows he’s coming and snatches the hostage from the original kidnapers before he gets there. The rest of the movie is Min-joon dashing about in unfamiliar territory, variably assisted, undermined or menaced by the aforementioned players, as he frantically tries to complete his mission.

No one is all good. Not all the opposing interests are all bad. Even our hero is less than noble. He took the gig partly from patriotism, but mainly because it seemed his only path to a coveted promotion. The Korean honchos who had to approve and fund the effort are driven largely by concerns about politics, public relations and cost, rather than dedication to their colleague’s survival. Beyond that venality, there is very little judgment, or even knowledge, of any faction’s political position. Everyone in Lebanon is chasing the big payday, with the other groups merely competitors for the cash. It’s like a game show with a high body count among the gun-totin’ contestants. Suspense is the main tenor, with some bits of comic relief – mostly coming from Pan-su.

The chases, shootouts and explosions are superbly executed by director Kim Seong-hun and the stunt team. Kim’s resume at the helm isn’t long, but it’s mostly action fare on TV and big screens. That experience shows. The film was shot in Morocco on locations that emphasize the extent of destruction from the larger conflicts, and ramp up the excitement level of the action sequences. The pace makes it seem shorter than its 132-minute running time. Perhaps most admirably, they don’t turn the white-collar star into a Rambo. He’s highly dependent on the kindness of strangers – even some who aren’t particularly trustworthy.

(Ransomed, in Korean, Arabic and English, with subtitles for two of the three, debuts on Digital Exclusively 1/30/24)