The return of the love-struck Kwon Sang-woo (48) is here. Regardless of any regrets about his works, his flying action aura is fully acknowledged. He has once again proven his irreplaceable charm with ‘Hitman 2’.
The film follows the more challenging Season 2 writing journey of Jun (Kwon Sang-woo), a legendary former National Intelligence Service agent turned writer who has fallen from a mega-hit writer to a brain-dead one.
Jun, who has lost touch with reality, lacks survival skills but possesses the ultimate survival instinct. He is a heartman who loves his wife more than anyone else, despite being a childish figure who drains her life. Having abandoned the life of an agent to become a webtoon writer, Jun, thanks to the success of the previous installment, is finally able to provide (financial) support to his wife and ambitiously starts Season 2.
However, contrary to expectations, he faces a barrage of criticism. Even his teenage daughter calls it ‘garbage’. In the midst of this, the coin he secretly invested in has also completely failed. To survive (in any sense), he picks up the pen again, creates a new story, and it becomes an instant hit. But as he gains popularity, he becomes embroiled in a scandal where he is accused of being a criminal due to a terrorist act imitating his webtoon. Oh, what a chaotic situation.
Kwon Sang-woo expresses this poignant narrative with his unique charm. Being a well-known ‘wife fool’ in real life, he fits perfectly as the lead in a work that deals with ‘family love’. Whether with his wife Hwang Woo-seul-hye, daughter Lee Ji-eun, or colleagues Jung Joon-ho and Lee Yi-kyung, the chemistry is palpable. It’s especially delightful and charming to see his energy after a long time.
Like most sequels, ‘Hitman 2’ has significantly scaled up. It retains the strengths of the previous installment, including comedy and webtoon elements, while also introducing more villains and a substantial increase in action sequences. Additional episodes have been mixed in as well.
(Regardless of the completeness of storytelling, direction, and other characters) Kwon Sang-woo flies around joyfully. This time, he runs, falls, and collides, handling all the action from barehanded stunts to high-difficulty actions using guns and knives (without a stunt double). It’s both realistic and dynamic. He exudes the aura of an ‘Action King’. Even getting hit hard by his wife Mina (Hwang Woo-seul-hye) is exceptional.
He perfectly executes all the missions assigned to him. As he said, while it may not be ‘Korean Jackie Chan movies’, he is undoubtedly ‘Korean Jackie Chan’.
The film is a sequel to the beloved ‘Hitman’ (2020), which featured handsome men, hilarious gags, fantastic chemistry, high-quality action, fresh webtoons, and the active role of the sole female character Hwang Woo-seul-hye. The original cast, including Kwon Sang-woo, Jung Joon-ho, Lee Yi-kyung, and Hwang Woo-seul-hye, returns, with new villain Kim Sung-oh joining the cast.
‘Hitman 2’ will be the first among the anticipated films of the New Year holiday, releasing on the 22nd. Rated PG-15. Running time is 118 minutes. The break-even point is approximately 230,000 tickets.
