Crime may be universal, but it’s fascinating to see how crime is approached in other countries. The way crime is investigated in South Korea is very similar to how it is in the United States, both in real life and in film and television. Ryoo Seung-wan’s Veteran 2: I, Executioner is one such example.
There is a serial killer on the loose who goes by the name of Haechi. Haechi is a vigilante who hunts killers, and he exacts justice when the legal system fails to convict the guilty, let alone build a strong enough case to arrest them. Our tale opens with the murder of a professor who sexually assaulted a student, leading the student to commit suicide.
His death is broadcast across the internet, and the only people saddened by it are the Major Crime Investigation Division, which is assigned to arrest Haechi. Led by veteran detective Seo Do-cheol (Hwang Jung-min), the Major Crimes team hopes to flush out Haechi using an unwitting lowlife criminal, Jeon, as bait. Jeon, during a heated argument, indirectly killed a pregnant woman and her unborn child. Do-cheol’s team comes with a diverse set of skills, including a veteran detective, a profiler, and their newest cohort, Park Sun-woo, AKA UFC Officer.
To spice up the investigation, Haechi has created an online presence to garner sympathy amongst innocent civilians. There always seems to be a large group of protestors at each crime scene to support their version of Batman. Of course, there are the grifters like Editor Justice, who gives his legal opinions about the case on his YouTube channel. His reaction videos and commentaries seem to do more harm than good.
“…the Major Crimes team hopes to flush out Haechi using an unwitting lowlife criminal, Jeon, as bait.”
As the killing increases, the public support for Haechi swells, and Do-cheol gets closer to the killer’s identity, the personal life of the Major Crimes team becomes entangled in a deadly game of chess.
As I mentioned before, crime thrillers in South Korea and the U.S. aren’t that much different, except South Korea isn’t hung up on U.S. political correctness. For the sake of survival, everyone can be used as a shield—even women and children. These stories play out very similarly, ranging from brutally graphic to light slapstick.
Veteran 2 walks that Bad Boys line. Though the action is dark and brutal, there are moments of levity to take the edge off. Major Crimes is not exactly the darling of the police department. We also have a side story involving one of the detective’s children that seems like an unnecessary B-plot, but it soon becomes important. Then, there’s a twist in the middle that changes everything.
There is a lot of action in Veteran 2. There are car chases on narrow city streets and a foot chase that involves parkour action and a tumble down a very long set of stairs. In stark contrast to U.S. stunts, these stunts just don’t look safe. Lastly, as Haechi’s plans for justice expand, we start inching toward Saw-type murders.
What I found most interesting about Veteran 2: I, Executioner is its themes of vigilante justice and how it can sway public opinion. People want justice, yet they know that law enforcement and the justice system are either powerless or incompetent to give it to them. Here, the protagonists are given a sympathetic ear. Laws are there to protect citizens, even if they are imperfect.
In the end, Veteran 2: I, Executioner is a fast movie crime thriller that keeps you engaged and on the edge of your seat until the end. If you’re smart, you’ll figure out who Haechi is, and it fundamentally changes the story in a good way. You may not know the cast, but you will have fun and find comfort in how the story is told. Makes you wish Law & Order had more blood and bruises.
"…In stark contrast to U.S. stunts, these stunts just don't look safe."
