Prashast Singh Movie: Cold Eyes (15)Rating: 5/5I was willing to watch this film since quite long. The trailer was very impressive and the posters too excited me to watch it soon. Finally, I saw it yesterday and was totally impressed. Not for a single moment did it let me move. Right from the first shot, COLD EYES pulled me into its atmosphere and engaged from start to end.Han Hyo-joo is amazing. It's a pleasure to see an actress like her step into this genre. She's pretty, of course, and not just her looks but even her strong performance won't let you take your eyes off her. Sol Kyung-gu: mastermind genius! He's such a great actor. His performance is excellent and is to be watched out for. Jung Woo-sung: EXCELLENT. He's not just a manly, handsome actor but also a strong performer. These three actors are simply one of the best things about this film, apart from the tight screenplay, stunning action sequences, splendid cinematography and edge of the seat thrills.The film has rich production values. What also impressed me is that the directors have not wasted even a single second and have told the story very skilfully. COLD EYES, undoubtedly is one of the best action thriller films, ever, ever, ever. It's so good that I would love to see it again and again and again. It has got a great repeat value.

ebossert This is a remake of the excellent Hong Kong film "Eye in the Sky" from 2007.A high-tech police surveillance team attempts to take down a gang of ruthless bank robbers. If you'd like more detail on how exactly the protagonists go about their job, check out my review of "Eye in the Sky." Now in terms of "Cold Eyes", events play out in a very similar fashion. Some sequences are practically shot-for-shot, but there are also a number of differences that make this worth watching – even if you've already seen the original film. In fact, these two films have become one of my "go to" double features. I love watching these back-to-back.One reason for this is that you get to see the differences between Hong Kong and South Korean filmmaking. The realistic, suspense-driven "tailing" sequences are preserved and proficiently executed, but "Cold Eyes" has a slightly higher octane, with some added punch in terms chases, shootouts, and hand-to-hand fighting. So it "pops" a bit more when the action hits. It's also 30 minutes longer, which should probably result in some pacing issues – but that's not the case. It takes a bit more time developing the characters and drama, but everything continues to movie briskly. There's also a bit more comedy here that works well. However, that does not necessarily mean that "Cold Eyes" is a better film, because I slightly prefer "Eye in the Sky" due mostly to the fact that it really sticks the ending. The ending to "Cold Eyes" is certainly satisfying, but it's more commonplace and less poetic.So what about the acting in "Cold Eyes"? It's really good. Kyung-gu Sol is the lead actor here. Not a familiar name, but he's been in a bunch of good movies: "Peppermint Candy" from 2000, "Public Enemy" from 2002, "Oasis" from 2002, and "No Mercy" from 2010. Very good actor, and this is probably my favorite role of his. The lead actress is Hyo-joo Han, who is always awesome. I'll watch her in anything. And finally, the villain is played by Woo-sung Jung – who you may have recognized in films such as "The Good the Bad the Weird" from 2008 and "The Divine Move" from 2014. He plays the bad guy with slightly less nuance than Tony Leung Ka-fai did in the original, but Jung is very menacing in this one. A real cold-blood killer.On a final note, there's a fun cameo at the very end of the film. So keep an eye out for that. Just like "Eye in the Sky", I highly recommend "Cold Eyes." It's widely available on DVD. And I'm telling you that these two films make a fantastic double-feature for a movie night. Watch "Eye in the Sky" first though.

dsntxst Following on the heels of films such as 'New World', 'Nameless Gangster', 'A Company Man', and 'The Man From Nowhere', 'Cold Eyes' continues the recent run of entertaining crime thrillers coming out of South Korea.An armed and dangerous gang of criminals have pulled off a near-perfect bank heist, in large part due to the planning of their highly intelligent leader James. The Korean Police Forces crack surveillance unit are tasked with tracking down the gang. Headed up by the reckless but kind-hearted Hwang Sang-jun and with highly-skilled new recruit Ha Yoon-ju on board, the team will need all of their skills to track down the gang before they strike again. But with James possessing an almost unparalleled sense of strategy and unerring attention-to-detail, the team will be hard-pressed to stop him.'Cold Eyes' has a definite sense of style with its whirring CG effects and energetic set-pieces but this in no way overshadows the overall substance of the film. Told from the perspectives of the three leads - the firm but fair veteran; the determined but untested rookie; and the cold and calculating crim - the film barrels along at a rhythmic pace with some kinetic and exciting action sequences, whilst at the same time keeping you hooked with an intriguing cat-and-mouse storyline and well-developed characters. Good guy or bad guy, there is a definite sense of attachment following each character as they try to outfox their counterpart. Han Hyo-ju in particular does brilliantly as the rookie surveillance officer struggling with her emotions and her sense of professionalism - she has such an expressive face, its mesmerising at times. Fan favourite Jung Woo-sung (notwithstanding the dodgy hair-do) also has a memorable turn as the precise and cold-hearted gang leader.There is a definite suspension of belief required whilst watching this film but it never gets to the point where it becomes outrageous or over-the-top silly (although it does get close a couple of times).If you've enjoyed the recent string of crime thrillers from Korea or are just in the mood for an entertaining modern take on the cops-and-robbers story, this is definitely worth your time.

kluseba "Cold Eyes" is a South Korean action-thriller inspired by the Hongkong movie "Eye In The Sky" which came out six years prior to this film.The Korean remake has a rather odd beginning from my point of view. The film takes too much time to introduce many characters but only three are truly addicting or important to the story where a special police department is hunting down high profile criminals. The first thirty minutes where everybody gets to know each other in the department and where the team follows a stupid criminal nicknamed "Thirsty Hippo" are rather lengthy. Some rather faceless unit members on one side and exchangeable criminals on the other are the main reasons for a mellow start of this movie. Once the three main characters take the lead and once some unimportant side-stories are eliminated, the movie gets a lot more dynamical around forty minutes into the film. The film is then carried by three characters. First off, there is the nervous rookie which is very well incarnated by actress Han Hyo-Ju. This character is very smart and has some impressive visual skills. On the other side, the young cop does a few fatal mistakes on her first mission. Han Hyo-Ju's acting feels natural and shows us a young woman torn between cold professionalism and emotional struggles who is growing throughout this story. This character is easily the most addicting one and carries the entire movie.Chief Hwang is very well played Sol Kyung-Gu. At first sight, his character seems to be quite professional but also very arrogant, cold and severe at moments. Towards the end of the movie, his personal values come into play and show us a softer core where the aged expert is ready to sacrifice everything to save his men. He also becomes somehow a father figure for the rookie cop. This dynamical character and his actions add some diversity and a few philosophical thoughts to this film.Last but not least, there is the cold-hearted, well organized and extremely smart veteran villain incarnated by Jung Woo-Sung. This character also has some quite different sides. He seems pitiless at first sight but he also cares about his men and refuses to blindly follow his superiors. It's a man that follows his convictions, his experience and his instinct. That's why he has some identical character qualities with the rookie cop on one side and her chief on the other. This explains why he is a quite respectable villain and not just a one- dimensional brutal bully. The clash of these three characters is what makes the movie really outstanding. The film gets more and more tension-filled towards the end. The last twenty minutes or so are dedicated to an amazing chase through the city of Seoul where each of the three characters has to sacrifice something. These scenes will bring you on the edge of your seat.The modern film techniques are effectively used without adding too many special effects to it. The film always remains as grounded and realistic as possible. The settings in this movie are well chosen but not exceptional either. While the story is nothing innovating, it's especially the great acting of the three main characters and the constantly growing pace leading to a dramatic turn of events that convince most. This is a welcome change to the effect-ridden Hollywood productions like "Mission Impossible" or "The Bourne" series.If you watch this grounded and well-acted action-thriller, just be sure to be patient enough to make it through the first thirty or forty minutes that are not completely useless but rather ordinary in comparison to what follows afterwards. Genre fans and those who care for South Korean cinema should appreciate this film even though it can't mess with some of the contemporary cinematic milestones coming from this extraordinary country.