peterxnxn After a few months even I'm crying after the time wasted to see this stuff. A mixture of (what?): body lotion, scented hair gel, some uranium, french perfumes, goulash, absurd stunts, syrupy kisses, whatever. Strong cut scenes (being imperfect anyway), lustrous actors, the feeling that they come from marketplace at their headquarter, fashion parade at the end of the series , unbelievable acts, a Kim Tae-he looking towards nowhere in many crucial points. What? A nuclear attempt? With the most unbelievable pretext? What a joke! All the series seems a huge, monumental joke; of bad taste. The actor Lee Byung-Hun is blank as always. For me, he never rises to convey an extraordinary state of life. Only the actor Jeong Jun-Ho saved a bit this messed movie. And actress Kim So-Yeon, yep, she really performed OK. I have all my respect for art and the work in movies but we are here, this years 2000 plus and this movie has not a valid message.

Derek Childs (totalovrdose) Iris was a serious South Korean spy thriller, with interesting plot twists, engaging performances, and several brutal betrayals, culminating in a finish that resulted in more than a few questions remaining unanswered. Promising to answer some of questions raised, Iris 2 is a show that had enormous shoes to fill, and unfortunately, its feet do not match the ambitious size of the original. Though one might imagine the sheer number of story-lines would make for a wealth of material, several aspects of the plot are tirelessly dragged out, obviously in the show's desperate attempt to reach 20 hour long episodes. Often predictable, with minimal character back-story, and a plot held together at the seams with sticky tape, the conflicting and often contradictory story-lines risk the production falling apart at a moment's notice.However, if you look past the flaws, there are a number of notable reasons why this show deserves a look, not least of all, the poignancy that is efficaciously delivered by the writers, alongside the talented (and VERY attractive) actors. This is heightened by the amazing musical score, including the gorgeous song from Davichi. Several of the fight sequences are sure to impress, though at the same time, those familiar with the aforementioned original, or even Athena, will see a great number of similarities, alongside the addendum that their frenetic orchestration can make them hard to follow.Furthermore, though some of the dialogue could be accused of immaturity, the chemistry and interactions between the characters prove to be engaging in themselves, the romantic and familial relationships being conceived with much emotion, while some of the witticisms are especially enjoyable. Though the show is often unrealistic, with characters severely injured in one episode, and running around during the next, alongside contradictions in the story-lines, and ideas that fail to be fleshed out, Iris 2 gradually finds its footing towards the end, resulting in an emotionally powerful and worth-while finale.Jung Yoo-Gun (Jang Hyuk) and paramour Ji Soo-Yeon (Lee Da-Hae) work together for the NSS, under the authority of deputy-director Choi Min (Oh Yeon-Su), who is determined to rid the world of Iris. Her goals however, are continuously been undermined by the ambitious Kang Cheol-Hwan (Kam Il-Woo), who seeks control of the agency, though his allegiances are unclear. When an Iris cell, led by Rey (David McInnis), storms the NSS prison housing the agency's former director Baek San (Kim Young-Chul), and extricates him in an attempt to garner much needed information, it becomes clear that Baek San has an important role to play in the war against the terrorist group. When North Korean traitor Yoo Joong-Woo (Lee Beom-Soo), a man desperate to clear his name, is recruited by Iris agent Kim Yeon-Hwa (Lim Soo-Hyang) to assist with her mission, tensions between the North and the South begin to escalate, and threaten the inevitable commencement of a unification war.With the sheer number of cast members, it is no surprise that some are provided significantly less screen time than others, with fellow NSS agents See Hyun-Woo (Yoon Doo-Joon) and Yoon-Shi Hyuk (Lee Joon), alongside Iris operative Park Tae-Hee (Yoon So-Yi), being difficult to associate with due to the significantly lacking characterization. Set over the course of more than a year, Iris 2 includes not only locations throughout South Korea, but internationally as well, which involve a car chase through the streets of Hungary, and a chase sequence on the ski slopes of Japan. When in its home nation, the shoot-outs often occur in warehouses, amongst other abandoned and condemned locations, which offer little in the way of uniqueness.Moving on, it's a fact, in every production, the antagonist is defeated. However, what's most important is not only how, but what horrors they have in store for the heroes. In short, how impressive a villain are they? The monotonous repetition of failure that consumes the enemy organization with every turn they take however, only makes their defeat all the more inevitable. To add insult to injury, the enemy group, Iris, have no motive or agenda, and without a cause, the audience is unable to connect with them on any level. If ever a cause was mentioned, it must have been whispered, for this viewer certainly never heard it.The lacking interest in the terrorist cell is heightened by the show's inability to continuously hold us in suspense. Even the threat of a third world war, despite the emotional performances by the actors, flat-lines in its ability to make us legitimately believe this may in fact come to fruition. However, where the show excels, is its ability to captivate the audience with its character relationships. Unlike American shows, that often drag out romances to the point of utter boredom, Iris 2 gives its viewers enough tension, poignancy, grief and hope, to keep us entrenched for the entirety of the season. Moreover, though antagonists are loathed by the audience at times, on other occasions, they are equally sympathetic. Although the acting could occasionally be accused of being a little too melodramatic, one cannot ever deny the potency, with more than a few moments having the capacity to bring a tear, or more.In conclusion, Iris 2 is best watched in moderation, and despite the occasional complexity of the stories, the show is very easy to follow. Despite been an enjoyable experience, Iris 2 is not a show that will cause you to continuously reminisce over the story-lines or characters. The show's conclusion leaves the Iris franchise open for a sequel, with a number of plots left unresolved, and several character stories requiring a more definitive close, though whether a third installment will occur, remains to be seen.

cremea SPOILERS AHEAD!"Iris" is Korean TV show that aired back in 2009. It's your basic Korean melodramatic TV series format, only it's infused with a significant amount of action & intrigue.I think the idea behind this series, to put it bluntly, was to get some guys who like action/spy flicks to tune into a genre that is almost exclusively geared to attracting female viewers by nature. Judging by the show's super high nationwide ratings (nearly 40% of all Korean TV viewers were watching this show by the time it wrapped up), I'd say the producers accomplished their goal and then some. Iris was a massive success by KTV standards that soon spawned a spin-off show, a movie, talks of a second season (which only rarely happens in this medium), etc…Viewers loved it immediately (as did I), and it's easy to see why; it's often a riveting television series that is awfully hard to look away from!The closest comparison to this show is probably the American TV series "24"…I think that's a somewhat fair comparison, but it would be a disservice to both "Iris" & "24" to say they are too similar to one another to just lump together…there's plenty of room in the world for both. I actually liken "Iris" to more of feature length film though…albeit, a film that just keeps on going & going. Production values are through the roof; various exotic locales, terrific cinematography, blazing gunfights and action scenes…they spared no expense here (for a TV series), and it definitely shows on screen.What cannot be overlooked is this show is, at its core, a soap opera…It's a high octane soap opera indeed, but a soap opera nonetheless. I've seen a ton of Korean melodrama series over the years…some I adored, some made me groan in faux agony, and everywhere in between…but, I've never seen one quite like this show. It tries to have the best of both worlds, and it succeeds in doing so quite well overall during its run time.Here's your story: Two marines who are friends get recruited by the NSS (which is pretty much the South Korean equivalent of the U.S. CIA/NSA). While there, they meet the primary love interest who is their sub section chief responsible for training them. The 2 friends quickly take to their new jobs as secret agents, and are soon deployed in the field. Things start to go wrong when they are sent on an important mission though, and the 2 friends discover they are mere pawns to be used or sacrificed as needed.The NIS is primarily engaged with dealing with their North Korean counterparts, but, it soon becomes apparent there is a shadow organization at work behind the scenes known as Iris…the goal of Iris is too pretty much pit the 2 Koreas (and other nations) against each other, so they can profit and rise to world power.After the botched mission by the 2 friends/leads, this show basically boils down to a matter of slowly uncovering what everybody's motives are, who's working for whom, who's ultimately good and who's ultimately evil, etc…Along the way, there's your main love interest storyline, the main friendship storyline, people being good and people being evil, characters reconciling with themselves and others over time in regards to what they believe is right and wrong, etc…(all of which are familiar Korean melodramatic hallmarks).What's not to like about this show?...Not a whole lot to be honest! It is very entertaining and highly addictive. Could have been a bit shorter, and, casting TOP was a bit of a misstep in my opinion (sorry ladies); he simply does not make for an imposing bad guy. The rest of the cast is really good in their roles (led by Lee Byung Hun, the primary lead actor, who is just awesome). I would also like to note that I've always loved the fact that there seems to be no clear delineation between "movie star" and "TV actor" in Korean productions…major actors and actresses go back and forth between the 2 mediums seemingly at will, and that makes for some terrific performances when you might be inclined to expect less since "you're just watching a television show".Highly watchable…whether it be for the typical melodrama & intrigue inherent to this KTV genre, or for the electrifying gun battles in the rush hour streets of downtown Seoul, or for the story & performances, or for just about anything and everywhere in between.Bottom Line: 8 out of 10 stars!…Very Well Recommended!

ebossert Wikipedia gives the following information: "Iris is a South Korean espionage television drama series broadcast by KBS in 2009. With a budget in excess of 20 billion won (17 million USD), it, along with its spin-off Athena: Goddess of War, share the record for the most expensive Korean dramas ever produced. Premiering in October 2009, the series was a critical and commercial success, with an average viewership of over 30% in addition to ranking as the top program consistently every week after its debut. The series also took home many of the highest honors at the 2009 KBS Drama Acting Awards, including Byung-hun Lee winning the top recognition, the Daesang Award. Among other nominations and recognitions, Lee and Tae-hee Kim were also named as one of the best on-screen couples." My Review In One Breath: This series (20 episodes, 60 minutes each) concerns a National Security System agent who attempts to take down a secret organization. After the introductory opening episodes, the missions are similar to what one would find in the American "24" series (excluding the "real time" element), with agents attempting to stop terrorist attacks with the use of satellites and information support technicians. Of course, this is in the Korean style with some romance and melodrama blended in. Acting is top notch, with Byung-hun Lee in the lead role and a very good supporting cast: Tae-hee Kim (his love interest and fellow agent), Seung-woo Kim (a North Korean agent) and So-yeon Kim (as the gorgeous North Korean sniper). Production values are slick, the scoring is great at times, and the pacing is very fast for a K-drama with plenty of shootouts (a few of which are fantastic) and suspense. Storyline is clichéd but the secret organization is intriguing and represents a brilliant little twist on the North/South Korean conflict. Consequently, the relationships between the characters change significantly in exciting ways and the viewer will have an emotional investment in the protagonists. Highly addictive stuff.