**Title:** "Bad Guys: The Movie"
"Bad Guys: The Movie" is a theatrical adaptation of the OCN original series. It commenced filming in September 2018 and wrapped up production on January 11, 2019.
The main cast from the original series, including Kim Sang-joong as Oh Gu-tak and Ma Dong-seok as Park Woong-chul, reprise their roles as the lead characters. However, the remaining four characters only make cameo appearances. Instead, two new characters, Kwak No-soon and Go Yoo-sung, portrayed by Kim Ah-joong and Jang Ki-yong respectively, are introduced.
When a prison transport vehicle overturns, allowing the most dangerous criminals to escape, the police are compelled to resurrect the covert project "Special Crime Investigation Team," which aims to capture violent offenders.
Chief Oh Gu-tak seeks out his former partner, the legendary boxer Park Woong-chul, and recruits the skilled con artist Kwak No-soon and former detective Go Yoo-sung to form a new team. Together, they embark on a mission to uncover the truth behind the incident, suspecting the involvement of a formidable criminal organization.
As they delve deeper into the case, the team realizes they must adopt the methods of the bad guys to bring them to justice.
Park Woong chul, a working team leader at the Myungju Prison, accidentally ruins fabric while sewing due to a commotion caused by a new inmate in the auto repair shop. He apprehends the unruly new inmate, but the situation is calmed down by the intervention of the prison guards. Later, the prison warden shows Woong-chul a newspaper article reporting the discovery of his friend Myung-suk's body. Given a two-day break to cool off, Woong-chul visits the morgue, leaving behind his pink fabric gloves used for sewing, and seeks revenge, vowing to Oh Gu-tak, the chief, for help. However, Gu-tak, diagnosed with terminal cancer, rejects Woong-chul's request, having given up on life and refusing assistance even from his former colleague, Detective Yoo Mi-young.
Meanwhile, Mi young, assigned to a prisoner transport operation from Myungju Prison to another facility, agrees to meet Woong-chul after receiving his call. However, the transport vehicle runs out of gas and stops at a gas station, where Mi-young and her team arrest No-soon, a notorious scammer with a history of fraud. As they escort No-soon, their vehicle joins the prisoner convoy. Suddenly, a mysterious dump truck appears and collides with the convoy, causing chaos and allowing some prisoners, including No-soon, to escape. In the ensuing melee, Mi-young sustains an injury to her abdomen but receives assistance from Yoo-sung, who attempts to apprehend the masked individuals responsible for the escape. However, Yoo-sung is struck by a black SUV and thrown aside.
After recovering in the hospital from a nightmare, Yoo-sung is scouted by Gu-tak upon awakening. At Gu-tak's request, Woong-chul visits Jung Tae soo, a former associate, who now refuses to engage in violence due to his religious beliefs. Together, they investigate a series of incidents, eventually learning about Kim Chang-min, a fugitive involved in illegal gambling and fraud. With Mi-young's help, they track down and arrest Chang-min but face opposition from Inspector Jo Dong-chul and his colleagues, who take Chang-min into custody. Despite Gu-tak's deteriorating health, they continue pursuing the remaining fugitives, Noh Sang-sik and Park Sung-tae.
During the pursuit, they discover Sang-sik's association with Sung-tae through Mi young's informant and CCTV footage of a police homicide. Sung-tae seeks revenge against Han Mi-jeong, a victim who reported him before leaving Korea. Sang-sik accompanies him as they search for incriminating evidence. Gu-tak, Woong-chul, and Yoo-sung engage in a final confrontation with the criminals, resulting in Sang-sik and Sung-tae's apprehension. However, Inspector Jo and his team arrive, arresting Sung-tae and taking him to the police station. Meanwhile, Gu-tak collapses due to his illness, leading to his hospitalization.
Undeterred, Woong-chul, Yoo-sung, and No-soon pursue Sang-sik and Sung-tae, ultimately apprehending them with Mi-young's assistance. However, Sang sik's ledger implicates Yoshihara, a Japanese Yakuza, in various criminal activities in Korea. They confront Yoshihara at his Incheon factory, where a firefight ensues. With the help of Woong-chul's deliveryman friend, they gain access to the factory and defeat the Yakuza, capturing Yoshihara in the process.
In the aftermath, Woong-chul, Yoo-sung, and No-soon return to prison as model inmates, while Gu tak undergoes a liver transplant. However, as they prepare to return to prison, they are unexpectedly called back by the police, indicating the need for their assistance once again.
In the end, it ended up being another solo action film starring Ma Dong-seok.
Before its release, there was considerable anticipation as it was the sequel to one of the most highly anticipated series, following "Tazza: One Eyed Jack". However, just before its release, concerns grew as critic reviews and previews were not as favorable as expected. Yet, after the release, there was a trend of the film receiving quite positive reviews in terms of its overall quality, separate from audience opinions and reviews on various sites.
One of its most praised aspects is its accessibility. Even without knowledge of the previous installments, viewers can follow the story easily. The use of colloquial dialogue for exposition purposes and familiar clichés throughout makes it easy to adapt to the atmosphere. It's often described as a typical "easy-to watch popcorn movie" if you want to relax without thinking too much.
However, opinions diverge on aspects like the smooth resolution of the main storyline about a criminal escape and the investigation of the bad guys, sudden illness of the leader character Oh Goo tak, and the bromance scenes between the characters Go Yoo-seon and Park Woong-cheol.
Under the pretext of improving accessibility, the dense noir atmosphere that the previous installments of the series portrayed has been diluted, leading to criticisms of the film becoming "predictable" and straying from its roots as a noir genre film. This disappointment is echoed not only among fans of the genre but also among fans of the "Bad Guys" series who find it lacking compared to its predecessors, feeling that it has become another "Ma Dong-seok muscle packed movie" instead of showcasing the distinctive characteristics of each character as in the drama.
The film relies heavily on Park Woong-cheol's character, overshadowing others like Oh Goo tak due to sudden illness, resulting in an imbalance in screen time, story contribution, and impact. Efforts to address this imbalance with excessive action scenes backfire, as they overshadow individual character traits and charm. This departure from the theme of "when times are tough, even bad guys unite" portrayed in the original drama, creates a contrast with the Avengers' concept of unity in times of crisis, thereby diminishing character individuality and storyline coherence.
Ma Dong-seok as Park Woong-cheol and Kim Sang-joong as Oh Goo-tak receive high praise for their performances. However, opinions on Kim Ah-joong as Go Yoo-seon and Jang Ki-yong as Go Yoo seon are mixed. While some acknowledge their unique charms, others feel they lack significant presence.
The portrayal of the characters and the narrative trajectory, closely following the outline of the first season of "Bad Guys", receive criticism for lacking originality. Furthermore, the depiction of the antagonists is deemed poor, and the juvenile portrayal of the climax scene undermines the credibility of the film.
Although it's considered an entertaining action movie with exhilarating action scenes and a clear, straightforward theme, it's also criticized for plagiarism issues, poor special effects, and a narrative that falls short of the original "Bad Guys" series. Ultimately, it's labeled as a "mass produced Korean holiday commercial film", raising concerns about its impact on the Korean commercial film market. Compared to other films released during the same period, it fares relatively better, although mostly due to their own shortcomings rather than its own merits.
Overall, it's viewed as a passable film for casual viewing, but its shortcomings and departures from the original series disappoint many fans and critics alike.