Released in 2019, this South Korean film marks Byunghun Lee's third feature film as a director. It's an action-comedy with a high concept premise where undercover narcotics officers run a chicken restaurant to conduct covert operations.
"Running a chicken restaurant by day, undercover operation by night! A kind of investigation like never before!"
The narcotics team, facing the threat of disbandment due to poor performance despite their relentless efforts, led by the veteran captain Ko (Seung ryong Ryu), catches wind of an international drug trafficking operation within the country. Along with team members Jang (Ha-nee Lee), Ma (Sun-kyu Jin), Yeong-ho (Dong-hwi Lee), and Jae-hoon (Myung-gyun Gong), they embark on an undercover operation.
To maintain 24-hour surveillance, the narcotics team acquires a chicken restaurant in front of the crime organization's hideout and starts a chicken business as a disguise. Unexpectedly, the restaurant gains fame as a top-notch eatery, thanks to the hidden talent of detective Ma, who has an extraordinary palate.
As the investigation takes a backseat to the bustling chicken business, a golden opportunity presents itself to the narcotics team one day.
Will they catch the criminals, or will they end up catching chickens instead?
The comedy film, deliberately crafted for laughter, held a large scale general audience preview before its release. The overall assessment was that it definitely nailed the comedy aspect. Directed by Byunghun Lee, who has a strong background in comedy, the film received praise for keeping the audience laughing throughout the screening. It's noted that it managed to evoke laughter comfortably across all age groups and demographics, even without resorting to vulgar or emotionally touching elements.
The film demonstrates excellent control of comedic pacing. Even in situations where it could easily become juvenile, it quickly extracts laughter in split seconds and smoothly transitions to the next scene, ensuring a consistently enjoyable viewing experience for the audience. The fact that the theater remained filled with laughter throughout the screening is attributed to this exceptional skill in pacing and comedic delivery.
Despite its exaggerated comedic elements, the screenplay, rich with witty dialogue and well-developed characters, is skillfully executed. From the five lead roles to the villains and supporting cast, the performances are outstanding, effectively bringing the characters to life. Additionally, the action scenes, portrayed with high energy, add an unexpected layer to the comedy. Especially noteworthy is the intense fight sequence in the latter part, which ties in with the film's unexpected plot twist, serving as a highlight. Many scenes evoke memories of the films from the prime era of director Jusang Choi, known for his meticulous action choreography and outrageous humor. The director even pays homage to this by incorporating the iconic theme from "A Better Tomorrow 2" into a parody scene towards the end of the film.
While following the typical flow of an undercover investigation narrative, the film cleverly subverts clichés at various points. The setup of the seemingly dysfunctional narcotics investigation team, which is actually composed of highly skilled individuals, and the dynamic between the team leaders, who appear to be at odds but are actually collaborating, are particularly impressive.
Surprisingly, the film remains realistic in terms of combat effectiveness. As mentioned in the movie itself, most drug criminals in reality lack sophistication and tend to respond aggressively, which is why narcotics teams need to possess superior physical and tactical abilities to handle them. Moreover, to prevent situations where apprehending even one member would escalate into a dangerous situation for the entire organization, drug-related criminal organizations often consist of highly trained and formidable individuals within their ranks.
During the Lunar New Year season, family-friendly comedy films often tend to perform well, and given the absence of strong competitors during the 2019 Lunar New Year, the film seemed to have strategically capitalized on this opportunity.
As with most comedy genres, understanding of the cultural context is crucial for the full enjoyment of the film. While Koreans may find certain scenes highly relatable and amusing, foreigners might find them unfamiliar and difficult to comprehend, resulting in a diminished comedic impact. Therefore, the film can be considered a quintessential Korean-style movie.
"Extreme Job," which is considered a representative work of the comedy genre in the Korean film industry, succeeded in delivering subtle laughter to the masses. The film immersed audiences with its realistic settings and charming character dialogues, making efforts to induce rich laughter even in situations that could easily be considered juvenile. Director Byung-heon Lee's creative direction and the actors' performances further enhanced the comedic effect of the film, with the events unfolding from the middle onwards continuously stimulating the audience's laughter. "Extreme Job" not only provided Koreans with a familiar and enjoyable comedy experience but also brought joy to various age groups and communities. These aspects are crucial reasons why the film received widespread acclaim from audiences.