MoPoshy Absolutely brilliant

Dotbankey A lot of fun.

Rosie Searle It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Mathilde the Guild Although I seem to have had higher expectations than I thought, the movie is super entertaining.

Prashast Singh Movie: New World (18)Rating: 1/5A great thing is that all the South Korean films I've watched turned out to be good. But the bad thing is that this film is the only one which isn't good. NEW WORLD, seeming to be extremely amazing from the promos, synopsis and IMDb rating, turns out to be a major downer despite of a great performance from the seasoned actor Choi Min-sik. The other lead characters simply overdo their parts. The film is supported by good music, visuals and a handful of action, but is let down by a poorly executed story and screenplay. The biggest problem with NEW WORLD is that it chooses the melodramatic way of telling a story which needed a faster pace and sharper execution. The first hour of the film is totally wasted in setting up characters which don't seem to be impressive. And they unfortunately turn out to be the lead characters. Despite of a lot of time being given in character development, one of the lead characters looks simply underdeveloped. The film, which I was expecting to be a solid one, turned out to be a disappointment because it didn't stay true to the genre it was expected to stay to. It's a crime drama, but as it progresses, it turns out to be a "crime melodrama" instead. Choi Min-sik is the saving grace of this film. And only he is. Hwang Jung-min disappoints. Lee Jung-jae doesn't show any other expression other than the one he sports. Park Sung-Woong was a total surprise package as he performed very well. But sadly, his character isn't well written and neither does he get a proper scope to perform. Others actors too are disappointing. The story and screenplay both seem to be poorly written and after a point of time, the film turns into a yawnfest. The film fails to evoke or convey any emotion. It's indeed hard to figure out what is being tried to convey with this film. The first hour being totally bland makes you lose interest even when the second hour seems to get a little back on track. But sadly, it never actually gets back on track. The moment you feel it's suddenly back on track, it just gets derailed with the next shot. In other words, the editing is another major negative point of the film as it's too slow paced to engage you. Many portions are overlong, especially the pre-climactic episode, and they generate no tension at all.But I mustn't forget to praise the cinematography, music and one well choreographed action scene. But these are the only things one will remember. For a full time watch, NEW WORLD doesn't seem to be a right film. South Korean films never disappointed me so getting disappointed with this one is something I didn't expect at all. Don't think I don't like drama films. I do like intense dramas apart from action and thriller films. But this film seems to be having almost no intensity at all.Still, I must say I have no "new word" for NEW WORLD to describe it as something more than bad. I am not saying that don't watch it. Watching it depends on you, and not watching too. Just note that the film lacks the kick of action films, the intelligence of crime films, emotion of drama films and the edge of the seat sharpness of thriller films. Instead, watch Lee Byung-hun's INSIDE MEN: an excellent film of the same genre which is both far longer and million times better than this "world" of 135 minutes.Repeat value: Definitely, A big no!

Roland E. Zwick Park Hoon-jung's "New World" is a top notch crime drama from South Korea. Its complex plot features Jung-Jae Lee as Lee Ja-sung, an agent who's been undercover with the Goldmoon crime syndicate for eight years now and has managed to reach the position of second-in-command to the group's leader. When the latter is taken out in a hit, Jung-Jae naturally assumes that his assignment will likewise be terminated and that he'll be allowed to return to a normal life with his pregnant wife. However, his actual boss, Police Chief Kang (Min-sik Choi), has other plans for him, namely to stay an active member in the gang and to eventually fill the vacuum left by the assassinated leader. This, however, will necessitate eliminating the top two lieutenants, Jeong Cheong (Jeong-min Hwang) and Lee Jung-gu (Seong-Woong Park), his two potential rivals for the throne.At times brutal and bloody, "New World," nevertheless, remains predominantly a drama of character and ideas, as the "good" figures in particular must find their way through the moral morass that is the world of crime, where the fine line between good and evil, right and wrong, often has to be crossed in order to secure a desired end. And somehow they must do so without losing both their humanity and their soul in the process. For the embedded Jung-Jae, for instance, there is the inexorable pull to the dark side as well as the inevitable shifting of loyalties that comes from immersing himself so deeply into this brotherhood of criminals, while Kang, the Javert-like figure of the piece, is so obsessed with bringing down Goldmoon that he is even willing to sacrifice some of his own operatives to bring it about.Sharp writing, intense performances, excellent pacing, fine direction and an ironically preordained conclusion all combine to make "New World" a must-see film.

Jim Astonishing Korean production. The drama and treachery approaches the brilliant of the Godfather. Unfortunately, we don't have time to explore the context in Korean society.Brilliant performance by Jung-Jae Lee (the tired police spy) and his hood buddy Jeong-min Hwang. Excellent direction and editing.Who is the police's ultimate mole? How ruthless can the police boss be? The boss makes the mistake of telling the spy that only two people know his real identity.In the end, the police spy has no choice. He is squeezed between his ruthless boss and the treacherous politics of the underworld.

cadillac20 It's been a very long time since a solid gangster film has graced the screens, but New World is by far one of the best in years, maybe since The Departed (which is ironically based on another Korean film). And it's no wonder, as New World seems to take it's cue from several different gangster and undercover cop films, giving us something a bit different as the two sub-genres collide. What makes New World unique is it's view on the plot. It is essentially two stories mashed together. On the one hand, we have the story of an undercover cop who wants to get out but is being forced to stay in by his superiors. On the other end, we have a story about two competing for the top chair of an organized crime institute when the top boss is unexpectedly killed in a car accident. These two stories collide when the police determine that they can control the gang by manipulating the person who takes the top chair. In order to do this, they will utilize Ja-sung, their undercover cop who also has his own conflicts in regards to loyalty.Because of the unique take on the gangster film genre this was clearly inspired by, it feels fresh and familiar at the same time. There are very clear nod, even so far as having music that bears a striking familiarity to The Godfather. The film is also relentless in it's pacing, but almost none of it comes from action. This is a very story driven film with plenty of fantastic drama and suspense. Double crosses, surprises, and cat and mouse games keeps things moving at a brisk pace, even despite the films over two hour run time. The acting is excellent all around, with Hwang Jung-min and Park Sung-woong playing the competing gangsters for the chair. Both characters played by the actors or diverse and entertaining, with Hwang playing the obnoxious wild man Jung Chung and Park playing the straight laced business man Lee Joong- gu. But what really shines here is the plot and it's pacing. By interweaving these plots together and keeping the level of crosses and intensity high, questions never cease: who will take the top spot? Will Ja-sung turn sides? Will his cover be blown? The questions are always there and the tension never really cools, so you most certainly wait as things rise to an exploding point. Best of all is the immensely satisfying payoff, which does not fail to deliver in surprises and suspense. This just goes to show how top notch the writing here is.I had no idea what to expect from this film, but it turned out to be one of my favorite films this year. It's intense, well acted, directed, and written, and it takes it's inspirations for a spin.