There are some great parts to this film, and there is some strong craft at work, but as a whole, the film suffers from imbalance and then struggles to maintain pace.What starts off as ostensibly a comedy changes its genre completely by the middle. Whereas there are attempts at silly humor for the early going, they are dropped completely in favor of the action/intrigue aspect before too long. It's very strange to be halfway through and remember the early tones of the story, now all but forgotten.There are strong points: the photography is great; the fight scenes are good (too many cuts, but still good); the philosophical struggle the characters face is well-drawn.There are also some low points, but overall the film I'd say is worth watching - just be ready for two different halves.

I got a chanced to see this in theater for independent film showings and it's a thoroughly entertaining Korean film. That just about anyone can enjoy, even if you don't know Korean culture and may not be able to pick up on some jokes. I couldn't pick up on all of it either. Since this is based on a webtoon I could understand why the editing area is lacking. Especially when trying to cram everything in the webtoon which is probably better paced into one film. This movie is a win win for a date movie since it has Kim Soo-Hyun as the main protagonist for the female audiences. And decent amount of action and comedy for the male audiences. This had my attention most of the way through but thought the build up and interaction between the characters could have been better for the ending to leave more of a impact. And for there to be a bit more action between scenes but that is just my opinion. And even the ending which is probably the ending in the webtoon seems to be a bit abrupt and out of nowhere and maybe even a bit rushed. Like I said, I think there should have been elements which lead to more of a attachment to the lead characters. But it does have enough good elements to make it a entertaining summer film from Korea. It would have been better if they polished up on those good areas though. Hollywood has DC and Marvel, well this is another Korean movie based on a webtoon that rocks.7.5/10

I laughed, I cried.... This movie had it all. The first half was actually comical and light, where the second have grew darker, more violent, and so sad. I'm not a fan of violence in films (it's just hard for me to watch), but it was integral to the story so it was inevitably used here. The strangely interesting thing is that as the movie got darker and more intense, it also got more personal. I went last night to see this movie with a Korean friend. I don't speak any Korean myself, so used the subtitles. They were written obviously by someone who spoke English as a second language, as some of the phrasing and word choice was odd, but I kind of liked that. It made it feel like the story was being told by an actual Korean (rather than an American interpreter) like my friend, who has slightly "broken" English as well. I am sure that if this movie were made in America, it would win many Oscars. Of course then it wouldn't be the same movie. I hope it at least comes up as a best foreign film nominee. I highly recommend this wonderful movie!

This movie is based on a famous Korean web-toon, "Secretly, Greatly".Directing skill is not so impressive.Storyline is little different from the original web-toon.But talent of the leading-role actor, Soo-Hyun Kim, supports the whole movie. His eyes are shining.A north Korean secret spy disguises as a fool in South Korea. Such a plot makes the movie unique from other north Korean spy movies.Soo-Hyun Kim's acting range from a ridiculous fool to a chic elite spy is wonderful.Strongly recommended.