THE SUSPECT follows the modern Korean style of throwing you into the middle of the action, and only then bothering to explain what is happening. Really it's two plots in one as the former Nork defector in Seoul seeks vengeance on those who murdered his family after he fled to the South, whilst he is pursued by the SK security services who want the McGuffin his boss gave him before he too was murdered. For two hours twenty this basically means an endless stream of adrenaline- fuelled chases and fights by car and on foot. They're brilliantly done, although the use of Bourne-style hyper-edited shaky-cam is sometimes annoying, but eventually exhausting and it's a relief when the film ends with a bang.

What this movie is, is a compact version of other modern Hollywood action movies. And that isn't necessary a good thing. I could tell they were aiming to make a great action movie and I really could see the effort, especially when it comes to the cinematography. Even if the camera work is all over the place, especially during the action sequences. The thing is, if you are a audience member that is already in tune with most Hollywood action movies will see a lot of similar bits in this one. Especially the "Bourne" movies which I actually saw quite a bit of similarities from. Yeah, some of the action set pieces was cool to watch, but nothing really new and it has been done before. Even the character interaction and acting does come off a bit pretentious and over the top. Like they were trying so hard to mimic characters from Hollywood movies. I could tell the director is a fan of Hollywood action movies, but this one does come off as a mediocre emulation at best. When it came to the drama aspect of the movie, it felt way too drawn out without development that made me care. The effort for substance just wasn't effective. Overall, this is a watchable action flick but nothing original. Yes, you can emulate while having originality. I thought the cinematography for the most part was topnotch for a Asian movie.5.5/10

"The Suspect" is an action movie that seems as if it were made by a team of folks with a super-severe case of Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It never slows down, never lets up and is just about all action and fighting. For some, this will be an enjoyable adventure--but for someone who doesn't want this much intensity, the film will most likely produce sensory overload well before the film is complete.When the film begins, you learn that Dong-chul (Gong Yoo) was once one of the best super-spied working for the North Koreans. However, several years ago, he defected to the South and is now working for a powerful CEO. However, out of the blue, an assassin shows up and kills the employer. Dong-chul happens to come into the room about this time and witnesses the assassin in the act. While he is not able to stop the murder, he is able to stop the man from making him the next victim. After all, he is a super-spy--the sort of high-energy super-killer that makes James Bond look like a wimp! What follows is a long search by the South Korean government for Dong-chul, as they think HE is the killer. However, as the film progresses it becomes obvious not only to Dong-chul but to the man assigned to bring him to justice that there is a third party involved in the case--some secret organization with an agenda of their own and which is behind the killing. During the course of this movie, there are tons of martial arts fights which appear to be very lethal and ultra-violent, TONS of car crashes with some of the best driving sequences in film history as well as lots of blood and death. There is very, very little let-up and the only pauses seem to occur in order for the good guys to follow the leads concerning who is really pulling all the strings and why. Heck, the film seems to be almost nothing but action with a few tiny glimpses into what's going on as well as the identity of folks responsible for Dong- chul's family's death years ago. Whether you like all this really depends on you. If you are a super-hyper person who doesn't want a lot of plot and thinks that the average action film is way too slow-paced and the body count too low, you'll love "The Suspect". If you are looking for some action but more story and less intensity, then you might just want to skip this one. As for me, I found myself losing some interest towards the end. Sure, it was good but it just wore me out and went on too long.By the way, if you do watch this one, you shouldn't be surprised that it's ultra-violent. A few of the scenes really made me wince and it's NOT a film to show children or your mother.

The Suspect is the type of espionage thriller that starts very good but as usually happens with Asian movies, loses a lot of time with personal dramas and love / hate relations among enemies. The first half of the movie is so fast that it is almost impossible to follow (specially with subtitles). A dissident North Korean highly trained spy called Ji Dong-cheol; working as a chauffeur for an important industrial and political person, witness his boss assassination by a people of the South Korean Secret Service. Ji Dong-cheol is able to fight the killers, so before dying, his boss gives him a pair of lenses with some secret information (the Mc Guffin).Of course, Secret Service blames Ji Dong-cheol for the assassination and and start chasing him all over Seoul unsuccessfully. A retired Special Forces, is summoned to capture Ji Dong-cheol; but there is some old history between them.The first half of the movie, the action is NON-STOP; however during the second half, personal past issues of the main characters are explained via flash backs or dialog; slowing down the action (and the main story line too much). There is still plenty of action and violence filmed in a way only Hong Kong or Korean movies can; but the interest decays. It is common for Asian movies to include some over-dramatic moments but in this case, the pace changes too much and the events depicted are not that believable or properly developed.In brief; a decent Korean action thriller with could have benefited for a 20 or 30 minutes trimming or with better written script and a director capable of handling drama without boring.