When the South Korean crime action film The Outlaws was released in 2017, no one could have envisioned how the franchise would grow. Set in 2004, it introduced audiences to Don Lee’s Detective Ma Seok-do, who uses incredibly aggressive techniques to solve the grisly crimes he’s investigating.
Lee’s performance as Ma struck a chord with viewers. The actor’s stock had been steadily rising in the years prior to The Outlaws. This started with his breakout role in 2012’s The Neighbor, which hit even higher levels with his turn in 2016’s action zombie horror Train to Busan.
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The Outlaws confirmed that Lee could lead his very own action film. Last year, he looked to turn it into a franchise by once again playing Ma, this time in its sequel The Roundup. He even took on the role of producer, which proved to be a masterstroke. The Roundup became the highest-grossing South Korean film of the year, earning almost double the one in second (Hansan: Rising Dragon).
Another film was a formality. What’s surprising, though, is that The Roundup: No Way Out has followed merely one year later, with production starting less than two months after its predecessor was released. At times, No Way Out does feel rushed, as its thinly-plotted narrative creaks along in a simple and predictable manner.
For the most part, though, that doesn’t really matter. No Way Out delivers exactly what viewers demand from the franchise, which is Lee’s ridiculously strong and resilient detective repeatedly punching and dismantling idiotic criminals with aplomb.
Lee is once again formidable as Detective Ma, dishing out punishment and delivering laughs with a charisma that you can’t take your eyes off. Sure, his strength has reached such unbelievable heights that it now rivals that of a superhero. But No Way Out always makes sure that you’re pining for him to give the criminals the justice they deserve, rather than questioning how he’s so powerful.
Set seven years after The Roundup, Ma joins a new squad to investigate the death of a young woman. While it initially appears as though she died by suicide, he soon learns she died from a heart attack after taking a dangerous new synthetic drug called Hiper.
This brings Ma into contact with Riki (Munetaka Aoki), a Yakuza-hired hitman, as well as Joo Seong-cheol (Lee Jun-hyuk), a dirty cop, both of whom are battling to sell Hiper in the clubs across Seoul.
While No Way Out’s plot might not be quite as gripping as viewers would want, returning director Lee Sang-yong deserves praise for his captivating action scenes. Not only do the sequences look slick and stylish, but they unfold with a ferocity and pace that most other action films lack. He also often finds time to mix humour into the action, which only helps to make the scenes more enjoyable.
There’s one in particular – which involves Riki, a machete and a group of foot soldiers trapped in a tight hallway – that’s put together exceptionally well. While the film is undeniably violent, it’s never off-putting.
In fact, the most problematic aspect of No Way Out is Ma’s methods, as he regularly hits first and asks questions later.
Considering that we now live in an age where police brutality is rightfully probed and questioned, watching Ma use excessive force can be uneasy to watch. Of course, the film makes sure to highlight that he only uses violence when provoked and only hits people that deserve it.
Putting these issues to one side, No Way Out is neither a lesser-than nor superior entry to the Crime City franchise than its predecessors. It’s formulaic fun, although Lee’s towering performance and Sang-yong’s increasingly confident direction mean that expectations have immediately risen for its inevitable sequel.
The Roundup: No Way Out is out now in UAE cinemas
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Polarised public
31% in UK say BBC is biased to left-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is biased to right-wing views
19% in UK say BBC is not biased at all
Source: YouGov
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'Operation Mincemeat'
Director: John Madden
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfayden, Kelly Macdonald and Penelope Wilton
Rating: 4/5
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Match info
Arsenal 0
Manchester City 2
Sterling (14'), Bernardo Silva (64')
Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
- Wear a protective helmet
- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
- Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
Brief scoreline:
Liverpool 5
Keita 1', Mane 23', 66', Salah 45' 1, 83'
Huddersfield 0
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
How to avoid crypto fraud
- Use unique usernames and passwords while enabling multi-factor authentication.
- Use an offline private key, a physical device that requires manual activation, whenever you access your wallet.
- Avoid suspicious social media ads promoting fraudulent schemes.
- Only invest in crypto projects that you fully understand.
- Critically assess whether a project’s promises or returns seem too good to be true.
- Only use reputable platforms that have a track record of strong regulatory compliance.
- Store funds in hardware wallets as opposed to online exchanges.
Company profile
Company name: Dharma
Date started: 2018
Founders: Charaf El Mansouri, Nisma Benani, Leah Howe
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: TravelTech
Funding stage: Pre-series A
Investors: Convivialite Ventures, BY Partners, Shorooq Partners, L& Ventures, Flat6Labs
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Other ways to buy used products in the UAE
UAE insurance firm Al Wathba National Insurance Company (AWNIC) last year launched an e-commerce website with a facility enabling users to buy car wrecks.
Bidders and potential buyers register on the online salvage car auction portal to view vehicles, review condition reports, or arrange physical surveys, and then start bidding for motors they plan to restore or harvest for parts.
Physical salvage car auctions are a common method for insurers around the world to move on heavily damaged vehicles, but AWNIC is one of the few UAE insurers to offer such services online.
For cars and less sizeable items such as bicycles and furniture, Dubizzle is arguably the best-known marketplace for pre-loved.
Founded in 2005, in recent years it has been joined by a plethora of Facebook community pages for shifting used goods, including Abu Dhabi Marketplace, Flea Market UAE and Arabian Ranches Souq Market while sites such as The Luxury Closet and Riot deal largely in second-hand fashion.
At the high-end of the pre-used spectrum, resellers such as Timepiece360.ae, WatchBox Middle East and Watches Market Dubai deal in authenticated second-hand luxury timepieces from brands such as Rolex, Hublot and Tag Heuer, with a warranty.
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