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Action comedy 'Hitman' is contender for genre-confused film

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A scene from
A scene from "Hitman: Agent Jun" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment

By Kwak Yeon-soo

Action comedy film "Hitman: Agent Jun" has two different themes embedded in it.

On the one hand it is an action movie about Jun (Kwon Sang-soo), a secret service hit man who carries out assassinations based on orders from his long-time superior Deok-gyu (Jung Joon-ho)

On the other is the comedy in which Jun later works to have a normal life as a webcomic artist.

The contrast between Jun's dual identities ― whether he's killing terrorists or trying to succeed as webcomic artist ― provides amusing visual juxtapositions throughout the film.

"Hitman is an eccentric action-comedy that tells a tale about love for family and chasing one's dreams," Kwon said during a press conference for the film.

Disenchanted with his life as a secret service agent, Jun fakes his death to lead a normal life.

Despite his efforts to become a top webcomic artist, Jun produces unpopular works that turn readers off.

One night, a furious Jun draws a comic based on his life as a hit man and his wife accidentally uploads it. The story soon becomes a mega hit, but Jun then becomes a target of both the agency he worked for and the terrorists who become aware of his existence.

The film contains brutal violence, unexpected twists, animated scenes and other interesting elements.

Kwon, best known for his action and comedic skills, brings a sense of fluidity to the film that could have felt awkward in other hands.

"I've always had Kwon in mind for Jun's character since I began writing the screenplay for Hitman," director Choi Won-sub said. "When suggesting the role, I wrote him a letter to show my desire to work with him."

"Hitman" features several animated scenes that are part of Jun's webcomic story. They center around Jun's past missions as a secret service agent. At first, they seem a little out of place and distracting, but over time, they serve as links in the "genre-confused" film.

A poster for
A poster for "Hitman: Agent Jun" / Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment
Choi stressed that "Hitman" is not just an action comedy film, and that it contains a tale of love and grief within a family.

"Some viewers have a tendency to look down on comedy films, but I think they deserve so much more," he said, recalling a time he was jeered at for writing down "Dumb and Dumber" as his favorite film during his college years.

"It's funny that only a few people know that the Dumb and Dumber director produced the 2019 Oscar winner Green Book. The Hangover filmmaker also directed Joker," he said.

"Hitman is my first commercial film, but I'm confident in it because it touches upon universal topics such as fatherhood and following one's intuition."

"Hitman" is set to hit local theaters Jan. 22.


Kwak Yeon-soo yeons.kwak@koreatimes.co.kr


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