Director Kang Young-Man’s award-winning 2005 actioner, The Last Eve, was a rarity for anyone keeping up with burgeoning up-and-comer Bruce Khan. For those not too in the know, Khan was a stuntman and fight choreographer for a time whose credits include Kim Sung-Soo’s coming-of-age gangster drama, Beat, Hong Kong actioners Gen-X Cops and Gen-Y Cops and Jackie Chan pic, The Medallion.
Things pretty much flatlined going forward despite the prospects of a Khan/Kang reunion as it’s been more than a decade since then, and so if the latest trailer for Revenger gives you an immediate case of the Holy Shits with a side of whiplash, you are totally forgiven. The immediate look and feel of this is just some of the most exciting shit you’ll see this week if you’ve been pining for a Korean action movie, and with a lead actor with a penchant for fast-twitch, lighting speed kicks that equal the likes of Scott Adkins, and whose talent has clearly ripened over time.
The plot is pretty simple and clear as it centers on a man who sets out to avenge his family’s murder, ultimately arriving to Sura Island, a remote prison facility where he’ll launch a one-man war against an army of condemned death row inmates led by gamemaster, Kun, their sadistic prison ringleader. Also starring are Park Hee-Soon (VIP), actress Yoon Jin-Seo (Heartbreak Hotel) and Kim In-Kwon (Too Hot To Die).
The film’s sales poster touts the title as hailing from the filmmakers behind Won Shin-Yeon’s The Suspect and Gareth Evans’ The Raid. As for what that entails, I’m not certain and I suppose we’ll have to see what investigative gems arise until then. I won’t share the artwork here though while there’s still plenty of time until Revenger nabs an expected December release. That said, I’ll be damned if I didn’t help share this trailer with some context because for a return to the screen that’s probably been a long time coming for an otherwise rising star, this looks damn good.