Streaming Sleepers: In ANOTHER PUBLIC ENEMY, A Justifiable Sequel
Watch Another Public Enemy on Kanopy.
It was only a few years ago I started nabbing myself a few of the Public Enemy franchise. It’s a slow process, which is why after managing to get the first film on DVD as a birthday gift for myself, the 2005 sequel, Another Public Enemy, happens to have found a home over at library-tethered film catalogue, Kanopy. It’s definitely a place full of hidden gems and I have my good friend Cesar to thank for looping me in.
Sol Kyung-gu returns as Kang Cheol-jung, nowadays promoted from detective to serving as Public Prosecutor and finds himself investigating the shady dealings of Chairman Han (Jung Joon-ho), a corporate tycoon with whom he shares a past. Kang is building a case for certain, but there’s a major twist in a key development he makes while Han, a businessman with no compunction about getting his hands dirty, and stress-testing his privilege using every bit of his influence to weasel his way out of accountability. When the case reaches a critical boiling point with the murder of a colleague, Kang is forced to question just what exactly the limits are to the law before pushing them in order for justice to prevail.
This sort of plot remains prevalent in a lot of cop actioners and, for specific reasons, still bodes relatable if you look at geopolitics in the world today. It’s precisely the kind of story that sells, pitting a somewhat clean-cut albeit rough-around-the-edges lawman against a murderer with an elitist mentality and connections to unscrupulous people on both sides of his tax bracket, and believe me, he definitely earns his comeuppance.
Sol is as perfect as he was in the first film, with Jung matching energy with our lead all the same as the villain of choice. Co-star Kang Shin-il is terrific in the supporting role of Kang’s bureau director, Kim – a switch up from his previous role opposite Sol as Police Chief Eom. One other familiar face that stood out was that of late actor Byung Hee-bong who I first eyed in Kim Tae-gyun’s Volcano High, who here plays Ahn, another key supporting player in the web of crime and intrigue being spun by Chairman Han.
Another Public Enemy is a mix of crime and legal procedural without the courtroom leg of it all, as most of the story unravels away from that aspect. There are times when the film feels overlong, but there’s still a fair pace of energy amid the drama. The few moments where things slow down for a more sobering effect are simply par for the course and set up nicely to pick up where previous moments left off. At certain points throughout the film which also showcase a couple of big action set pieces and stunts, courtesy of Yoo Sang-seob whose credits of late partly include No Other Choice, and Project Wolf Hunting, as well as Ryoo Seung-wan’s Veteran 2: I, The Executioner and Humint.
Kang Woo-suk directed a whole trilogy of these Public Enemy films (he released this one just after he dismounted his company, Cinema Service ten years after founding it and remained on board as shareholder until it went defunct in 2016). It’s my hope to find the third entry, 2008’s Public Enemy Returns, while in the meantime, there’s a scene in the latter moments of Another Public Enemy that makes me wish Kang brought our two mains back for a legacy sequel. I don’t know if one is happening at all, and I’m almost certain I’m not the only one who feels the same way. If you’re looking for a solid crime thriller with stimulating characters and a mix of action and drama that satisfies the taste buds, Another Public Enemy is fair game.
I might revist the Public Enemy DVD for a review. Life is hard, but we’ll see.
Native New Yorker. Been writing for a long time now, and I enjoy what I do. Be nice to me!
