MOVIE REVIEW : ‘Two Cops’: An Arresting, Fresh Korean Comedy

For years Korean films have been shown theatrically in Los Angeles but most often without subtitles or publicity outside the Korean-American community. Therefore, “Two Cops” (at the Vista starting Saturday) is something of a first in that its L.A.-based distributor, James Kim of Castalia Pictures, now intends to bring to Korean pictures the crossover audiences that attract Chinese and Japanese movies.

It’s about time, because in film festivals and in non-commercial venues those precious few Korean films accessible to non-Koreans have often proved exciting and stylish.

Kim’s choice to break ground couldn’t be better. Just when you thought that there could be no more riffs on the veteran cop/young cop relationship, writer Sung-Hong Kim and director Woo-Suk Kang have come up with a film that’s amazingly fresh, funny and original when it so easily could have been merely derivative. Thoroughly entertaining, “Two Cops,” which is not in the least exotic, is commercial in the very best sense of the word.

Right at the start, the veteran Detective Cho (Sung-Gi Ahn) of the Seoul police department is established as a man who’s not going to pass up a free meal or more generous gifts from the citizenry if it comes his way. However, his new fresh-from-the-academy partner, Detective Kang (Joong-Hoon Park), is so shocked at such conduct he starts to write up a report on him.

With consistent deftness, the film’s writer and director keep Kang from doing this as the wet-behind-the-ears rookie wises up, and he and his senior partner find themselves tracking down a serial killer. At the same time they resist buddy movie cliches, with each detective given a life of his own apart from each other.

“Two Cops” is a fine behavioral comedy in the old Hollywood tradition best exemplified by Howard Hawks and Leo McCarey. It has fun with Kang’s primness but respects his integrity while moving on to a more serious point: Those who are the most pious also often prove to be the most vulnerable to corruption when they’ve become disillusioned.

Director Kang runs with a script that most of his Hollywood counterparts would envy for its solid construction, its grasp of human nature and and its hearty, inspired humor. Both the lean, weathered Ahn and the young, fresh-faced Park (who studied acting at NYU) are engaging, highly expressive actors with much presence and comic flair.

Hopefully, Castalia will be able to build upon the handsomely produced “Two Cops,” which has fine English subtitles, to start bringing to mainstream audiences a wide range of quality Korean films on a regular basis.

* MPAA rating: Unrated. Times guidelines: It includes enough scenes of sex and violence, although not in large doses, to make the film unsuitable for small children. ‘Two Cops’

Sung-Gi Ahn: Detective Cho

Joong-Hoon Park: Detective Kang

Soo-Won Jea: Soo-Won

Hye-Ok Kim: Mrs. Cho

A Castalia Pictures release. Producer-director Woo-Suk Kang. Executive producer Young-Rak Kwon. Screenplay by Sung-Hong Kim. Cinematographer Kwang-Suk Chung. Editor Hyun Kim. Costumes Suh-Ryung Kim. Music Kyung-Shik Choi. Production designer Tae-Wook Kim. Sound Bum-Soo Kim, Dae-Ho Yang. In Korean with English subtitles. Running time: 1 hour, 51 minutes.

* In limited release, at the Vista Theater, 6321 Hollywood Blvd. (213) 463-6819.