In the amusing “The Outlaws” (2017), however, the violence still hurts, and the criminals never turn into cartoons. The comedy comes from actor Ma Dong-seok’s blunt timing, his weary cop’s dry banter, and the way tough guys keep getting reduced to scared employees when he enters rooms.
This South Korean film was written and directed by Yoon-seong Kang, with Dong-seok and Yoon Kyesang in the main roles. It’s tied to real gang violence in Seoul’s Garibong-dong area. The fact that it’s based on the actual Heuksa-pa case gives the movie a nasty little historical hook before it even kicks off with its brawls. It became a major hit in South Korea, which helps explain why it grew into a larger Dong-seok franchise, “The Roundup” series.
Ruthless Gang Boss
The story drops us right into Seoul’s Garibong district, where local mobs usually respect the established hierarchy. Then, a ruthless outsider from China, Jang Chen (Kyesang), shatters the fragile mob truce. He shows up with his two lethal enforcers, Wi Seong-rak (Jin Seon-kyu) and Yang Tae (Kim Sungkyu), and the crew immediately begins operating with absolute savagery.
They initially work as brutal debt collectors before deciding they want total control over the entire area. Chen ignores every preexisting agreement and starts terrorizing the established bosses to steal their operations. He hacks his way up the criminal ladder, using axes to send a gruesome message.
Ma Dong-seok Takes Command
Ma Dong-seok gives the movie its chief pleasure as Ma Seok-do. One scene has suspects dragged behind a curtain for a helmet-assisted attitude adjustment; the joke comes from how bored Ma looks with the whole procedure, as you can tell he’s growing tired of dealing with dirtbags.
Director Yoon-Seong Kang keeps the movie moving through backrooms, bars, corridors, restaurants, and all the ugly little corners where crooks gather to ruin each other’s week. The violence can get nasty, especially once Chen and his crew start using blades as business cards.
Kang’s debut feature keeps the conflict largely in fists-and-blades territory, with K-pop star Yoon Kyesang cast against type as Chen. That casting choice helps, since Yoon’s almost polished appearance makes Chen’s cruelty feel surprising every time he enters a scene.
The comedy works here largely because Seok-do doesn’t play the fool. He plays a man who’s spent years breaking up criminal stupidity and has run out of fresh reactions. Other cops bicker, stall, panic, and complain around him; but Seok-do uses the same basic approach: He mutters a little, then slaps bad guys around when needed, especially if they lay a hand on him. The comedic bits sit inside the cops-and-gangsters machinery, which is where the film gets a lot of its charm.
“The Outlaws” is a bruising, sometimes funny, street-level crime picture with a villain nasty enough to deserve some sweet, sweet justice. Dong-seok makes the whole thing feel loose, mean, and absolutely lovable, as if Detective Columbo had forearms the size of fire extinguishers and absolutely no patience for gangsters with blades.
By the film’s end, the main pleasure is simple: Bad men make lots of trouble, Ma Seok-do shows up, and everybody’s dental plan suddenly becomes relevant.
