Ku Dong's life is going nowhere, spending his days beating people in the streets, he seems to be confined to repeat the same mistakes of his father, who happens to be already in jail. Even his younger brother is not far from going into the same tracks.

Then a struck of luck, if you could call it that, hits Ku Dong, a crime syndicate kidnaps him in order to train him to pass the police admission exam. It's something they have been doing for a while, sneaking moles in the police force to protect their leader, and making it easier to do dirty jobs here and there. The training of Ku Dong is both painful and hilarious, a very black humour that seems to be something natural for Korean cinema The thing is, Ku Dong really wanted to be in the force, at first just as an excuse to keep beating people, but eventually starts to realize this is his chance to give his life a real purpose.

Mr Socrates is not particularly original or "different" in terms of the genre, and it will be inevitable for many to compare it with everything from Ritchie/Tarantino stuff (almost a default practice with any crime/gritty movie made in the last years, ironic considering all the stuff Tarantino rips off from Asian cinema) to other Asian crime flicks of recent years. Neverless, the film manages to create it's own identity, and to be both funny and engaging without really pretending to be anything else. The story goes at a nice pacing, the performances are quite convincing, specially in the main lead. There's actually a transformation in the main character, and we can feel it. From an irresponsible thug to a person with a new found sense of direction in his life.

So, score one more for Korean genre cinema. While far from being the best of what the country, and the genre, can offer, i take this any day over many other poorly attempts of "cool-crime/comedy" flicks.

Korean cinema is known for its mastery of genre, fluidly blending thriller, drama, and dark comedy with social critique. The post-1990s renaissance brought bold storytelling and masterful craft to the world stage, addressing class, identity, and modern anxieties with cinematic flair.

The action genre features fast-paced, thrilling, and intense sequences of physical feats, combat, and excitement. The characters of these stories are involved in daring and often dangerous situations, requiring them to rely on their physical prowess, skills, and quick thinking to overcome challenges and adversaries.

The crime genre features criminal activities, investigations, law enforcement, crimes, and the pursuit of justice. Crime stories often revolve around the planning, execution, and consequences of criminal acts, as well as the efforts to solve and prevent such acts. They explore various aspects of criminal behavior, motives, and the moral dilemmas faced by both perpetrators and those seeking to uphold the law.

James Gandolfini, Edie Falco, Sharon Angela, Max Casella, Dan Grimaldi, Joe Perrino, Donna Pescow, Jamie Lynn Sigler, Tony Sirico, and Michael Drayer in The Sopranos (1999)

A low-life scumbag gets kidnapped by a mysterious gang and put through inhumane training to become a mole inside the police force.

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