The Roundup: Punishment

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The Roundup: Punishment
Theatrical release poster
Hangul
범죄도시4
Hanja
犯罪都市4
Literal meaningCrime City 4
Revised RomanizationBeomjoedosi4
McCune–ReischauerPŏmjoedoshi4
Directed byHeo Myung-haeng
Screenplay byOh Sang-ho
Produced byMa Dong-seok
Starring
CinematographyLee Sung-je
Edited byKim Sun-min
Music byYoon Il-sang
Production
companies
  • Bigpunch Pictures
  • Hong Film
  • B.A. Entertainment
Distributed byABO Entertainment
Release dates
  • February 23, 2024 (2024-02-23) (Berlinale)
  • April 24, 2024 (2024-04-24) (South Korea)
  • May 3, 2024 (2024-05-03) (United States)
Running time
109 minutes
CountrySouth Korea
LanguageKorean
Box officeUS$44.7 million[1]

The Roundup: Punishment (Korean: 범죄도시4; lit. Crime City 4) is a 2024 South Korean action crime film directed by Heo Myung-haeng and starring Ma Dong-seok, Kim Mu-yeol, Park Ji-hwan and Lee Dong-hwi. It is the fourth installment of The Roundup series and the sequel to The Roundup: No Way Out (2023).[2]

It was selected in the 'Berlinale Special Gala' section at the 74th Berlin International Film Festival and was screened on February 23, 2024.[3][4] The film was released theatrically on April 24, 2024 in IMAX and 4DX screening formats and received positive response from critics.[5][6]

On accounting for its box office performance, the film opened at number 1 at the South Korean box office and mobilized 821,631 admissions, which is the best opening for a Korean film in 2024 so far. It surpassed 6 million admissions within 9 days of release, and became the fastest Korean film in 2024 to do so.[7] As of May 4, 2024, it is the second highest-grossing Korean film of 2024, with a gross of US$45 million and 6.4 million admissions.[8]

Plot[edit]

In the Philippines, former Korean Special Forces and current head of an online gambling organization Baek Chang-gi kills his worker Jo Sung-jae who attempted an escape. Casino admin Chang Dong-cheol promises Baek to increase his share if he shuts down a rival casino and take over their members. Baek does so with a violent raid on the rival's server and take the members data but Chang fails to fulfill his promise. Feeling inadequately compensated, Baek flies back to Korea to confront Chang.

Jo's murder prompted detective Ma Seok-do of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team to join forces with the agency's Cyber Investigation team. They traced Cho's employment history and data backup in the cloud to a money laundering joint where they apprehend the manager Choi Yu-seong. Discovering they are dealing with an online gambling ring, Ma approaches Jang Yi-soo who previously ventured in the industry. Jang revealed his establishment was raided by the Emperor's Casino who seeks to monopolize the online gambling industry.

Baek meets with Chang in his isolated villa, who reveals he's working on a cryptocurrency scheme under the name of QM Holdings with President Kwon as the face and is pushing to register it in the exchange. Chang tells Baek to accompany Ko to bribe the exchange representative. Impatient, Baek kills Ko and threatens the representative to accept the bribe. Baek also assassinates Choi to stop him from standing witness. Concerned with Baek's uncontrollable actions, Chang orders Kwon to eliminate Baek.

Ma attempts to invade Chang's cryptocurrency opening event to investigate the possible link between QM Holdings and Emperor's Casino, but is ambushed by Baek and his men. Ma manages to subdue one of the attackers but Baek escapes and injures a civilian. Furious with lack of progress, the police chief disbands Ma's investigation team. However, Ma is undeterred and begs the police agency commissioner to continue with the investigation.

With the approval from the police agency commissioner and Jang's know-how, the team launches a fake casino operation to lure Emperor's Casino into raiding them. Joining up with the PNP, they raid back Emperor's Casino server and managed to trace the data to Korea, confirming that QM Holdings is indeed the front of Emperor's Casino.

After defeating Kwon's goons, Baek conspires with Kwon to obtain Chang's admin key and kill the latter. After duping and killing Chang, Baek takes the server data stored in the villa to reestablish the ring overseas while leaving the rest for Kwon. The police storm the villa before Kwon finishes gathering the money while Ma personally confronts Baek just before his plane departs.

In the epilogue, the team pay their respects to Jo's memorial, and Jang is arrested for impersonating a police officer after flaunting his fake badge, which Ma had gave him.

Cast[edit]

Main[edit]

  • Ma Dong-seok as Ma Seok-do, lieutenant of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team.
  • Kim Mu-yeol as Baek Chang-gi, former Korean Special Forces and current head of an online gambling organization. He is the lead villain in the film.
  • Park Ji-hwan as Jang Yi-soo (Chinese: 張夷帥, Zhang Yishuai), an arcade's chairman.
  • Lee Dong-hwi as Chang Dong-cheol, an IT genius and young CEO of the coin industry. who was killed by Baek Chang-gi and President Kwon.

Supporting[edit]

Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency[edit]

  • Lee Beom-soo as Jang Tae-soo, the captain of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team.
  • Kim Min-jae as Kim Man-jae, a detective of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team, and Ma Seok-do's dependable right-hand man.
  • Lee Ji-hoon as Yang Jong-su, a sergeant of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team.
  • Kim Do-geon as Jung David, a rookie detective of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Investigation team.
  • Lee Joo-bin as Han Ji-soo, a detective of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Team.
  • Kim Shin-bi as Kang Nam-soo, a detective of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency Cyber Investigation Team.

Others[edit]

  • Kim Ji-hoon as Cho Ji-hoon, former Korean Special Forces, and Baek Chang-gi's subordinate, director of the online gambling organization. He is the semi-lead villain if the film.
  • Ahn Sung-bong as Jason, former Korean Special Forces, and Baek Chang-gi's subordinate, member of the online gambling organization.
  • Ryu Ji-hoon as Manager Lee, a manager of the online gambling organization.
  • Bae Jae-won as Choi Yu-seong, a member of the online gambling organization and in charge of money laundering. He was killed by Baek Chang-gi.
  • Hyun Bong-sik as President Kwon
  • Lee Sang-jin a drug delivery man
  • Kim Young-woong as President Ahn
  • Kwak Ja-hyung as President Cheon
  • Kim Myung-ki as Representative Ko Jae-hyuk
  • Baek Seung-hwan as Jo Sung-jae, Chang Dong-cheol's subordinate and a worker who was killed by Baek Chang-gi.
  • Im Seo-ah as Jang Yi-soo's Girlfriend
  • Lee Han-sol as Jang Yi-soo's Subordinate 1
  • Hong Sang-woo as Jang Yi-soo's Subordinate 2

Special appearances[edit]

  • Kwon Il-yong as the commissioner of the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency.
  • Park Bo-kyung as a pathologist
  • Bae Hae-sun as Jo Sung-jae's mother

Production[edit]

In August 2022, it was reported that Kim Mu-yeol and Lee Dong-hwi joined the cast of the film as villains.[9][10] In September of the same year Lee Beom-soo and Kim Min-jae confirmed in separate interviews during filming of The Roundup: No Way Out that they will be appearing in the next film of the series.[11][12]

The cast of the film was confirmed on November 18, 2022, and the same day principal photography began.[13][14] In February 2023, it was reported that on February 19th filming in the Philippines began.[15]

Release[edit]

The film launched its pre-sales in May 2023 at Cannes Film Market held in conjunction with the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[16] It was sold to United States, Europe and Asia.[17]

The film was accepted to the 74th Berlin International Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on February 23, 2024.[18][19][20]

The film was pre-sold in 164 countries globally. It will be released in May 2024 in Australia, New Zealand, Taiwan, Mongolia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, Brunei, North America, the United Kingdom, Cambodia, and Thailand.[21]

After its world premiere, it was released theatrically in South Korea on April 24, 2024, in IMAX and 4DX formats.[22]

Soundtrack[edit]

The Roundup: Punishment
Soundtrack album by
Yoon Il-sang
ReleasedApril 30, 2024 (2024-04-30)[23]
Recorded2024
GenreSoundtrack
Language
Label
  • 142 music
  • sound press
ProducerYoon Il-sang
Audio Full Album
audio icon The Roundup: Punishment OST on YouTube

All Composition and Arrangement by Yoon Il-sang and lyrics by Lee Seung-ho.

There are 30 tracks in the album:
No.TitleLength
1."The Beginning"2:40
2."Hiding Drugs"1:03
3."Homicide Detective"0:50
4."Surprise Attack"1:49
5."Workplace"1:36
6."Shut It Down"4:17
7."Keep Your Promise"0:49
8."Restart"0:50
9."Operation Begins"1:20
10."Small Fries"2:01
11."Dividend"2:03
12."Mr. Jang"0:46
13."Jang's Plan"1:59
14."Believe Jang"1:39
15."He's crazy"1:00
16."Fugitive"1:01
17."Easy Kill"1:04
18."Evidence from Death"0:58
19."Bad News"1:05
20."Round One"3:19
21."Attack the Devil"3:10
22."Operation Instructions"4:18
23."To the Philippines"1:22
24."Jang Dong-Chul's End"3:05
25."It's Time to Move Out"2:54
26."Police Rally"1:54
27."Good Will Win"4:50
28."Final Punishment"4:34
29."City Cleaner"3:12
30."Rough Life feat. Park Ji-hwan"3:18

Reception[edit]

Box office[edit]

The film was released on April 24, 2024 on 2,930 screens.[24] On its opening day, the film finished in first place at the South Korean box office with 821,631 admissions and a gross of US$4,911,392,[25] breaking the highest opening for a film released in 2024 in South Korea, additionally surpassing the opening of The Roundup (2022) of 467,525 people and The Roundup: No Way Out (2023) of 740,874 people, thus setting a new record for the highest opening in the history of the The Roundup (film series). It is also among the top 4 openings for the Korean films of all time.[26]The film topped the South Korean weekend box office in its opening weekend, grossing US$20,858,786 from 2,918,560 admissions.[27][28]

On April 27, the fourth day of its release, the film exceeded 2 million admissions,[29] and the next day on April 28, it surpassed 4 million viewers.[30] On May 2, within 9 days of its release it registered 6 million viewers.[31]

As of May 3, 2024, the film has grossed US$44,728,477 from 6,421,362 admissions, making it the second highest grossing film among the South Korean films released in 2024.[1][32]

Critical response[edit]

On the review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has an approval rating of 90% based on 10 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10.[33]

Clarence Tsui of South China Morning Post rated the film 3/5 and lauded the sound effects writing, "The simple story is bolstered by brilliant sound effects, Ma’s endearing tech illiteracy, and Park Ji-hwan’s performance as his sidekick."[34]

Wendy Ide reviewing the film at Berlinale, wrote in ScreenDaily "Don Lee packs a punch in the fourth instalment of the popular Korean action comedy series."[35]

Stephanie Bunbury, in her review at Berlinale for Deadline said, "The Roundup: Punishment makes no intellectual demands on its audience, as that isn’t what it’s there for." Concluding her review she wrote, "In a genre where constant bafflement over plot details is the norm, this series stands out as carefully crafted, and fun, obviously."[36]

Writing for RogerEbert.com, Robert Daniels said, "Punishment” is a rock 'em, sock 'em edition that pretty much delivers all the open-hand slaps, booming punches, and flying knees to the head you want."[37]

Jessica Kiang writing in Variety gave positive review and praised; the director Heo Myung-haeng, saying "Heo Myeong-haeng proves to be a very efficient action director"; the cinematographer Lee Sung-je, expressing, "Lee Sung-je has an unerring instinct for placing the camera where it can best exploit the contrast between the speed of Lee’s movements and the resigned stoicism of his expression"; and the sound designer Gong Tae-won, stating, "But if there’s a below-the-line standout craftsperson it’s probably Gong Tae-won, who manages to foley consistently satisfying punch noises." Kiang opined, "[the film] sees Don Lee's Detective Ma find a new bunch of bad guys to beat up and is basically perfect, no notes."[38]

Niklas Michels, in his Berlinale-related review for the German Arthaus magazine Kino-Zeit, wrote that The Roundup: Punishment is a film for the cinema in which villains are simply evil without being a perversion of a hero. He drew parallels to the John Wick franchise, in which he emphasized that although the films could keep up in terms of action, John Wick was a much more subversive story. In The Roundup, dramaturgy was only located in the thrill of the final battle. He praised the film for its craft, but added that the series was treading water. [39]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b "KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) The Box office: Korean films of 2024". KOFIC. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  2. ^ Kim Na-ra (November 18, 2022). "마동석 '범죄도시4', 오늘(18일) 크랭크인…김무열, 윤계상 이은 빌런 [공식]" [Ma Dong-seok's 'Crime City 4' cranks in today (18th)... Kim Moo-yeol, Yoon Kye-sang's successor as villain [Official]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  3. ^ "Genre, Acclaimed Masters and Great Performances". Berlinale. January 15, 2024. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  4. ^ Lee Jae-hoon (January 15, 2024). "Ma Dong-seok's 'Crime City 4' invited to special gala at 'Berlin Film Festival' next month" [마동석 '범죄도시4', 내달 '베를린영화제' 스페셜 갈라 초청]. Newsis (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  5. ^ Han Ah-reum (February 26, 2024). "'범죄도시4' 관객 82% "대만족"...마동석 이번에도 해냈다" ['Crime City 4' audiences 82% "very satisfied"... Ma Dong-seok did it again this time]. TV Report (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  6. ^ Lee Da-won (March 6, 2024). "'어서와, 마석도!'…'범죄도시4' 4월24일 개봉" [‘Welcome, Maseokdo!’… ‘Crime City 4’ opens on April 24th]. Sports Kyunghyang (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved March 6, 2024.
  7. ^ Lee Seung-gil (May 2, 2024). "'범죄도시', 개봉 9일만에 600만 돌파…마동석 "관객분들 덕분입니다" [공식]" ['Crime City' exceeds 6 million in 9 days of release... Ma Dong-seok “Thanks to the audience” [Official]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  8. ^ "KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System): All the films of Year 2024". KOFIC. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
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  10. ^ Kang Hyo-jin (August 26, 2022). "[단독]이동휘, '범죄도시4' 빌런 된다" [[Exclusive] Lee Dong-hwi becomes a villain in ‘Crime City 4’]. SPOTV News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  11. ^ Bae Hyo-joo (September 29, 2022). ""'엄복동' 미흡했다" 이범수, 본업 코미디로 '컴백홈' 솔직 소감(종합)[EN:인터뷰]" [“‘Eom Bok-dong’ wasn’t enough” Lee Beom-soo’s honest thoughts on ‘Comeback Home’ as his day job in comedy (comprehensive) [EN: Interview]]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  12. ^ Kim Mi-hwa (September 28, 2022). "김민재 "'범죄도시' 3·4편 연달아 촬영..마동석과 형사 콤비 활약" [인터뷰]" [Kim Min-jae "Filming episodes 3 and 4 of 'Crime City' back to back... Acting as a detective duo with Ma Dong-seok" [Interview]]. Star News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  13. ^ Shin Min-hee (November 18, 2022). "'The Roundup: Punishment,' fourth in 'The Outlaws' franchise, begins shooting". Korea JoongAng Daily. Retrieved January 16, 2024 – via Naver.
  14. ^ Patrick Frater (November 18, 2022). "'Punishment,' the Fourth Instalment of Don Lee's 'Outlaws' Korean Action Franchise, Starts Production". Variety. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  15. ^ Park Jin-young (February 21, 2023). "마동석x김무열 '범죄도시4' 측 "19일 필리핀 촬영 시작"(공식)" [Ma Dong-seok]. Joy News 24 (in Korean). Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  16. ^ Noh, Jean (May 16, 2023). "K-Movie launches 'The Roundup: Punishment' in Cannes (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  17. ^ Rosser, Michel (February 15, 2024). "'The Roundup: Punishment' starring Don Lee sold to US, Europe, Asia (exclusive)". ScreenDaily. Retrieved February 20, 2024.
  18. ^ Dalton, Ben (January 15, 2024). "Berlinale adds Korean action film 'The Roundup: Punishment', 'Love Lies Bleeding' with Kristen Stewart to Special strand". ScreenDaily. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  19. ^ Abbatescianni, Davide (January 16, 2024). "Berlin announces a raft of new titles for its Berlinale Special and Shorts". Cineuropa. Retrieved January 16, 2024.
  20. ^ "The Roundup: Punishment". Berlinale. February 6, 2024. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  21. ^ Han Hyeon-jeong (April 12, 2024). "'범죄도시4' 164개국 선판매…시리즈 중 최다 기록" [‘Crime City 4’ pre-sold in 164 countries… Most records in the series]. Maeil Business Newspaper (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 1, 2024.
  22. ^ Jo Seong-un (April 9, 2024). "'마동석 액션 더 실감나게' 범죄도시4, IMAX-4DX 개봉 확정" [‘Ma Dong-seok’s action becomes more realistic’ Crime City 4 confirmed for IMAX-4DX release]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 9, 2024.
  23. ^ "범죄도시4 OST" [The Roundup: Punishment OST]. Melon. Retrieved April 30, 2024.
  24. ^ "The Roundup: Punishment, 2024 at KOFIC, KOBIS (Korean Box Office Information System) Box office: Korean films". KOFIC. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  25. ^ "2024 . 04 . 24（목） 박스오피스 (Daily box office)". KOBIS (in Korean). Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  26. ^ Kim Yu-jin (April 25, 2024). "'범죄도시4' 개봉 첫날 82만 명 동원…시리즈 최고 오프닝 스코어" ['Crime City 4' mobilized 820,000 people on the first day of its release... Best opening score in the series]. Xports News (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 26, 2024.
  27. ^ "South Korea Box Office April 26 - April 28, 2024". KOFIC. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  28. ^ Patrick Frater (April 28, 2024). "Korea Box Office: Don Lee's 'The Roundup: Punishment' Smashes Its Way to $29 Million Debut, Crushes 'Challengers'". Variety. Retrieved April 29, 2024.
  29. ^ Park Soo-in (April 27, 2024). "'범죄도시4' 개봉 4일째 200만 돌파, 범상치 않은 흥행 추이" [‘Crime City 4’ exceeds 2 million on the 4th day of release, an unusual box office trend]. Newsen (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved April 27, 2024.
  30. ^ "'범죄도시4' 개봉 5일째 400만 관객 돌파…올해 최단 흥행기록 [MD무비]" ['Crime City 4' exceeds 4 million viewers on the 5th day of release... Shortest box office hit this year [MD Movie]]. My Daily (in Korean). Naver. April 28, 2024. Retrieved April 28, 2024.
  31. ^ Jeong Yu-jin (May 2, 2024). "'범죄도시4', '파묘'보다 11일 빠른 600만 돌파…올해 최단 경신 "관객 덕"" ['Crime City 4' surpasses 6 million viewers, 11 days earlier than 'Breakfast'... Breaking the record this year “thanks to the audience”]. News1 (in Korean). Naver. Retrieved May 2, 2024.
  32. ^ "The Roundup: Punishment". Box Office Mojo. IMDb. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  33. ^ "The Roundup: Punishment (2024, Action/Crime)". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved May 4, 2024.
  34. ^ Tsui, Clarence (February 23, 2024). "Berlin 2024 – The Roundup: Punishment, with Korean hard man Ma Dong-seok as a po-faced punching machine, is like a Hong Kong action movie on steroids". South China Morning Post. Retrieved February 23, 2024.
  35. ^ Ide, Wendy (February 24, 2024). "'The Roundup: Punishment': Berlin Review". ScreenDaily. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  36. ^ Bunbury, Stephanie (February 23, 2024). "'The Roundup: Punishment' Review: Don Lee Thrills And Blood Spills In Fun, Stylish Police Action Thriller From Korea – Berlin Film Festival". Deadline. Retrieved February 24, 2024.
  37. ^ Daniels, Robert (February 24, 2024). "Berlin Film Festival 2024: The Roundup: Punishment, Last Swim, Through The Rocks And Clouds". RogerEbert.com. Retrieved February 25, 2024.
  38. ^ Jessica Kiang (February 24, 2024). "'The Roundup: Punishment' Review: Beefy International Treasure Don Lee Goes Places and Punches People and What More Could We Want?". Variety. Retrieved February 26, 2024.
  39. ^ Michels, Niklas. "The Roundup: Punishment". Kino-Zeit. Retrieved March 5, 2024.

External links[edit]

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