Seoul Vibe tracks Park Dong-wook’s pacey journey through 1988 Korea as his motley crew of young outlaws unravels corrupt conspiracies and convoluted schemes.
Set in the locale of the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea, Seoul Vibe attempts to amalgamate the cliched charm of rag-tag ruffians grappling with the justice system with political and economic issues of South Korea in the 80s.
Yoo Ah-in, Park Ju-hyun, Ong Seong-wu, Lee Kyu-hyung, and Go Kyung-Pyo star as the clumsy but lovable Sanggye-dong Supreme Team. Seoul Vibe uncovers an elaborate scheme to expose money laundering officials from the convoluted annals of the corrupt Korean bureaucracy.
The Story
Dong-wook and Joon-gi return to Seoul after completing an illegal weapons delivery in Saudi Arabia. When prosecutor Ahn confronts the young outlaws for crimes of varying hues, he mobilizes their forces to expose the Korean underworld’s corrupt slush funds.
Thus, Dong-wook, Joon-gi, Bok-nam, Yoon-hi, and John Woo-sam join forces to create the “Sanggye-dong Supreme Team”, joining Kang in-sook and Lee Hyeong-sun’s forces as undercover mule drivers to uncover their underground money-laundering ring.
Facing fast-paced car chases, psychopathic commanders, and intricate schemes, the Sanggye-dong Supreme Team fights for their life and reputation as dark conspiracies unravel amid the colourful unfurling of the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea.
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Reasons To Stream
Fast and the Furious meets Baby Driver in this enjoyable and dynamic action-comedy as Seoul Vibe delivers what it promised at the outset – electrifying action scenes intermingled with well-timed comic relief. The special effects and VFX are commendable as the dangerous stunts and gripping action scenes keep viewers enraptured.
Yoo Ah-in paints a balanced and suave character in his portrayal of team leader Dong-wook; his gravitas and sobriety balance the slapstick humour of his raucous and chaotic teammates.
The mischievous and siblingly dynamic of the Sanggye-dong Supreme Team constitutes the very soul of Seoul Vibe. The banter and hilarity ensuing from Bok-nam, Joon-gi, Yoon-hee, and John’s interactions impart playful lightness to the otherwise politically-ridden plot.
Moon So-ri’s steely rendition of Chairwoman Kang creates a formidable antagonist, while Kim Sung-kyun balances unbridled rage with an absurd temper to create a comedic yet dark villain.
Forces of good and evil balance out as prosecutor Ahn’s death provides the necessary catharsis and emotional impetus for the team to expose the corrupt officials in a final blaze of victory. The film concludes in a satisfactory and placatory tone as forces of good triumph over evil.
Reasons To Skip
Barring references to the 80s Korean boy band “SoBangCha” and occasional references to the Seoul Olympics preparations and events, very little is put into world-building to recreate the essence and timeframe of 1988-South Korea.
The overuse of expletives alongside literal explosives diverts attention from the rather ludicrous conclusion of the film. Although far-fetched stunts are often distinct features of the genre, Seoul Vibe goes further with its incredulous action sequences. Viewers cannot help but gawk at the physics-defying free fall of Dong-wook’s car from the aircraft.
The intriguing political locale of Korea in the film seemingly intends to recreate the South Korea of the 80s recovering from the stronghold of military dictator Chun Doo-hwan’s 8-year presidential rule. However, for a character intended as the covert brains of the operation, the role of the Dictator is barely explored as the film only grazes the surface with veiled parodic shots of the Dictator.
His character strangely evades discovery despite Kang’s ledger being publicized as the film compensates for his sentence in the form of a shower of bird droppings raining over the lamenting Dictator before the credits roll.
Moreover, Dong-wook’s real motivations to move to America are always referred to in veiled and incomplete allusions, leaving viewers confused by the whole gang’s ultimate migration to LA.
The Verdict
Commencing in a promising blaze of vigour and youthful frenzy, the film over-elaborates its schemes as it fizzles out somewhere in the middle of the stretched-out screen time of the film.
Nevertheless, Seoul Vibe offers a vibrant and enjoyable watch as the Sanggye-dong Supreme Team wins hearts, the final action scenes sure to be an enjoyable (albeit slightly ridiculous) experience.
Rating: 3/5
Seoul Vibe is now streaming on Netflix.
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