Inan (Shin Hyun-joon) is Joseon’s best assassin—no one knows who he is or who he works for, but he always kills his targets. Recently, Inan has been experiencing pain and heart palpitations, and his doctor warns him that his vein is blocked, and that his heart can no longer handle the stress of his work—he cautions Inan to stop practicing martial arts and sleeping with women (though the former is far more worrying to Inan) or his heart could explode. Inan has heard rumors of an herb called Mahwangcho, which may be able to cure his condition, and decides to head off towards Mt. Jangrim in search of it. However, the area has become overrun with by opium addicts, bandits, and corrupt government officials—including the ambitious right hand man to the magistrate, Ibang (Lee Mun-sik), who is colluding with the bandits that control the mountains. So obtaining the herb is not going to be easy for Inan, especially if he can’t fight his way through these obstacles.
As Inan arrives at the village, he is robbed and mugged, but doesn’t fight back due to his condition. Inan then finds himself at a small tavern run by Seon-hong (Kim Min-kyung) and her son Chil-bok, who take pity on him, offering him a job and a place to stay. He’s not as skilled at customer service as he is at killing, but the single mother and son take a liking to Inan anyway. Everything seems to be peaceful until Do-chi (Park Jae-hoon), the brother of bandit boss Baek Ga (Kim Jae-yeon), escapes from prison and makes his way to the tavern. Inan soon finds himself getting mixed up in a dangerous power struggle as he tries to protect his new friends. But will his heart hold out with all the stress of fending off the various attackers?!
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Based on the title, I expected this film to be a more of a non-stop martial arts action film. While there is certainly some excellent sword play and action as we witness Inan take down numerous attackers with ease, it was also pleasantly surprising to discover that the film also contains a lot of humor. There are these delightful romantic comedy aspects to the film as Seon-hong and Inan first meet—she is being attacked by bandits, and with good intentions, he attempts to help her, but fails due to his inability to fight and lack of money (due to previously being robbed). There is then this really fun chemistry between this mother and son and their odd new guest as they try to teach him to help out at the tavern. Chil-bok is an aspiring assassin, but isn’t aware that he’s actually in the presence of Joseon’s best, trying to get him to smile for the customers. The film is told from the perspective of someone recounting this story to a crowd of people, so there is also a fun Princess Bride-like moment or two when some of those listeners break in and complain that they don’t like the direction the story is going in for our hero.
Meanwhile, there’s also this political intrigue and twists as Ibang manipulates the magistrate, and uses his own assassin and bandit army to assist in the safe passage of an escaped prisoner through the village. This ultimately leads to an exciting and risky showdown as Inan puts his life on the line, using all of his martial arts skills to help free this village from its corruption, despite the physical danger it may put him in.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release looks great, with a clean, clear picture throughout that captures all of the action in excellent detail. There are also a few really creative shots, such as one sequence that puts the viewer in Inan’s P.O.V. as he fights off an attacking army of bandits. The film is only offered with its original Korean audio, but the English subtitles are well-written and easy to follow. During some of the action sequences, the audio track makes nice use of the surround channel to provide a more immersive viewing experience.
Well Go’s Blu-ray release is barebones, just including the film’s trailer and some previews for three other Well Go releases as bonus material. The disc comes packed in a locking HD keepcase, and doesn’t include a digital copy. Our review copy included a slightly-embossed slipcover.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:40:57)
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Blu-ray:
- 1080p / Widescreen 1.85:1
- Audio: Korean DTS-HDMA 5.1, Korean Stereo
- Subtitles: English
Extras:
Final Thoughts:
Night of the Assassin is an entertaining film that finds a unique blend between the action and the humor—it mixes both exciting and bloody martial arts action with some lighter, more romantic-comedy moments. It has a bit of an 80’s action TV series feel, where the ragtag hero(es) would travel to a small town, make friends with the locals, and help root out the bad or corrupt element. I would certainly watch another adventure with these characters! While Well Go’s Blu-ray is barebones when it comes to bonus material, the disc features solid picture and sound, and still comes recommended based on the quality of the film itself. The film is also streaming on the Hi-Yah! channel for those who wish to check it out there first.
Night of the Assassin
$13.85 $10.77 (as of November 1, 2024 01:37 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Night of the Assassin
52% Off $24.98 $12.08 (as of November 1, 2024 01:37 GMT -05:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
