Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga (15)

Action, Sci-fi / 126 min. / English / May 22

Furiosa is back and ready for more explosions with her own furious entry in the franchise.

When “Mad Max: Fury Road” was released in theaters in 2015, fans screamed the infamous quote, “Witness me.” The female lead character, Imperator Furiosa, played by Charlize Theron, left such a lasting impression that she got an entire movie of her own.

“Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga” is a prequel to “Mad Max: Fury Road,” but instead of Max, the film centers on the younger days of Furiosa, played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Chris Hemsworth plays the barbaric warlord, Dementus, and a younger version of Immortan Joe from the previous film is portrayed by Lachy Hulme. Furiosa unleashes her vengeance, chopping up brainwashed men into pieces and blowing up janky cars into bits when she gets the chance.

Director George Miller is the mastermind behind the Mad Max series, a dystopian science fiction saga that depicts a near-future Australia decimated by oil shortages and ecocide. Miller also directed the jukebox musical comedy films “Happy Feet” (2006) and “Happy Feet 2" (2011).

The Plot (15)
Thriller / 99 min. / Korean / May 29

If nothing is real, it means everything is allowed.

Young-il, played by Gang Dong-won, is a master of lies. His lies have specifically one purpose: murder. More specifically, his lies are used to make murders look like accidents. When he commits a murder, everyone else sees it as a tragedy. But one day, his lies are put to the test with a new mission and a new target.

The target is a little too famous and the job is a little too fishy, but Young-il and his team dive in regardless. The job seems to be going well and everything is great, until it isn’t. Young-il feels the walls closing in on him and realizes that the tower of lies he created might come crashing down.

Director Lee Yo-sup's first feature film was “The Queen of Crime” (2016). His second film as director, “The Plot,” is an adaptation of the 2009 Hong Kong film “Accident,” directed by Soi Cheang.

The Roundup: Punishment (15)
Crime action / 109 min. / Korean / April 24

Korea’s most famous crime fighter returns to the screen.

In “The Roundup: Punishment,” detective Ma Seok-do, played by Don Lee, returns in full force. He sets out to round up the criminals behind an illegal casino ring, managed by the vicious villain Baek Chang-ki, played by Kim Moo-yul. Chang Dong-cheol, the IT genius behind the scenes, is played by Lee Dong-hwi, who plays an annoying and comedic villain. With the help of the familiar scene stealer, ex-gangster Jang Yi-soo, played by Park Ji-hwan, Seok-do is back to dispense justice.

The first two films of the series focused on a "slugger" boxing style, using powerful blows to knock down opponents. But the third film went for a sharper boxing style with finesse, giving more speed to the action. The latest entry synthesizes the two, so the action scenes are nimble but still pack a heavy punch.

“The Roundup: Punishment” is director Heo Myung-haeng’s second movie, following “Badland Hunters” released this year . Heo has served as the martial arts director for the past three installments of “The Roundup” series. But the martial arts director has stepped into the director chair for this movie.

Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (12)
Sci-fi, Action / 145 min. / English / May 8

The revolution is over. But what happens afterward?

“Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is the long-awaited sequel to “War for the Planet of the Apes.” The fourth installment of the new “Planet of the Apes” series investigates the aftermath of the human-ape wars that ended in the last film. Kevin Durand voices Proximus Caesar, the ape king who has enslaved humanity.

While the great ape Caesar led the apes to victory in the last film, this new leader seems to take the primates in a completely different direction. Freedom from humans is great, but that does not mean that war has ended. Will Noa, the franchise's new protagonist voiced by Owen Teague, successfully oppose the new Caesar?

“Planet of the Apes” is a modern reboot of the original film series first screened in 1968. “Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes” is directed by Wes Ball, who is known for directing the “Maze Runner” franchise.

Unknown (12)

Drama / 69 min. / Korean / May 8

Sometimes, even when you don’t understand what is happening, it all comes together in the end.

Woo-joo, played by Ban Si-on, brings a body to the house of lover Ji-Soo, played by Leafy Kwon. Ki-Wan, played by Park Jong-hwan, has a nightmare about drifting in space. He runs a small chicken restaurant and looks for articles about a rocket launch every day. While Ji-Soo is away, Woo-Joo brings in the body of his mother, Shin-ae, played by Yoon Yoo-sun. The two lovers pray while laying down Shin-ae, and at that moment, a phone call comes from the dead Shin-ae. At the same time, Ki-Wan seems anxious, watching the countdown of a rocket launch.

The rather odd and unsettling scenes could alarm viewers, but the film uses its cinematic magic to make it all come together. Nothing is random.

Lee Don-ku directed “Fatal” (2013) and “When Spring Comes” (2022). He won the Best New Director award in the first Wildflower Film Awards with “Fatal.”

BY KIM MIN-YOUNG [kim.minyoung5@joongang.co.kr]