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.” 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.

"The Roundup: Punishment" surpassed 10 million admissions on Wednesday, according to the Korean Film Council.

The Fall Guy (15)
Action / 126 min. / English / May 1

Ghosting your girlfriend will always have consequences.

Ryan Gosling plays Colt Seavers, a Hollywood stunt performer, who works as a stunt double for star actor Tom Ryder, played by Aaron Taylor-Johnson. After an unfortunate accident, Colt retires from work, only to return to a film set where the director is his ex-girlfriend Jody Moreno, played by Emily Blunt. There is something clearly going on with Tom, who is starring in the movie, and it seems that Jody didn’t actually want Colt on the set.

Believe it or not, that is not going to be the worst thing that happens to him this day. Conspiracies begin to unravel and the wilder the story gets, so does the action.

Director David Leitch is best known for directing action films, such as “Atomic Blonde” (2017), “Deadpool 2” (2018) and “Bullet Train” (2022). He was also the producer for “John Wick” (2014).

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.”

Yumi’s Cells: The Movie (All)
Animation / 93 min. / Korean / April 3

What if your decisions in life were made by the cells in your body?

Kim Yu-mi, voiced by Yoon A-young, decides to prepare for a contest after leaving the company to become a writer, her long-cherished dream. From scheduling cells that create a perfect writing schedule to writing cells that run to find texts and cheapskate cells that tighten their belts, everyone works overtime for Yumi's dream. However, concerns about the future make Yumi's anxiety cells grow more and more. The conflict between her cells gets worse due to her shaky relationship with Bobby, voiced by Shin Beom-sik. Will the cell village prevail?

“Yumi’s Cells: The Movie” is an adaptation of the popular webtoon series “Yumi’s Cells” by author Lee Dong-geun. Director Kim Da-hee was in charge of the animation in the drama adaptation of the original material.


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