SparkMore n my opinion it was a great movie with some interesting elements, even though having some plot holes and the ending probably was just too messy and crammed together, but still fun to watch and not your casual movie that is similar to all other ones.

ChampDavSlim The acting is good, and the firecracker script has some excellent ideas.

Lucia Ayala It's simply great fun, a winsome film and an occasionally over-the-top luxury fantasy that never flags.

Nicole I enjoyed watching this film and would recommend other to give it a try , (as I am) but this movie, although enjoyable to watch due to the better than average acting fails to add anything new to its storyline that is all too familiar to these types of movies.

kluseba "Shiri" has been the biggest blockbuster in South Korea when it was released back in 1999 and is still regarded as one of the country's most popular movies ever. It even had some minor success abroad and opened the gates for many other great South Korean movies. The true success story of the unique high quality South Korean cinema owes a lot to this movie.The movie doesn't seem to be that original at first sight as it is clearly inspired by Hollywood and Hongkong action cinema and in particular by movies made by John Woo or John McTiernan. The movie features solid but not outstanding action scenes, a few crime investigation elements, a romantic love story and a tension filled showdown in the key of movies like "Sudden Death". The explosive and entertaining mixture works very well but there is more to this movie.While the story itself is fictional, it has a much more authentic touch than any American or Hongkong movie. This is due to the fact that Korea is still a separated country and that the tension is still high on the peninsula. The idea that a special elite force of North Korean soldiers could infiltrate South Korea and hijack a stadium or kill important politicians or scientists is quite realistic. This movie tells you a lot about the Korean psyche. People from both countries desire reunification and could be brothers, friends or lovers but political issues have shattered that dream. The fated main relationship in this movie underlines this dilemma. The final speech of the outstanding actor Choi Min-Sik who portrays one of the North Korean terrorists explains the situation very well and in a highly emotional way. As a viewer, you even develop sympathies for the villains who might be too radical in their actions but who are led by a strong dream just as in the similar "Typhoon" movie. That's where the movie gets very dramatic and philosophical and much more profound than a simple action film. The film does have a few lengths and in the beginning one gets a little bit confused about who is who but overall this is not only an entertaining action-thriller but also a philosophical drama that gives you some food for thoughts and ends as a true tearjerker. This is where successful South Korean mainstream cinema started and even though I have seen way better movies from that country, this quality film makes you understand why this country has made the best movies world wide of the last decade.

Desertman84 Swiri was the first Hollywood-style big-budget blockbuster to be produced in the "new" Korean film industry.It was created as a deliberate homage to the "high-octane" action film made popular by Hollywood.It stars Han Suk-kyu,Choi Min-sik,Kim Yoon-jin and Song Kang- ho.Also,it also contained a story that draws on strong Korean national sentiment to fuel its drama.It was written and directed by Kang Je-gyu.A dazzling action movie from South Korea, it follows two South Korean government agents, Ryu and Lee, as they pursue a female super-assassin from North Korea. Meanwhile, an elite paramilitary squad from North Korea has stolen a shipment of CTX, an undetectable liquid explosive of enormous power, which they've planted all over the city of Seoul. As their investigations are successively foiled, Ryu and Lee begin to suspect that there is a mole within the ranks of the agency it is believed that it may be one of them.The movie rips along as a smooth fusion of Hong Kong and American action movies that is both hyper-stylish and hyper-realistic.It's a post-Cold War action yarn with a nose for melodrama, and a loopy cop drama with undeniable entertainment value.

chrichtonsworld From the start you will get the idea that this movie is going to be a blast! Soon you will realize that this is not the case! I liked this movie but was expecting so much more! I don't know what the director was trying to achieve! An action movie with a message! Stop the conflict and reunite! Or he was trying to make a thriller with a lot of action in it! As a thriller it fails! From very early on it is obvious who the leak (traitor) is,since there are not many characters to blame! It is interesting to see however the traitor got the info! The story wasn't that bad. But it only function was to set up the surprise twist (which isn't a surprise at all)! The acting is solid! Yunjin Kim (from "Lost) gives a good performance! The action scenes were nice,a bit above average,but nothing really eye popping! The people who are responsible for marketing this movie earn praise. "Shiri or Swiri" got a lot of publicity for a movie that is nothing special!

Meganeguard In the year 1999 the film that dominated most East Asian film markets was James Cameron's Titanic which would go on to be the highest grossing film of all time. However, in South Korea the film that was number one at the box office was Shiri, an action-packed film that would go on to set South Korean box office records and force the Hollywood juggernaut to take notice that films produced in other countries could compete with the likes of Titanic. In the end 1/7 of South Korea's entire population would go to the theater to watch Shiri and it also received accolades in other Asian countries and helped revitalize the South Korean film industry whose government imposed that South Korean films had to be shown at least 106 days a year so that it could compete with foreign films and it also put on the road to stardom Choi Min-sik and Han Suk-kyu.Shiri opens with scene after scene of the brutal training endured by those who wish to become members of the 8th Division, an elite force of North Korean Commandos. Amongst these individuals is a young woman named Lee Bang-hee who not only surpasses her male counterparts in fighting skills, but who is unmatched in her marksmanship. With her weapon of choice she perfectly severs the spinal cord with one shot and obliterates the heart with the next. Surviving her training, Bang-hee is sent to South Korea and assassinates several important political figures until suddenly disappearing. However, one day she returns and seems to be up to her old tricks again. Two special agents are assigned to her case, Yu Jongwon and Lee Janggil; however, she continues to foil them time after time. While searching for Bang-hee who has recently assassinated an arms dealer and a scientist who were working together under the table, Yu and Lee soon learn that the 8th division led by their old nemesis Park Mu-young is plotting to steal a new weapon called CMX which is ten times stronger than an average bomb, liquid, and virtually undetectable and are unable to stop Park when he successfully does steal the CMX. Park calls the agency and informs them that ten sites in Seoul are set to be destroyed by the 8th Division. If this scenario wasn't bad enough, it is taking place right at the same time the leaders of both South and North Korea are planning to attend a soccer match in which the North and the South play each other.Combining action, romance, and melodrama Shiri is quite an engaging film that can be appreciated on many different levels. Due to its success a number of clones were produced that did not quite live up to the original, but they helped revamp the slumping South Korean film industry to show the world that blockbusters do not only originate in Hollywood.