# Commitment - Blu-ray Review



## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15037[/img] 
*Title: Commitment* 

*Movie:* :3.5stars:
*Video:* :4.5stars:
*Audio:* :4.5stars: 
*Extras:* :halfstar: 

*HTS Overall Score:*78




[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15039[/img]*Summary*
North Korea is a veritable black hole of information, especially when it comes to its political workings. So color me intrigued to see that “Commitment” is a North Korean spy movie, made by the South Koreans about a young boy who’s forced to become a spy in order to save his sister. My first thought was, the North Koreans are going to be instantly portrayed as raving monsters with no redeeming qualities about them and the South will be heroized, so to speak. Much to my surprise “Commitment” turned out to be a very middle of the road film, with both sides portrayed as human beings, with flaws, fears and motivations that drive them. Of course the North is the villain, but rightfully so, considering all of the information we have about the North vs. South struggle.

Ri Myung-Hoon (Seung Hyun Choi) is the son of a North Korean spy who ends up dead. In order to save his sister and himself he is forced to join and follow in his father’s footsteps. His first mission is to go to Seoul and find the man responsible for eliminating the rest of his unit there. Once he arrives in Seoul, Myung-Hoon (under the alias Kang Dae-ho) sets up base with the some other agents and tries to track down the person responsible. Soon enough he discovers that South Korea’s own covert agency, Section 35, is responsible for the elimination of his fellow agents and takes care of him, only to discover that his own country holds very little regard for their agents. Double crossed by North Korea, the entire group is given to the South Koreans in exchange for them cleaning up the internal political squabble that was going on. 

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15040[/img]
Caught in the middle and realizing that he has no one to turn to, Myung-Hoon turns to to the only person that he can trust, a classmate in school, by the name of Lee Hye-in. Being a loner, just like Myung-Hoon, the two became rather wary friends and a symbiotic relationship forms. Trying to come to grips with his own country’s betrayal, his own handler comes in from North Korea with his little sister in tow in an effort to get the money that section 8 and Unit 35 have been squabbling over. Now Myung-Hoon must try to keep the only two people in his life that he loves, safe and away from the same fate that he has for himself. 

The film is distinctly different from what I was expecting. From the look of it, we have an action spy film with a side of romance to boot, but instead we get a spy DRAMA with a unique relationship of love that is neither romantic nor platonic at the same time. Myung-Hoon adores his little sister to death, and will do what he must to keep here safe, and his relationship with Lee Hye-in isn’t really a romance, but rather a two people who have been hurt and burned in life, learning to actually trust and care for another person. There was some nice action set pieces at the beginning and end of the film, but the rest was the dance of spy vs. cover story, and delved much more into the planning of a mission and experiencing what the agent felt, vs what he was doing. Strangely, as unique as the story is, its major flaw is that it falls into the trap of being generic. We can pretty much tell the ending from the beginning of the movie and the film never really stretches its wings and falls back on the standard clichés that we’ve seen a million times in America. The film is in no way a bad film, I actually enjoyed it a lot. It’s just that it doesn’t try to be something special. 


*Rating:* 

Not Rated by the MPAA



*Video* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15041[/img]Well Go USA has given us a very well done video encode for the film, with the only real flaw being a couple of scenes that was rather soft, other than that it was a stellar transfer. The film is a bit dark and tends to linger in the shadows a lot, but the black levels are more than up to par and show some excellent detail without the appearance of black crush. Digital artifacting is nil and I really can’t complain at all with the healthy bitrate. Contrasts are nice and balanced with spot on skin tones, even with the slightly bluish color grading that the film has. Overall it’s a very nice transfer and one that stands up to the rigors of a large screen quite well.










*Audio* :4.5stars:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15042[/img]Right on par with the video is the Korean 5.1 DTS-HD MA track. The film itself utilizes a lot of surround usage as Dae-ho’s Ducati screams through the crowded Seoul traffic and the pounding of the score from all directions, giving an incredible sense of immersion. The track softens up as there are quite a few moments where Dae-ho is quietly watching or talking with Lee Hye-in during his days as a normal school boy. The LFE channel adds a very nice, throaty low end to the movie, with a few scenes where the subs can really dig deep, especially with the gas line explosion near the center portion of the film. Dialogue is crisp and clean and well balanced with the rest of the track, and I really can’t find any flaws to the track, it’s not going to shock and awe you like a major Transformers film, but it is extremely detailed and vibrant throughout, never giving room for any complaint. 







*Extras* :halfstar:
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=15038[/img] 
• Trailer
• The Making of 










*Overall:* :3.5stars:

Strangely appealing and visually stunning, Commitment isn’t the greatest film in the world, but it’s still a very enjoyable spy drama, with a surprisingly soft side to it. Myung-hoon is believable as the young spy who’s having to find his footing in a world that’s covered in slippery oil, and Lee Hye-In plays the perfect grounding character for his confusion. With stunning audio and video, it’s definitely a watch for Asian film connoisseurs, but it’s not something that will end up spinning in the player time and time again. Still, recommended for a good watch.


*Additional Information:*

Starring: Seung Hyun Choi, Ye-Ri Han, Sung Ha Jo
Directed by: Hong-Soo Park
Written by: Soo-Young Kim
Aspect Ratio: 2.39:1 AVC
Audio: Korean: DTS-HD MA 5.1, Korean DD 2.0
Studio: Well Go Usa
Rated: Not Rated
Runtime: 113 minutes
Blu-ray Release Date: March 11th, 2014


*Buy Commitment Blu-ray on Amazon*



*Recommendation: Check It Out​*







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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

Thanks for the review. I never heard of this movie. Must have gone straight to disc or maybe some art house theater? Either way, I am I interested in seeing this after reading your review. I will check it out. Thanks.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

Yeah. A lot of Asian cinema doesn't get a u.s. theatrical run


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## tripplej (Oct 23, 2011)

I do like "Asian" or "Hong Kong" made movies especially those made by director John Woo. Highly recommend "The Killer", an instant classic, as well as "Hard Boiled". I am sure you have seen them in the past.


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## Mike Edwards (Mar 10, 2011)

tripplej said:


> I do like "Asian" or "Hong Kong" made movies especially those made by director John Woo. Highly recommend "The Killer", an instant classic, as well as "Hard Boiled". I am sure you have seen them in the past.


Of course. Two of chow fun fats best action films


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