Kang Cheol-Jung, which has now become Seol Kyung-Gu's "persona" more than anything he played on the big screen, is a very important character in the Chungmuro of the last 10 years, exactly because it explains Korea's philosophical approach to film franchises, more than the cult of the blockbuster itself. Franchises in Hollywood are either based on the endless pools of stories their original source allows (comics-based series, for instance), or tend to find a single character, sometimes a duo and then run with the pattern for often endless tirades (James Bond, Indiana Jones etc.). Of course all they really need is a concept, such as dinosaurs in Jurassic Park, to build a successful franchise out of it, and that is what most film industries outside Hollywood have always tried. From the One-Armed Swordsman and Golden Swallow of the Shaw Brothers to the young triads in 古惑仔之人在江湖 (Young and Dangerous), from 修羅雪姫 (Lady Snowblood) to the endless 座頭市 (Zatoichi), Asian cinema has often shown it can be just as prolific as Hollywood, sometimes even more.

What's fascinating about Korean cinema's history, then, is that it almost stopped focusing on such franchises right as it became a mature film industry. Although cult series focusing on single figures did have their heyday during the 60s and 70s - think of Lee Dae-Geun's interminable 김두한 (Kim Doo-Han) series -- most franchises were based around a thematic concept, like the superhit 미워도 다시 한번 (Love me Once Again), using TV melodrama sensibilities to score huge in the box office between 1968 and the 80s. This is actually a good example of those "falls from grace," as its last installment over two decades later, 미워도 다시 한번 2002 (Love Me Once Again 2002) starring Lee Seung-Yeon, was a huge flop, only able to show the format which made the franchise successful hadn't aged too well. When the VHS generation found its apex, starting right after the 1988 Seoul Olympics and lasting throughout the 90s, one of most successful franchises was the erotic drama 애마부인 (Madam Aema), which started in 1982 with director Jung In-Yeop's original, and continued through the mid 90s for 10 sequels, abandoning the world of film to increasingly become just softcore porn near its end.

Jung In-Yeop is actually a good starting point to understand the career of Kang Woo-Suk. Jung was in fact a mentor to Kang, in many ways. After Kang quit college in the early 80s because of his passion for films, he worked under Jung as assistant director in 애마부인 2 (Madam Aema 2), more or less as the guy who would bring a big towel and cover the stars after their very revealing scenes. After slowly rising in the ranks under Jung, Kang debuted in 1989 with 달콤한 신부들 (Sweet Brides), but it would take another few years for him to make his mark. 1993 is still mostly known as the year of 서편제 (Seopyeonje)'s legendary run, but Kang's 투캅스 (Two Cops) shouldn't be forgotten as well.

Distribution was still in a rather primitive state, as there were no multiplexes and no companies handling nationwide distribution - after or sometimes along with the film's theater run in Seoul, producers would negotiate with local and regional distributors for screenings in other big markets, such as Busan, Daegu, Gwangju and Daejeon. So, in Seopyeonje's case, the film screened for 196 days on one screen and one only, Danseongsa Theater. This and Two Cops were the proof of Korean cinema's transition into a mature industry: one, the last hit of the old age of Chungmuro; the other, the first hit of the new age, when control of the film business went from traditional movie producers to industrial conglomerates (the Chaebol) and their new distribution policies and strong focus on the video market. Taken at face value, Two Cops could be considered as just a ripoff of Claude Zizi's 1984 French comedy Les Ripoux, but it added local flavor to the story, in strangely appealing ways.

Although it hasn't aged very well after 15 years, that's just because it stuck to the trends of the time - replace Ahn Sung-Gi going for 짝퉁 (bootleg) audio cassettes in 1993 with Seol Kyung-Gu opting for the bootleg DVDs you'll find outside any subway or station in Seoul (despite the crackdown), and you're there. The chemistry between Ahn and Park Joong-Hoon still works quite well, and despite being nothing new, it's still very watchable, corny and entertaining crap. Problem, of course, is what came later. Whereas most franchises disappeared from mainstream cinema, Chungmuro focused more on single personalities, such as the comic talent of Park Joong-Hoon. Take all those comedies he shot between 1993 and 1999's 인정사정 볼 것 없다 (Nowhere to Hide), and you'll find very little to appreciate, save perhaps for the Kitano-esque 깡패수업 (Hoodlum Lessons) by Kim Sang-Jin. One of those comedies, perhaps one of the slightly more watchable ones, is certainly Kang Woo-Suk's 마누라 죽이기 (How to Top My Wife) from 1994, the last feature film Kang would direct before embarking in what would become his calling card for the next 15 years: Cinema Service.

Starting in the early to mid 90s, Cinema Service was one of the first companies taking care of finding investment, producing and distributing films. Some of the biggest titles of the 90s were handled by them, including Nowhere to Hide, 주유소 습격사건 (Attack the Gas Station), 텔미썸딩 (Tell Me Something) and more. Now the biggest producer in the country, Kang rarely directed films, but when he did, it would always be with an eye on current social and popular trends, such as his watchable 1998 court drama 생과부 위자료 청구 소송 (Bedroom & Courtroom). But, all considered,, Kang made a name for himself as a producer and the most powerful man in Chungmuro for almost a decade first, before even considering the director option. A look at his career, and you'll find plenty of hits, but nothing really that screams quality or anything beyond escapist entertainment. Yet, his best achievement is still 2002's 공공의 적 (Public Enemy).

Save for Park Heung-Shik's lovely 나도 아내가 있었으면 좋겠다 (I Wish I had a Wife), Seol had mostly been garnering praise through arthouse films, or at least works a little left of the escapist side. Think of Im Sang-Soo's 처녀들의 저녁식사 (Girls' Night Out), Lee Chang-Dong's masterful 박하사탕 (Peppermint Candy), or Park Jong-Won's underrated 송어 (Rainbow Trout) - a sort of 1990s 구타유발자들 (A Bloody Aria) with an even better cast. Sure, he did star in proto-blockbusters like the badass 유령 (Phantom: The Submarine) and the horrible 은행나무 침대 2 (Legend of Gingko), but Public Enemy was still quite a surprising choice for Seol, albeit one which proved very successful.

Pairing tough and rugged detective Kang Cheol-Jung against a ruthless killer (Lee Sung-Jae), Public Enemy was like the 2000s version of Two Cops, reflecting the many changes the industry had gone through: it banked on raw power, violence, some healthy moral ambiguity (the cops were just as bad as the criminals), crude black comedy and in your face (albeit a "tad" superficial) social commentary. Seol was immense as Kang Cheol-Jung, enough the character not only outlived the film, it became the starting point for a franchise itself. Seol even commented half-jokingly that people remember Kang Cheol-Jung while they can't even recall what his characters' name in 실미도 (Silmido) -- which sold 4 times Public Enemy's tickets - was, crowd I'll have to add myself to. This is also a good indication of what Chungmuro has done with sequels during the boom.

The few "franchises" established during the last decade mostly deal with jopok themes. Think Gye Du-Shik (Jung Joon-Ho) of the 두사부일체 (My Boss, My Hero) saga, the "if you can't beat them, join them" vibes of 가문의 영광 (Marrying the Mafia) and its two sequels, or the various 조폭 마누라 (My Wife is a Gangster). Shin Eun-Kyung's gangster wife got old enough by the second installment that she wasn't in the third (although, obviously, other factors were at play in her non-casting), and the only reason Jung Joon-Ho's shtick still keeps going on - next in line a comical retelling of 無間道 (Infernal Affairs) -- is simply because the films have all similar vibes, over-saturate every media outlet with promotion, and release the scorched-earth way. The only real "franchise" character Korean commercial cinema had was Kang Cheol-Jung. He could stand alone, without the need to be attached to the franchise itself, and it would have worked.

Kang's follow up, 공공의 적 2 (Another Public Enemy) did do pretty well (otherwise there'd be no sequel), but it also fell into an almost fatal trap: that of fixing something which wasn't broken. Just for the sake of not going the Hollywood way, Kang Cheol-Jung was changed from a rugged, quick-tempered detective to a sort of caricature of himself, a prosecutor throwing ironical jabs at his foes, with a lot less energy and a lot more awkwardness. The fact the villain was played by Jung Joon-Ho, just as one-dimensional as the villain in the first installment but without any of the flair and passion Lee Sung-Jae had shown, made things even worse. Seol's character always felt like a fish out of water, a sort of politically correct version of the terminally un-PC swearing machine we were presented with a few years earlier. Fight scenes handled by Kim Sang-Jin, and car chases shot by Tell Me Something's Jang Yoon-Hyun really couldn't help either. Another Public Enemy became too long, "fat" and lost most of the energy and charm of the original, so something was needed if the franchise was to continue.

The issue Kang shot the first ever 10-million ticket seller Silmido, and the hilariously inept political thriller 한반도 (Hanbando) in between really has very little to do with Public Enemy Returns. If anything, if you're looking for Kang's potboiler nationalism it would be better to direct your attention at the upcoming 신기전 (The Divine Weapon) which Kang produces: a Kim Yoo-Jin film all right, but apparently a lot closer to the flag-waving of Kang's heavy-handed blockbusters. Kang commented that, if this installment of the Kang Cheol-Jung saga failed, he'd retire as a director for good, and would just keep focusing on his duties as a producer, with his new company KnJ Entertainment (the "J" being director Jang Jin). And, perhaps, the fact he chose longtime friend Jang Jin to write his script goes a long way in explaining how much he cared about this project.

Although just about everything he's been involved with after 박수칠 때 떠나라 (The Big Scene) in 2005 -- both as producer, writer and/or director - has been largely disappointing, Jang is still one of the most eclectic directors in Chungmuro, with a very pungent writing style and creative comedy. And that's where the key lies: despite their friendship, their understanding each other very well, and a cast of recurring faces (Jung Jae-Young starred in most of Jang's films, and the rest are veterans of Kang Woo-Suk films), was this collaboration really going to work? The first Public Enemy was a lot rougher and cruder than the well balanced, dialogue-intensive comedy of Jang Jin, so it wasn't an easy pairing. The final result sadly shows that lack of chemistry.

Jang's comedy can be certainly felt, and Jung Jae-Young's character is without a doubt the most three-dimensional villain of the entire series. Yet, there's no flow, no harmony between Kang's predominantly 90s style comedy, and Jang's situation-based gags. Some moments are almost embarrassing, with music cues that wouldn't be out of place in a 1994 Park Joong-Hoon vehicle, but look frankly appalling as part of something made in 2008. Some other moments work, such as Jung Jae-Young squaring off verbally with Moon Sung-Geun (who plays a top-tier mob boss) and then showing his own shortcomings right as he's out of the building, or the two main characters squaring off in a battle of verbal challenges sitting on the same bench, while their two kids are playing in front of them. But there's so much unnecessary fat, like Lee Moon-Shik and Yoo Hae-Jin's characters, coming back just to remind people they starred in the original. Oh oh. That's the word. Fat.

This franchise just keep getting longer and fatter regardless of running time, losing every single bit of energy it had when it started. It's like a boxer coming back after retirement, with a pot belly and out of breath because of all the smoking. He sweats a tank the moment he enters the ring, makes you laugh a little with the showmanship that couldn't have possibly abandoned him, and then keeps going at it for 12 rounds with almost non-existent jabs. Kang explained that the much "nicer" Kang Cheol-Jung has aged, his daughter is now in middle-school, so his priorities have changed, but that's just an excuse, a way to admit he cannot regain the energy that made the first film of the series interesting, and has as a result thrown him into a constant vicious circle of trying to find a solution. Making him a prosecutor didn't work, and turning him into a gentler, sugar-coated version of the original in this "non-sequel" (as in, it follows the first, more than the second, hence the "1-1") hasn't worked either.

It's certainly not a horrible film per se. But the social issues thrown at the wall, like the pathetic use of the mad cow hoopla, with the subtlety of an hippopotamus coming out of the water, have no punch whatsoever; whatever comedy is there doesn't ingrain itself within the story, it just tends to stick, stand out and give you a laugh every ten minutes or so. All the added weight, the all-too-obvious narrative underpinnings and the even more superficial conclusion just add fuel to the fire. Seol Kyung-Gu and Jung Jae-Young are predictably wonderful, but I'll just take a page out of veteran critic Jung Sung-Il's book, and do some math. Public Enemy did return, but in this new and "improved" robes, it feels like something took off its soul. After all, 1-1 equals the number of indifference and endless mediocrity. Zero.....

RATING: 5

강철중: 공공의 적 1-1 (Public Enemy Returns)
Director: 강우석 (Kang Woo-Suk)
Screenplay: 장진 (Jang Jin)
D.P.: 김성복 (Kim Sung-Bok)
Music: 조영욱 (Jo Young-Wook)
Produced by: KnJ Entertainment
Int'l Sales: CJ Entertainment
127 Minutes, 35mm 2.35:1, Color
Release: 6/19/2008
CAST: 설경구 (Seol Kyung-Gu), 정재영 (Jung Jae-Young), 강신일 (Kang Shin-Il), 문성근 (Moon Sung-Geun), 이문식 (Lee Moon-Shik), 유해진 (Yoo Hae-Jin), 김남길 (Kim Nam-Gil), 연제욱 (Yeon Je-Wook), 김정학 (Kim Jung-Hak), 김영옥 (Kim Young-Ok), 추귀정 (Chu Gwi-Jung)