‘The Roundup: Punishment’ Sees Round Four Bring Big Fun and Even Bigger Hits

At the risk of repeating myself, the past few years have been very, very good for fans of international action movies. From Hong Kong/China to Norway, from Australia to Japan, we’re getting a strong and steady supply of kick-ass, cathartic brilliance in the form of action cinema. South Korea has long been riding that wave, and their particular prowess has resulted in one of the most purely entertaining action franchises in years. The Roundup: Punishment is the latest in the series delivering big fun and even bigger hits.

A young Korean man is murdered overseas, and Det. Ma Seok-do (Ma Dong-seok aka Don Lee for clarity sake) makes the possible mistake of telling the man’s mother that he’ll make those responsible pay. When the investigation leads to the high-tech world of online gambling and a thug named Baek (Kim Mu-yeol), he’s told the case doesn’t belong with his homicide team. When the evidence points to a high-profile member of the city’s business world named Chang (Lee Dong-hwi), he’s told to tread lightly. He’s told a lot of things, but his fists ain’t listening.

While 2017’s The Outlaws is an unassuming actioner most people dismissed as one and done, it actually laid the groundwork for the sequels to come starting five years later. Films “loosely” inspired by squad of cops in South Korea, headed up by Ma’s even looser cannon with meaty fists and no time for assholes, and a tone blending mild comedy with face-slapping, bone-crunching, knife-slashing action — these are the hallmarks fine-honed by the sequels The Roundup (2022), The Roundup: No Way Out (2023), and now, The Roundup: Punishment. It’s as perfect a formula as you could hope for as Don Lee’s oversized charms enliven both the warm laughs and the bloody beatdowns.

While No Way Out pits Ma against a somewhat lighter villain than two films prior, Punishment sees a return to form on that front with Baek. He’s as brutal a killer as you could hope for, knowing full well that Ma is going to make him pay by the end, and Kim does great work making him both a wickedly efficient fighter (especially when he’s wielding a knife) and a coolly sadistic prick. His fights against Ma thrill as speed and metal meet size and determination, and both performers take great advantage of the space around them resulting in lots of broken walls, furniture, and more.

Those title fights are weightier given the opponent, but Ma’s physical encounters with other bad guys are always and undeniably pure bliss for viewers. He’s big but has speed of his own, and from one-hit knockouts to face slaps that send guys flying, it’s just immensely enjoyable to watch these thug-bugs keep getting in his face. As is the case with the previous films, The Roundup: Punishment keeps its action focused on more grounded encounters as opposed to big stunts or methodically choreographed fights, but it’s no less effective or thrilling in its relative simplicity.

Don Lee sits atop the pyramid describing this film’s (and this franchise’s) enjoyment, as he’s a genuine and charismatic delight. A gentle giant, until his characters are forced to act otherwise, his occasional smile and comedic delivery make for a personality who beefs up any role. As Ma, he gets to unleash “the beast cop” beating down baddies, cracking wise, and letting himself be the butt of the jokes at times. Those are the two pillars beneath him here, the action and the humor, and both continue to be served extremely well. The laughs are aided equally by the script and the supporting cast, most of whom are returning players as part of Ma’s cop squad. One standout, though, is a low-level crook named Jang (Lee Beom-soo) who’s gone straight, still has terrible taste in fashion, and is an easy mark for Ma’s playful manipulation.

This is director Heo Myeong-haeng‘s first go at the franchise, and only his second feature after this year’s Badland Hunters which also stars Don Lee, and The Roundup: Punishment is an absolute knockout. A switch-up at the top can sometimes cause disruption with a sequel, but he picks up where Lee Sang-yong left things to deliver another stellar entry in a franchise that I hope continues gifting us with more pugilistic fun each and every year until I die.

The 2024 edition of the New York Asian Festival runs July 12th to July 28th. Follow along with our coverage here. And the 28th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival runs July 18th to August 4th in beautiful Montreal, Quebec. Follow along with our coverage here.