Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Dr. Svet Atanasov January 21, 2011

A huge box office hit in Korea last summer, Jang Hun's "Secret Reunion" (2010) arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors KD Media. The supplemental features on the disc include two audio commentaries; making of featurettes; interviews; stills; the film's original theatrical trailer; and more. In Korean, with optional English and Korean subtitles for the main feature. Region-Free.

Dirty business

Secret Reunion is about two Korean spies - Lee Han-kyu (Song Kang-ho, Memories of Murder, Thirst), who works for the South, and Ji-won (Kang Dong-won, Woochi: The Taoist Wizard), who works for the North. They meet when the North’s top assassin, the Shadow (Jeon Gook-hwan, I Saw the Devil), appears in Seoul and goes on a killing spree. Lee tries to stop the Shadow, but creates a terrible mess and instead gets booted from the National Intelligence Service. On the way out, he tells his superiors exactly how he feels about them.

Six years later. Lee has become a specialist in locating runaway brides. The money isn’t good, but the job isn’t stressful. Unfortunately, his wife has left him for an Englishman and taken their only child with her. Lee misses both and often thinks about them.

While working on an important case, Lee and his two assistants enter a large construction site run by an eccentric Vietnamese gangster. There he accidentally bumps into Ji-won. He immediately recognizes the spy, but instead of confronting him he asks if he would be interested in working for him. A few days later, assuming that Lee still works for the National Intelligence Service, Ji-won accepts his job offer.

Lee and Ji-won begin working together - and monitoring each other, both trying to figure out what is going on in the head of the other. Even though he is no longer a spy, Lee hopes that Ji-won would eventually lead him to the Shadow, while Ji-won hopes to gather crucial information about Lee and his informers.

The more time Lee and Ji-won spend together, however, the more they begin to realize that they are very much alike – they are lonely, disillusioned, and tired of being manipulated. Nevertheless, Ji-won continues to send his reports to the North, while Lee focuses on learning about Ji-won's past.

Eventually, Lee reveals to Ji-won that he knows who he is and suggests that they forget about the past and try to make enough money together to rebuild their lives. Before Ji-won can seriously consider Lee’s offer, however, he is ordered to assist the Shadow in his latest mission in Seoul. When Lee discovers that the Shadow has resurfaced he alerts the National Intelligence Service and tries to prevent Ji-won from meeting him as he fears for his life, but his intentions are misinterpreted.

A huge box office hit in Korea last summer, Jang Hun’s Secret Reunion takes the old buddy cop formula and gives it a new spin in what is effectively a buddy spy film. The various twists and turns in the film have a distinctively Korean flavor, but its message is indeed universal.

The film works well primarily because of the presence of the enigmatic Kang-ho, currently Korea’s most prominent actor. Various ordinary scenes benefit enormously from his outstanding improvisations and excellent sense of humor. The slightly younger Dong-won is also good, particularly during the second half of the film, where we learn more about his past.

Cinematographer Lee Mo-gae, who worked on the Korean hits A Tale of Two Sisters (2003) and The Good, the Bad, the Weird (2008), has done a terrific job capturing the pulse of modern-day Seoul and the peaceful countryside where the main protagonists chase the runaway brides.

Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.35:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080p transfer, Jang Hun's Secret Reunion arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Korean distributors KD Media.

This is a strong high-definition transfer. Fine object detail is very good, clarity pleasing, and contrast levels consistent throughout the entire film. The various close-ups convey good depth, while the majority of the panoramic vistas from the Korean countryside look fresh and vibrant. Mild edge-enhancement occasionally creeps in, but macroblocking is never a serious issue of concern. I did notice traces of random sharpening popping up here and there. It is not overly distracting, but the bigger your screen is, the easier I assume it will be for you to notice it. There are no serious stability issues. I also did not see any large damage marks, cuts, stains, or debris to report in this review. All in all, despite the few minor issues noted above Secret Reunion looks good in 1080p. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).

Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

There is only one audio track on this Blu-ray disc: Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 (the main menu has it as Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 6.1 EX). For the record, KD Media have provided optional English and Korean subtitles for the main feature. When turned on, they appear inside the image frame. Please note that the few short portions of Vietnamese dialog also come with forced Korean subtitles.

The Korean DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is solid. The bass is potent, the rear channels not overly active but effective - especially during the shootouts with the Shadow - and the high-frequencies not overdone. Roh Hyoung-woo's music score isn't prominent but it certainly benefits from the loseless treatment (mostly during the final third of the film). The dialog is crisp, clean, stable, and easy to follow. Lastly, I did not detect any disturbing pops, cracks, hissings, or audio dropouts to report in this review. The English translation is competent.

Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentaries - two audio commentaries, one with the director of Secret Reunion, and another with the director and cast members. In Korean, not subtitled.

• Making of - the featurette contains interviews with cast and crew members, as well as raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (40 min, 480/60i).

• Making of - another featurette focusing on the fights in the film. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (11 min, 480/60i).

• Shooting the film - raw footage from the shooting of the film. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (12 min, 480/60i).

• Chase scenes - raw footage from the shooting of the chase scenes involving the Shadow. In Korean, not subtitled in English. (10 min, 480/60i).

• Stills - a collection of stills from the film. (2 min, 480/60i).

• Promo shoots - shooting and creating the poster works. (3 min, 480/60i).

• VIP - Korean viewers commenting on Secret Reunion. In Korean, not subtitled. (5 min, 480/60i).

• Trailer - the original theatrical trailer for Secret Reunion. In Korean, not subtitled. (2 min, 1080p).

Secret Reunion Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Secret Reunion is a well acted Korean film that blends familiar ingredients but never bores. I enjoyed it a lot. Song Kang-ho fans should definitely try to see it. The Blu-ray disc herein reviewed, courtesy of Korean distributors KD Media, looks and sounds very good. RECOMMENDED.