The Outlaws and The Roundup – Korean 2K Crime from CG with Fury

In the landscape of South Korean crime cinema, the transition from The Outlaws (Beomjoidosi) to The Roundup: No Way Out (Beomjoidosi 2) tells much more than a simple escalation of action: it's a portrait of a character and an industry in transformation. Two films that are arriving for the first time in Italy directly on 2K Blu-ray after remaining unreleased in cinemas, ready to introduce the Italian audience to one of the most popular franchises in South Korea.

A Police Thriller Between Routine and Brutality

The first chapter, directed by Kang Yoon-seong in 2017, operates on classic coordinates. Set in Seoul's Chinatown, it follows Detective Ma Seok-do as he grapples with a violent gang war, sparked by the arrival of ruthless Sino-Korean gangsters determined to take control of the territory. The film builds its narrative on a linear structure, often predictable, where every twist seems anticipated.

The action sequences work, but the tension struggles to truly build: thinly sketched characters and a certain repetitiveness dampen the overall impact. In this context, however, Ma Seok-do emerges, an unconventional police officer, brutal in his methods but effective, destined to become the true heart of the saga.

The Return of Ma Seok-do Between Control and Spectacle

With The Roundup: No Way Out in 2022, directed by Lee Sang-yong, the tone changes. The story revolves around a murder investigation linked to a synthetic drug trafficking operation, involving organized crime and internal police corruption. The violence remains but is channeled into a more regulated, almost institutional structure. The result is a more accessible but also less instinctive film: Ma Seok-do loses some of his brutal nature, gaining consistency but sacrificing the unpredictability that had made him iconic.

These films confirm how much Korean cinema relies heavily on Ma Dong-seok, a charismatic presence capable of sustaining the character even when the writing becomes more cautious. For those unfamiliar with this cinema, his style – made of dry irony and sudden explosions of violence – represents one of the most distinctive elements of the franchise.

Almost an Asian "Piedone"

The “Beomjoidosi” saga, spanning 4 works, speaks volumes: the audience wants Ma Seok-do, even in a more restrained version. This Blu-ray release therefore becomes a precious opportunity to discover two works previously absent from the Italian market, balancing excess and measure, and to understand why this police officer has won over millions of viewers in his homeland.

The Outlaws - Blu-ray 2K CG Entertainment

17,99

Digitally shot at resolutions between 2K and 3.4K and corresponding 2K masters from which these two excellent editions were created, image format 2.39:1 (1920 x 1080/23.97p), AVC/MPEG-4 encoding on a BD-50 dual-layer for the first film and BD-25 for the second.

Technically, we are looking at a remarkable rendition, which holds up well on large screens. Brightness, contrast, and a rich color palette, with good black depth and high detail even in the background.

The Roundup - Blu-ray 2K CG Entertainment

17,99

DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 Italian and Korean (always 16 bit) with good output. The two films were specially dubbed, and for this reason, some doubts remain about the selected voice cast, where not all voices fit perfectly. In both films, switching to the original is recommended. Also included is a dual Dolby Digital 2.0 (224 kbps) for direct listening through TV speakers.

Each disc includes the trailer.