Mantis, review: a Korean action-movie of assassins and codes of honor

Han-ul is a young but already experienced hitman working for MK ENT, known by the code name Mantis. After several years, he feels limited by the organization's rules and expresses his intention to terminate his contract, with the goal of starting his own business. To keep him, his boss Min-kyu decides to send him on vacation and promises that upon his return, he will also guarantee an "audition" for his dear friend Jae-yi, with whom Han-ul has always been in love.

When he discovers that Min-kyu has been killed and MK ENT is in chaos, the situation threatens to escalate. With the rules now broken, Han-ul decides to found his own company of assassins for hire. Initially, everything goes well, but a series of events ends up pitting Han-ul and Jae-yi against each other, in an all-out challenge to finally understand who among them is the best.

Mantis: All About Action

Just a couple of years ago, an interesting Korean action-movie, with the evocative title Kill Boksoon (2023), landed on Netflix, telling the story of a professional hitwoman - and single mother - working for a mysterious company. A film in some ways indebted to the post-modern action of John Wick, it achieved good success on the streaming platform, enough to guarantee the production of the spin-off we are discussing in this article.

Mantis is set in the same narrative universe and Boksoon herself appears in a fleeting cameo, although the story focuses on new characters, ready to rise to prominence in the world of contract killers. As you may have noticed from the synopsis above, the plot is rich in ideas and may appear potentially complex, although in its actual development it moves along a couple of fairly simple guidelines to unravel. A narrative preparatory to the final showdown, with a three-way free-for-all in the vein of The Good, the Bad and the Ugly (1966). 

Here it's not guns or rifles, but melee weapons that characterize the duels: be they more or less sharp blades, swords, staffs, or even the sickles used by Mantis - reminiscent of the insect after which he is named - the action core is based precisely on choreographies where bodies evade, while trying to deliver the decisive blow. Fast and snappy sequences, with brief one-shots and neon lights, for what is the directorial debut of actor Lee Tae-sung, taking over from the more experienced Byun Sung-hyun who remained as co-screenwriter.

Harmless Fun

The film manages to entertain for almost two hours of viewing, although at times the excessive lightness - which distinguishes it from its predecessor, which leaned towards darker tones - risks weakening the characters, some of whom end up being unintentional caricatures. Similarly, the forced romantic relationship between the two friends / lovers who then become potentially mortal rivals goes through a series of predetermined steps, between returning feelings and an attachment to that honor typical of Eastern culture, including Korean.

The main role is entrusted to Im Si-wan, a member of the k-pop band ZE:A who is no stranger to big screen experiences, capable of attracting the favor of the female audience with his clean face; he is joined by Park Gyu-young, who became internationally known for her participation in the latest season of Squid Game. The cast generally works, although as mentioned, they are confined to characters who on several occasions border on caricature, excessively mitigating the tones for a narrative that then abruptly darkens in the spectacular "final battle".