Part-time Spy’ is a generally entertaining action comedy but falls short in plot and characters.
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Is the crime-action genre on the rise in Korea? Last December, ‘Masters’ explored a pyramid scheme scam. This time, ‘Part-time Spy’ is centred around voice phishing scheme. But this film puts two leading ladies at the forefront, which is refreshing in this male-dominated genre, and adds comedy to spice things up.
The main focus of the film is the friendship that develops between the two leads, the recently fired NSA employee Jang Young-Sil (Gang Ye-Won) and Detective Na Jung-An (Han Chae-Ah). They reluctantly collaborate as they both work undercover in the phishing company. While there are hints of romance between Young-Sil and Min-Suk (Namgung Min), I am glad that the film does not pursue romantic subplots.
While the film balances the comedy and action well, it clearly struggles to fill its 111-minute runtime. The plot is largely predictable with twists that you can see from a mile away. They also keep introducing characters that are irrelevant, such as Young-Sil’s colleagues and Jun-An’s husband. Many of the subplots remain unresolved. We do not even know what eventually happens to Young-Sil’s boss, the one who first sent Young-Sil on this undercover mission.
The characters are mostly caricatures. Young-Sil is the ugly unmemorable girl who has many obscure talents, including talking to animals. Jun-An does not have much personality besides hot temper. Department Head Yang (Kim Min-Kyo) is simply the perverted boss. The other characters have even less personality.
The acting is decent throughout. Gang Ye-Won and Na Jung-An manage to be entertaining and relatable despite their thin personality. The transformation between their relationship from rivalry to friendship feels quite organic, although the screenplay rushes that portion. Kim Min-Kyo is funny and often steals the scenes.
Overall, ‘Part-time Spy’ is a generally entertaining action comedy but falls short in plot and characters. There are moments in the middle of the film where the story feels draggy and everything is predictable. The comedic aspects and the charm of the two leads make the film engaging enough for a brainless, entertaining action romp, as long as you manage your expectations.
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