Extreme Job is an entertaining action-comedy movie that has received massive critical acclaim in its home country and certainly deserves international recognition as well. The movie focuses on a team of detectives who have been running out of luck recently and who are trying to redeem themselves by arresting the members of an infamous drug ring. In order to do so, they pose as owners and employees of a run-down chicken restaurant located right across the street of the drug gang's hideout. Things get complicated when internal pressure on them increases on a daily base, when they unexpectedly get involved into drug trafficking themselves and when their revamped restaurant rises to fame and keeps them busy.
This movie convinces on numerous levels. First of all, the quirky story comes around with all kinds of surprises without losing focus and telling the viewers how events unfold naturally. Secondly, the characters are quite different, sympathetic and unique which makes the viewers care about their fates, reputations and ties. Thirdly, the movie convinces with lots of situation comedy which is balanced with some grittier action scenes in form of martial arts combats, car chases and shootings. Imagine a more profound and refreshingly revamped take on Hong Kong action cinema of the late eighties and early nineties and you know what to expect.
In the end, Extreme Job is one of the best movies of its kind in recent memory. The acting performances are great, the action scenes are gripping, the characters are intriguing, the story is dynamic and quirky and some tension is added to balance the more vivid elements quite efficiently. If you like this movie, you should check out similar South Korean action-comedy films such as the slightly superior Quick or the surrealistic Save the Green Planet!.
