Netflix remains a leader in producing original Korean content and is pulling all the stunts for the comedy film Husbands in Action. The action-packed comedy is simple but delightfully fun, and viewers won’t want to miss the variety of Korean stars gracing the stage for a good laugh.
The action-comedy film directed by Park Gyu Tae is an enjoyable blend of slapstick and overactive humor brought to life with large expressions and a quirky. The kooky story focuses on an unusual pairing of three nonsensical husbands working together to save their wives from peril. The teaser showcases Si Nae (played by Kang Hanna) being kidnapped, and while her new husband, Min Seok (Gong Myoung) tries to save her, ex-husband Chung Sik (Jin Sun Kyu), a narcotics detective who captures criminals, comes to her rescue.
After their divorce, new husband and veterinarian Min Seok wins over Si Nae with his sweet and mature demeanor compared to Chung Sik. The two men who seemingly have nothing in common except saving Si Nae join forces as they prepare to face off against numerous enemies. Along the way, they become involved with a drug lord named Ma Do Jun (Kim Ji Seok), whose villainous antics cause trouble, but he slowly turns over a new life and continues to aid the team throughout the movie, making them an unstoppable, eccentric trio.
The kidnapping plot of Si Nae, at first simple, becomes complex after a curveball comes from Kim Yong Gang (Yoon Kyung Ho), a rival gang boss attempting to gain more power and steal Hye Ran’s (Lee Da Hee) AI Program. This moment sinks into a serious tone for the remainder of the film, fueling the need for comic relief. The story does heavily rely on slapstick humor to get the gag across, with few scenarios taking wordplay into consideration when landing a joke. However, it doesn’t make the film necessarily bad.
The further the story progresses, the slapstick humor becomes more enjoyable, and the performance from the cast is comical and animated. Jin Sun Kyu’s character is delightful to watch because he is very expressive and leads the punchlines and skits alongside Gong Myoung, who cowardly follows along in a humorous way, but his moments of pure bravery shouldn’t go unnoticed.
Lee Dae Hee stands out as a chic, sophisticated villain. Her visuals and effortless performance make her evil role quite believable, while Kim Ji Seok (her husband of the trio) stands out for his well-written character. Despite being a villain, he is an eccentric joker of sorts and makes viewers laugh with his oddities. His flashy fashion and way of speaking English enhance his performance, and he has so many stand-alone gags that make him a screen stealer.
There are quite a few laugh-out-loud moments spread throughout the film that generally involve Kim Ji Seok’s character. Hitting his head on every passing rock as he was being lifted up the mountain, or when he unlocked his private vault by entering the password through his DDR-like dance floor. Even when he is wearing an electric collar and pretending to bark like a wild dog instead of answering interrogation questions, Kim Ji Seok’s animated behavior breathes life into each gag. It didn’t really rely heavily on the loud (sometimes obnoxious) scoring or CGI, proving he is naturally entertaining.
The film overall is short and easy to watch. The humor is oriented for Korean audiences but is still global enough that viewers can enjoy each part of the story. Most comedies start off strong, but this story has a few cheesy antics to sit through in the beginning. Once things get serious, the laughs come rolling in because of the tension-cutting humor, which leads up to a worthwhile ending. Viewers can expect drama met with laugh-out-loud situations. If you need some light humor and larger-than-life reactions that can make you chuckle, Husbands in Action will fulfill its promise. (7/10)
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