Assassination

South Korea has become the center for slick action Asian cinema. Assassination, which is set during the Japanese occupation of Korea in the early 1930s, is an entertaining period piece that is more impressive for its action than its story. The film opens with a Korean government leader in exile (Lee Jung-jae) spearheading a jailbreak to free a female army sniper sharpshooter (Jun Ji-hyun), who is subsequently sent to kill a high-ranking Japanese officer. A pair of mercenary criminals are tasked with protecting her, and then another pair of hitmen are dispatched to stop the mission. Naturally, there's a traitor here, just one of many turnabouts in a film that is full of double-crosses, double agents, and a somewhat confusing timeline that jumps around with flashbacks and flashforwards. Serving up busy battles (including a brutal massacre) and handsome set-pieces, director Choi Dong-hoon displays more technical expertise than passion or storytelling flair. Still, this is often entertaining and was one of South Korea's top-grossing films for 2015. A strong optional purchase. (S. Axmaker)