Ryu Seung-beom Movies

Ryu Seung-beom, Lee Jong-hyuk, Kim Sa-rang, and Kim Roi-Ha star in director Ha Gi-ho's period comedy about a 1930s-era radio station attempting to produce a live serial radio show. Whether good-for-nothing producer Lloyd is trying to wrangle the crew, writer Noh Bong-al is attempting to cook up a proper ending, or jazz singer Mari is simply trying to hit the right notes, it seems that the entire crew is locked into a constant state of chaos. Oddly enough, the show ultimately proves to be a great success. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

A disillusioned cop haunted by the execution of his partner and a midlevel drug dealer combine forces to take down the powerful kingpin who holds Busan port in the palm of his hands in director Choi Ho's violent post-noir thriller. It's two years before the turn of the century, and the South Korean economy is struggling in the wake of the International Monetary Fund crisis. The local district attorney is looking to clean the streets of the criminal element, and fearless narcotics cop Do (Hwang Jeong-min) is eager to make a name for himself on the force. In exchange for his own protection, local second-generation dealer Lee Sang-do (Ryu Seung-beom) has agreed to become an informant for Do. When word comes down that the DA's office wants to assume control over all drug-related investigations, Do convinces Sang-do to turn in his supplier with the understanding that Sang-do will be spared in the subsequent sweep. Unfortunately for both the cop and the dealer, the raid hits an unexpected hitch. Now, with Sang-do suspended from the force and Do given a stiff prison sentence, the Busan port comes under control of ruthless drug lord Jangchul (Lee Do-gyeong) -- the very man responsible for killing Do's former partner. Years later Sang-do is released from prison and Do has been reinstated on the force, drawing the pair into an uneasy alliance in which Do will watch over the informant as he works his way through the criminal ranks and gains access into Jangchul's inner circle. ~ Jason Buchanan, All Movie Guide

Writer/director Ryu Seung-wan (No Blood No Tears) directs his brother Ryu Seung-beom again in Arahan, marketed as "Urban Martial Arts Action." Actor Ryu plays Yu Sang-hwan, a bungling but honest patrolman. One day while chasing a purse-snatcher, he comes across a beautiful convenience store cashier and part-time martial arts master named Eun-jin (Yoon So-yi, making her feature debut), whom he finds about to deliver a devastating "palm blast" to the young thug he's just chased down. Eun-jin's aim is off, and Yu ends up knocked unconscious. She brings him back home to the temple of the "Seven Masters," a group of five cranky ch'i masters led by her father, Ja-un (Ahn Sung-Ki from Nowhere to Hide and Slimido). Ja-un quickly recognizes Yu's amazing untapped potential. Yu thinks the five old-timers are a bunch of kooks, but he's attracted to Eun-jin, and after he gets beaten up by some low-level gangsters, he returns to the temple, determined to learn how to do a "palm blast," so he can fight back. Ja-un patiently tries to teach him the ways of ch'i, but Yu is not the most attentive pupil. He wants to learn powerful fighting techniques, and seems more interested in gawking at Eun-jin than in the philosophical and spiritual underpinnings of the Seven Masters' teachings. But push comes to shove when a former Master, Heug-un (fight choreographer Jung Doo-hong), who betrayed the cause returns from centuries underground determined to seize the ultimate power and rule the world. Ja-un believes that the seemingly hopeless Yu is the only hope for humankind. Arahan was shown at the 2005 New York Asian Film Festival, presented by Subway Cinema. ~ Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide