AMAZON BULLSEYE (아마존 활명수) (2024)

Genre: Comedy
Director: Kim Chang-ju
Cast: Ryu Seung-ryong, Jin Sun-kyu, Igor Rafael Pedroso, Luan Brum De Abreu E Lima, J.B Joao Batista Gomes De Oliveira, Yeom Hye-ran, Go Kyoung-pyo
Runtime: 1 hr 53 mins
Rating: PG (Some Violence)
Released By: Golden Village Pictures
Official Website: 

Opening Day: 14 November 2024

Synopsis: Welcome! First time in the Amazon? Once an Olympic medalist in archery but now the top target for restructuring, Jin-bong (RYU Seung-ryong) heads to the Amazon to seize one last chance offered by his company. After barely surviving a life-threatening ordeal, Jin-bong arrives in the Amazon, where he meets three warriors with god-given archery skills: Sika, Eeba, and Walbu! Believing he has found a way to save himself, Jin-bong teams up with Bbang-sik (JIN Sun-kyu), a Korean-Bolédorian interpreter, and brings the three archery masters to Korea… Now, Jin-bong’s comeback depends entirely on the Amazon trio!

Movie Review:

Amazon Bullseye marks the reunion of stars Ryu Seung-ryong, Jin Sun-kyu and screenwriter Bae Se-yeong after their ultra-successful Extreme Job. Though it’s far from being a big hit when it was released earlier last month in its native Korea, local audiences will still find a lot to love about this feel-good comedy.

Jo Jin-bong (Ryu) is a former national team archer and is now working as a lowly office worker in an international company. With a wife and three young kids to support, Jo has to endure the antics of his arrogant young boss or faced being restructured or worse, ending up working in a chicken shop, an obvious reference to Extreme Job. Thus his latest assignment is to fly to a fictional South America continent, Boledor to train the national archery team in exchange for its lucrative gold-mining rights.

However an unexpected helicopter crash leads Jo to a village whereby he meets three Amazon tribespeople with natural talent in archery. With the help of a local translator, Bbang-sik (Jin), Jo decides to train the trio to be members of the archery team. Basically at this juncture, you know Amazon Bullseye is going to be an underdog sports comedy.

And indeed it is.

Don’t get us wrong though. The pacing of Amazon Bullseye is relentless that you probably won’t feel the 113 minutes runtime to be much of a stretch. Bae piles the narrative with endless jokes that each scene has it’s very own distinctive gag. The first half involves mainly some fish-out-of-water humour and cultural clashes. First among many being one of the natives being caught for fishing in Cheonggyecheon River in Seoul city and the guys roasting a chicken in Jo’s apartment. There’s this sense of goofiness and innocence from the Amazonian warriors that helps things light and enjoyable including a lovable scene where they help tame a charging wild boar in a forested camping area.

Jin likely steals every scenes he is in with his portrayal of a second-generation Korean living in Boledor. His comic timing is almost flawless and his attempt to ham things up with all the slapstick body movements only makes things funnier. Ryu on the other hand simply needs to put on a straight face followed by some fainting antics and its enough to draw in the laughs. Credit must also go to Yeom Hye-ran for playing Ryu’s onscreen domineering wife who chips in some rowdy humour. The Brazilian actors are brilliant in their chemistry with Ryu and Jin as well.

While the comedy consists of some serious messages of persevering the presence of natives and their homeland and also an extended detour of the warriors being kidnapped, it’s also the weakest link in this comedy. Even archery as a sports is constantly shown onscreen, the hilarious antics of the characters easily outshone it. Instead, Amazon Bullseye will likely be remembered for the cast solid comic performances and chaotic humour. Forgettable but very entertaining for movie-goers expecting a fun time at the cinemas.

Movie Rating:

(Definitely hits the bullseye when it comes to comedy, just don’t go in expecting anything else)

Review by Linus Tee