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James Marsh

3/5 stars
Kim Woo-bin is at his charismatic best in Officer Black Belt, a new action comedy from Midnight Runners director Jason Kim (also known as Kim Joo-hwan).
In a role seemingly tailor-made to showcase his impressive physicality and affable charm, Kim plays a big-hearted martial artist who finds some much-needed purpose when he inadvertently joins the probation department.
The action never threatens to surprise or break free from established formulas, but within its carefully contoured constraints, the results are enthusiastically entertaining.


Jung-do (Kim) lives for fun and little else. His love of playing games has propelled him to success as a martial artist in multiple disciplines, as well as an online gamer, together with his close-knit cadre of best friends.
The only woman in his life is his auntie, and he still lives with his dad (Lee Hae-yeong), a former actor who now runs a chicken restaurant.
Jung-do’s life takes a turn when he intervenes in a back-alley altercation between a probation officer and a violent ex-convict. While the officer is injured, the department is so impressed with Jung-do’s combat skills that it offers him a temporary position.
The team monitors convicted murderers, sex offenders and other dangerous criminals after they are paroled, via their electronic ankle bracelets. Should they stray too far from home or fail to charge their bracelets, the probation officers must intervene, with “martial arts officers” like Jung-do at their side for protection and support.
Teaming up with senior officer Kim Sun-min (Kim Sung-kyun), Jung-do takes to his heroic new role like a duck to water, even roping in his gaming buddies to provide valuable tech support in the field.

The stakes are raised exponentially, however, when a notorious paedophile (Lee Hyun-geol) is released, displaying no signs of remorse or rehabilitation. Jung-do may finally have met his match.
Officer Black Belt strikes an assured balance between action and comedy that consistently hits the mark, but even when altercations get unexpectedly violent, there is never much in the way of nuance.
The film is unashamedly pro-law enforcement, presenting every member of the department as honourable to a fault. Conversely, every ex-convict unleashed back onto the streets is painted as a rabid scourge on society, chomping at the bit to strike again at the first opportunity.
Had writer-director Kim dared to shade his script with even a hint of ambiguity, Officer Black Belt might have ascended beyond the rank of mere mainstream frivolity.

Officer Black Belt will start streaming on Netflix on September 13.
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Kim Woo-bin plays a martial artist who finds some much-needed purpose in new Netflix action comedy Officer Black Belt, directed by Jason Kim


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Review | Netflix movie review: Officer Black Belt – Kim Woo-bin stars in entertaining action comedy

Kim Woo-bin plays a martial artist who finds some much-needed purpose in new Netflix action comedy Officer Black Belt, directed by Jason Kim