Set to a wonderfully colourful, culturally rich backdrop of Korean heritage sites, “Collectors” should have the tools to be a uniquely interesting, original adventure film. It will certainly be a hit with festival goers, but despite boasting a flashy, showy script and charismatic cast, Park Jung-bae's directorial debut fails in standing out from a clustered crowd of similar genre flicks, and veers too close to western counterparts such as “Raiders of the Lost Ark” in how it is packaged.
“Collectors” is screening at Fantasia Film Festival
At the heart of the movie is Kang Dong-gu (Lee Je-hoon), an expert in tomb raiding and money hungry individual. Harbouring the surprising skill of being able to track an artefact's location through tasting soil, he finds himself a wanted man by both the authorities and shady businessmen after stealing a rare golden Buddha statue. Mainly, though, he finds himself the target of Sang-gil (Song Young-chang), an uber-rich upperclassman who hosts an illegally acquired amassment of ancient and rare goods hidden in an uber-secure location. Now at the centre of the affluent chief's latest scheme, Kang is head-hunted by one of the villain's assistants, the art curator Se-hee (Shin Hye-sun), who promises lofty prosperity in exchange for a sword buried deep in Yungneung, in Seoul. As expected, Kang is enticed by the offer, and soon finds himself assembling an elite team of grave robbers, shovelling experts and tactical thinkers to ensure that this high-stakes opportunity is seized upon. From here, the action truly kickstarts, thus allowing “Collectors” to, on some level, deliver on its high-energy promise.
When in full-swing, Park's debut in the director's seat is a high-energy affair, one only amplified by its magnetically spirited cast. The fast-paced, good-humoured adventure at the film's core zips along briskly, and although there are dashes of solemnity sprinkled in throughout, the movie generally has an accessibly light-hearted air about it. Hwang Dong-hyuk does an excellent job of heightening the ensemble's appeals through his script, casting a wide net with his personality choices to set up a rather varied, intriguing approach in how each character behaves. As a result, each character feels unmistakably unique, and where one person may find a particular depiction to be grating, another could find it unshakably charming.
Additionally, “Collectors” benefits from its scenic backdrops, serving up locations seldom seen in offerings of this ilk. Using real, easily identifiable and popular national heritage sites gives the movie a sharpened appeal, and an authenticity which the adventure genre can often lack or overlook. Moreover, audiences are more likely to relate or have an emotional connection to the story if they can identify the gravity of where these heists take place (such as Crown Prince Sado's grave), something which Park's directing aptly supplies. With that being said, the narrative could have perhaps used a sharper focus on explaining to those who may be without the correct context just how risky the operation they are attempting to execute is, as without it, the true impact could be lost on a more casual viewer.
Continuing, the feature does fall flat at times, even amidst its quick pace and agreeable dashes of humour. There is an evident lack of tension during scenes in which the law enforcement find themselves after the heist crew, and although the crowd-pleasing ending does allow for some smiles, it is too contrived to feel truly impressive. Furthermore, when it comes to characterisation, Hwang's otherwise affable script frequently misses the mark. Although each member of the tomb-raiding group has their own identifiable personality and charm, some of the characters on the peripheral of the plot find themselves underdeveloped and side-lined. Most notably, this occurs with Se-hee, who is a sneaky and bold woman in her underhanded tactics and brazen temperament, but someone who fails to have any underlying attributes which justify how she works. Instead, she just comes across as a one-dimensional opportunist, and one who is easily outwitted by the boyish Kang Dong-gu.
From an acting perspective, “Collectors” is rather impressive though, making the most of the esteemed cast without stretching into hyperbole. Jo Woo-jin is a firm highlight as Dr. Jones, a self-professed, overtly confident Indiana Jones type who, upon very little persuasion, jumps at the opportunity to return to his past life, which he had apparently shunned, for any sort of monetary gain. Lee Je-hoon is also healthily serviceable in the leading role, grabbing attention with a particularly camp performance during a scene in a karaoke bar, and generally offering a good-natured performance as the quirky Kang Dong-gu.
Technical credits must be afforded to the cinematography, which is tremendously colourful and sleek. It has a seamlessly polished charm to it, amplifying the beautiful locations seen throughout the near two-hour runtime, and contrasting them against the murky working conditions with a pronounced flair. Furthermore, during one particular sequence in which the tomb-raiders are trapped in a tunnel, Park does a stellar job of giving the scene a palpable sense of claustrophobia, and a real grimy urgency in how the ensuing escape unfolds.
At its core, “Collectors” is a harmlessly fun movie. It may not hit all the right notes, and some aspects may be glaringly unrefined, but as an ambitious debut for Park Jung-bae, works on a number of levels. For those looking to simply relax and unwind, it may just be worth giving this release a try.
