This is the story of Ryu, a deaf man, and his sister, who requires a kidney transplant. In order to afford the transplant, Ryu and his girlfriend develop a plan to kidnap Park's daughter. Things go horribly wrong, and the situation spirals rapidly into a cycle of violence and revenge.
So bloody, scatologically violent and consistently shocking, it seems to have no larger purpose than itself -- which is pretty grim.
– G. Allen Johnson,
San Francisco Chronicle,
26 Aug 2005
rotten:
It's all a little ultra-cool for me. Shakespeare was right. Revenge is a dish best served ice-cold, not cool.
– Michael Phillips,
Chicago Tribune,
8 Sep 2005
rotten:
Promises to be a stylish, resonant plunge into the dark waters of despair and revenge but ends up amusing itself with ostentatious shocks.
– Tom Keogh,
Seattle Times,
9 Sep 2005
fresh:
It is a worthy start to a trilogy and to a director who is fast establishing himself as a new light in Asian cinema.
– Peter Howell,
Toronto Star,
23 Sep 2005
fresh:
Park prizes craftsmanship over bargain-bin schlock. It's an odd testament to his spiritedness that, despite the coldblooded killing and trail of the dead, Mr. Vengeance feels warmly suffused with life.