Late 18th-century Joseon dynasty. The King is beleaguered and surrounded by traitors of the ruling elite. They plan to assassinate and replace him with a puppet. But the King has some aces up his sleeve that may help him defeat them all.
Veteran television director Lee Jae-kyoo balances the most engrossing aspects of the South Korean telenovela with grandiloquent Hong Kong-influenced fight scenes.
– Martin Tsai,
Los Angeles Times,
23 Dec 2014
fresh:
Trying to find where the line is drawn between those we might consider right and wrong proves more compelling than the bevy of swordfights meant to solve their problems once and for all.
– Michael Nordine,
L.A. Weekly,
23 May 2014
rotten:
For all its spectacle, "The Fatal Encounter" is wanting for profundity.