Extreme Job is a 2019 South Korean action comedy about a ragtag team of cops who take over a fried chicken restaurant as a front to do surveillance on a drug trafficker.
Right off the bat, Extreme Job sets itself up as a comedy with this specially made team going on a mission that ends up in a disgrace. This gets them a suspension, where they eventually get into the fried chicken business as part of a of surveillance operation but things take a turn for the worse when the food actually becomes popular, drawing too much attention. A lot of luck and coincidence follows.
Extreme Job might go by the numbers and feel as if it’s on rails for most of the way but what it does well is find the right tone and commitment to the plot. It gives its characters room to grow as their restaurant business becomes more profitable than their actual police job. In terms of pacing, Extreme Job starts and ends very strong: quick-paced and action-packed with humor all balanced and bundled together wonderfully. However, the movie is on the lengthy side at nearly 2 hours and because of that, the middle act lacks a bit of momentum.
The charm though lies in its police squad. This ragtag 5-person team might seem clumsy and disgraceful and even a bit ridiculous, with much of the time, it almost nonsensical. Yet, their on-screen dynamic makes each of them great fun to watch, mostly because they effectively handle the tropes of a team leader, an oddball, a tough lady, a serious guy and the newbie. The best of this goes to the oddball Sergeant Ma (Seon-kyu Jin) who makes things incredibly hilarious with both his character’s physical appearance as well as his dialogue. He’s able makes the rest of the team bounce off his humor with plenty of good times.
While a lot of Extreme Job feels fairly formulaic in terms of story flow, it does take a unique turn for its final act, which reveals some special secrets. Perhaps a slight spoiler but the final act also punches up the action, with tight choreography and an energy-packed score to give it real boost.
Still, more comedy than action, Extreme Job manages to entertain, making it a fun ride full of laughs, easy to connect with. These 5 underdog cops are fun to root for even if it feels unlikely right from the start. And that’s not even mentioning its fantastic food that will most likely have you craving fried chicken. It’s no surprise that Extreme Job has the second most tickets sold in its country’s history. No surprise that an American remake in the works starring Kevin Hart.