The best Cho Won-hee’s action movies

Ancient Korea, 1506. The tyrannical King Yeonsan-gun of Joseon is overthrown by his half-brother Jung-jong, whose reign begins with a blood bath. Over the years, traitors plot against him, sinking the kingdom into chaos. In 1528, frightened rumors come to royal palace, regarding a mysterious creature, known as Monstrum by the peasants.

During the reign of King Sejong in the 15th century, the Joseon Dynasty was the embodiment of the perfect state. To the Ming China, the aspiring imperial power, Joseon presented an obstacle to territorial expansion. To protect themselves from war, King Sejong develops a secret weapon to defend their territory and take back their land and supremacy.

A detective with a strong sense of justice and ambition. One day, he receives a report from an unknown source that contains information about a large organization that commits heinous crimes such as drug smuggling.

The plot is instantly familiar in the great martial arts tradition, being set in a small town which is home to two rival masters, one who practices Taekkyun (Shin Hyun Jun, also in the likes of “Shadowless Sword” and the “Marrying the Mafia” films) and the other Kendo (Choi Sung Kook, also in “Crazy Assassins”), both of who just happen to be called Kim. As well as competing for students, the two are locked in deadly combat for the hand of the local beauty, who seems to be pretty much the only woman in town. Into their conflict comes yet another master Kim, this time a kung fu expert (Kwon Oh Joong, “Damo”) who puts them both to shame with his dizzying skills and suave charm. Eventually, real danger arrives in the form of some unscrupulous land developers, forcing the three to join forces for the greater good.