Review of The Kick (2014) by Jy S — 30 May 2012

Prachya Pinkaew blends Thai and Korean while showcasing taekwondo in The Kick.Absolutely light on plot, The Kick manages to stretch out to 100 minutes. It's more the action than anything, with the story filling in the gaps and giving meaning to the fights.

The playful nature of the film, along with the upbeat soundtrack, tend to liven up the picture.The martial arts is heavy on the taekwondo and the kicks, hence the title. The choreography has its moments and while a little soft at first, gets much better as the film progresses.

That leaves the final 20 minutes as the grand finale to look forward to.The story revolves around a family and it's no surprise that all share the screen. Jae-hyeon Jo and Ji-won Ye get things moving in the early going as father and mother respectively, but by the end, it is the son and daughter that shine.

Tae-joo Na and Tae Mi pull off some great fights on screen. JeeJa Yanin is more of a side character, but she gets in on a lot of the action.The Kick is definitely a film that cares more about the martial arts than anything else.

Is it worth a check out? As an action film, yes.