The Man from Nowhere (2010)
Directed by Lee Jeong-beom
A reclusive pawnshop owner goes on a brutal rampage to rescue a young girl kidnapped by a criminal organization.
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What critics compared The Man from Nowhere to
Brutal violence dominates the dynamic Korean thriller “The Man From Nowhere.” Local heartthrob Won Bin (“Mother,” “Tae Guk Gui”) transforms himself into an action hero in writer-helmer Lee Jeong-beom’s swift and blood-soaked yarn, about a mystery man who gets caught up in a gang war while trying to protect a child, recalling Luc Besson’s “The Professional.”
There’s Europe, or European-ish: When So-Mi and her mom are abducted by a particularly ruthless gang, one that sells smack and illegally harvested organs, Tae-sik wipes the bedraggled bangs from his eyes and takes up arms once more–what the bad guys don’t know is that he’s a highly trained military operative who has gone underground to bury traumatic memories (recall Jean Reno in The Professional ).
If the above sounds like it takes its cues from Leon (or The Professional , depending on the territory), or even Man On Fire , then you’re not far wrong.
It’s The Professional meets Taken, and yes, it’s almost as awesome as that mash-up makes it sound.
Back in 1964, Italian maestro Sergio Leone borrowed from Japanese genius Akira Kurosawa, turning Yojimbo into A Fistful of Dollars .