Last time on “Bad and Crazy” Inspector Ryoo, under the influence of his alter ego K, viciously assaulted Assemblyman Do, calling him a murderer in the process. This has placed Assemblyman Do in a somewhat awkward situation. Obviously, what Inspector Ryoo did can’t be allowed to stand unpunished. Yet any attention being paid to Inspector Ryoo at all risks exposing that Assemblyman Do was at least accused of murder- and a murder he actually committed no less.
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There’s not that much detective work here though, as Inspector Ryoo is officially put on suspension. There is a long humorous search for the necklace which K prevented Inspector Ryoo from throwing into the river. We also get our first good look at Detective Lee (played by Han Ji-eun), Inspector Ryoo’s ex-girlfriend. It’s implied that while Inspector Ryoo himself is relatively indifferent to Detective Lee, K harbors a huge romantic crush on her.
Beyond that we just see Inspector Ryoo unsuccessfully try to get rid of K through taking drugs. In general “Bad and Crazy” is noteworthy for being a fairly serious investigative crime drama that’s loaded with humorous trappings. This kind of genre mix is more common in South Korean films than television dramas. But even then not so much, to the point that “Bad and Crazy” feels quite fresh and inventive despite the generic plot description making the show sound extremely cliched.
The action scenes are also incredibly solid. Martial arts director Kwon Tae-ho has done lots of work in films, though “Bad and Crazy” is his first credit as lead choreographer. And the experience shows- the fight in the market is a delightful mess. Inspector Ryoo himself quickly realizes he needs K’s assistance to survive. The absurdity being, naturally, that K is just Inspector Ryoo. And like Inspector Ryoo, K fights by improvising with nearby objects. He’s just better at it, since K is too crazy to understand fear.
Lastly, a brief correction. I had assumed Detective Do was Assemblyman Do’s brother. But their similar names appear to just be a coincidence. This becomes clear in part because we see that Assemblyman Do does not respect Detective Do in the slightest, and holds the less important Do personally responsible for the disaster that now threatens his reputation. But this misunderstanding proved fortuitous on my part, given that Detective Do himself clearly overestimates his importance to Assemblyman Do even after being warned otherwise by Inspector Ryoo.
Review by William Schwartz
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“Bad and Crazy” is directed by Yoo Seon-dong, written by Kim Sae-bom, and features Lee Dong-wook, Wi Ha-joon, Han Ji-eun, Cha Hak-yeon, Kang Ae-shim, Kim Dae-gon. Broadcasting information in Korea: 2021/12/17~Now airing, Fri, Sat 22:40 on tvN.
William Schwartz
Staff writer. Has been writing articles for HanCinema since 2012, having lived in South Korea since 2011. Started out in Gyeongju, then to Daegu, then to Ansan, then to Yeongju, then to Seoul, lived on the road for HanCinema’s travel diaries series in the summer of 2016, and is currently settled in Anyang. Has good tips for utilizing South Korea’s public bus system. William Schwartz can be contacted via william@hancinema.net. He also has a substack at williamschwartz.substack.com where he discusses the South Korean film industry in broader terms and takes suggestions for future movies to review.
[HanCinema’s Drama Review] “Bad and Crazy” Episode 3 (2021/12/26)
Source: Laban Lang Philippines
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