"Hitman 2," a sequel that lost its unique groove by putting too much effort into it

Former NIS legendary agent Jun (Kwon Sang-woo), who quickly fell from a mega-hit writer to a "brain writer," is having a harder time writing season 2 than expected.

Jun, who announced a new start to season 2 after the success of all the episodes, is being harshly criticized, and even the coin invested without his wife's knowledge collapsed at a time when even his daughter ignored him. He continues his webtoon ambitiously again to live, but as it becomes popular, a terrorist attack that imitates his webtoon occurs this time, leading him to become a criminal.

"Hitman 2" is a sequel to "Hitman" (2020), which was greatly loved for its insane gags, fantastic chemistry, high-quality action, fresh webtoons, and the performance of Hong Il-jeom Hwang Woo-seul-hye. Kwon Sang-woo, the main characters of the previous film, Jung Joon-ho, Lee Yi-kyung, and Hwang Woo-seul-hye appeared, and Kim Sung-oh joined as the new villain.

As usual with sequels, the scale has grown, and comedy and webtoon elements, which have become strengths, have also increased. There are more villains, too. There are many things that have been mixed to give an extended message. The burning desire (of the production crew and actors) to become a "better brother" is felt throughout the work, or throughout the running time. The problem is that it's too much, it's not harmonious.

Kwon Sang-woo is hard-carrying again this time. He makes use of his attractive knowing taste and his own special lecture points. The chemistry between his sweet and cutest wife (Hwang Woo-seul-hye) and his adolescent daughter (Lee Ji-won) is still good. The energy of Hwang Woo-seul-hye, which has been properly upgraded, is added to create synergy as much as the previous one.

If the family story is one big axis, another is the criminal case solved with NIS comrades. However, the amount of Jung Joon-ho and Lee Kyung is a little ambiguous. (Especially, Lee Yi-kyung's tone is too much to be burdensome even if it's a gag gongt.) The "bromance" that feels terrible even with the abuse is welcome, but the triangular crown episode added as a variation is just contrived.

At first glance, it reminds me of the setting of "This Min's War" (2012), which features a love war between two top CIA agents and best friends over a woman, and it's not so edgy, refreshing, or fun that I wonder if it's the right scene to watch in 2024. The process and results of the build-up for the ending climax are okay, so it feels like old junk.

Kim Sung-oh, the main villain, is playing separately. I can see in my head what intention he added to the story and whether he caused the heavyness, but there is no tension because it does not melt into the work at all. The character itself is a mismatch, so it is a failure of use.

The action sequence, a mixture of webtoons and live action, is sophisticated, but the story is too tacky. The combination and tone of the genre are all over the place. It's easy, but unlike the previous film, which combines elements that I never imagined would fit into one stable story line, it's distracting.

I think the "first attempt" that Jun carried on his chest should have been carried by the megaphone. It is the absence of a centripetal point to center and warm up. Without firmly rooted in the existing novelty and smartness, hanging colorful and heavy decorations on branches is bound to fall to the ground.

The new action style with good characters, better actors, and webtoons is a waste of completion. Only exaggerated tones, clumsy episodes and mismatched characters have been added in large numbers throughout. This is the result of losing one's reason and running wild. Even so, there are not a few sections where the sense of speed decreases. I want to sincerely cheer for the long-awaited return of the sick comedy and the welcome old men's stars, but I can't bear the courage. The break-even point is about 2.3 million.

"Hitman 2" will be released first among the anticipated New Year's holiday movies on the 22nd. 15 years old or older. Running time 118 minutes.