Running Man (2013 film) explained

Running Man
Native Name:
Child:yes
Hangul:런닝맨
Rr:Reonningmaen
Mr:Rŏnningmaen
Director:Jo Dong-oh
Producer:Jeong Jong-hun
Music:Kim Jun-seok
Cinematography:Jo Sang-yuen
Editing:Nam Na-yeong
Studio:Fox International Productions
Cree Pictures
Korean Film Council
Distributor:20th Century Fox
Runtime:127 minutes
Country:South Korea
Language:Korean
Gross:[1]

Running Man is a 2013 South Korean action film starring Shin Ha-kyun as an ordinary man who begins to be chased and watched by the entire nation after he is falsely accused in a homicide case.[2] [3] [4] [5]

Running Man was the first ever Korean movie to have 100% of its investment come from a Hollywood studio, 20th Century Fox, which also produced it along with CreaPictures.[6] [7] Distributed by Fox both domestically and worldwide, it was released in theaters on April 4, 2013.[8]

Plot

Jong-Woo (Shin Ha-kyun) went to prison four times for petty crimes likes burglary and car theft, but he now works as an auto mechanic. He has a 17-year-old son named Gi-Hyuk (Lee Min-ho), which he raises by himself. Gi-Hyuk is a smart kid, but troubled. The father and the son also do not get along. Although Jong-Woo might appear like an irresponsible father, he tries his best and even works at night as a private taxi service.

One evening, Jong-Woo drops off a couple at a ritzy hotel. Suddenly, another man hops into Jong-Woo's car and tells him to drive off. Once the man pulls out a large stash of cash, Jong-Woo is happy to drive the man wherever he wants. The man asks Jong-Woo to drive him to a delivery company.

Jong-Woo walks into the delivery company and asks for directions to the bathroom. He then notices the man mailing off a small electronic device. The man then comes up to Jong-Woo and offers him $1,000 if he will drive him to an apartment and then to the airport. Jong-Woo happily agrees, but he first grabs the man's cellphone and calls his own cellphone.

Once they get into the parking garage of the apartment complex, Jong-Woo's life is about to turn completely upside down. He runs out of the garage on foot and becomes the prime suspect in a murder case.

Meanwhile, Gi-Hyuk is shocked and confused that his father is now a murder suspect. Gi-Hyuk attempts to uncover the truth.

Cast

Release

Running Man was released in South Korea on April 4, 2013.[12] It opened at number one at the South Korean box office, grossing a total of in its first week.[13] The film fell to third place in its second week, behind the premieres of Fists of Legend and Oblivion.[14] The film has grossed a total of .

Critical reception

Film Business Asia gave the film a three out of ten rating, referring to it as an "over-played and under-written action marathon quickly wears out its welcome."

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Running Man (2013). www.koreanfilm.or.kr.
  2. Web site: RUNNING MAN grabs Hollywood's attention. Korean Film Council. 2012-11-29. 27 August 2012.
  3. Web site: Park. Eun-jee. Filming for Running Man begins with U.S. studio support. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2012-11-29. 7 August 2012. usurped. https://web.archive.org/web/20120810084623/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2957451. 10 August 2012.
  4. Web site: Korea's first Hollywood-invested film starts filming. The Korea Times. 2012-11-29. 6 August 2012.
  5. Web site: Lee. Eun-sun. Unique Korean action selected by Hollywood - Running Man. Korean Film Council. 2013-04-05. 5 April 2013.
  6. Web site: Lee. Eun-sun. Beyond Korea, to English speaking nations. Korean Film Council. 2013-02-06. 5 February 2013.
  7. Web site: Lee. Claire. Fox unveils first foray into Korean market. The Korea Herald. 2013-02-28. 26 February 2013.
  8. Web site: Lee. Eun-sun. RUNNING MAN Will Hit Screens in April. Korean Film Council. 2013-02-04. 4 February 2013.
  9. Web site: Oh. Mi-jung. Shin Ha Kyun Talks about the Fractures and Acrophobia He Suffered for Running Man. enewsWorld. 2013-02-28. 26 February 2013.
  10. Web site: Kim. Hyun-min. SHIN Ha-kyun of RUNNING MAN Continues to Develop. Korean Film Council. 2013-03-22. 14 March 2013.
  11. Web site: Lim. Ju-ri. Shin Ha-kyun leaps into first action role. Korea JoongAng Daily. 2013-04-16. 16 April 2013. usurped. https://archive.today/20130629140908/http://koreajoongangdaily.joinsmsn.com/news/article/article.aspx?aid=2970178. 29 June 2013.
  12. Web site: Running Man. Film Business Asia. 2013-07-02. Elley. Derek. 29 June 2013.
  13. Web site: Running Man (2013). Box Office Mojo. 2013-06-02.
  14. Web site: South Korea Box Office. Box Office Mojo. 2013-06-02.