Daejeon Ilbo | 2019 Lunar New Year Special: Korean Films vs. Prestige Animation Battle It Out at the Box Office

When holidays such as Lunar New Year or Chuseok arrive, film distributors hoping to capitalize on the holiday rush jostle over release timing and roll out their tentpole titles one after another. In years past, Lunar New Year theaters were laid out with a spread of films more lavish than a holiday table, but this year looks different. Only two major domestic titles are set for release around Lunar New Year: “Extreme Job” and “Hit-and-Run Squad.” Meanwhile, animated films aimed at children are unusually plentiful, with “Hello Carbot,” the highest-grossing Korean animated film to date, and “Alita,” one of this year's most anticipated films, both set to launch. All that remains is to choose according to taste.

◇ Extreme Job (opens the 23rd) = The latest film from director Lee Byeong-heon, who captivated audiences with “wordplay comedy” in his 2015 debut “Twenty.” The film follows five narcotics-squad detectives, facing disbandment over poor results, who open a fried chicken shop as a cover, leading double lives — running the chicken business by day, staking out suspects by night. The five detectives' lively performances are the film's biggest draw. It's especially entertaining to watch Jin Seon-kyu, who left a strong impression as a gangster in “The Outlaws,” play a trouble-making narcotics detective with an unrivaled palate. Though a comedy, the director's effort to weave in both action and emotional resonance is evident.

◇ Hit-and-Run Squad (opens the 30th) = Director Han Jun-hee's follow-up to “Chinatown,” “Hit-and-Run Squad” is a crime action film delivering thrills through the ensemble chemistry of charismatic actors Gong Hyo-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol and Jo Jeong-seok, alongside exhilarating car action. Eun Si-yeon (Gong Hyo-jin), an inspector in the police's elite internal affairs unit, is demoted to the hit-and-run squad after being accused of coercive investigation tactics while closing in on Jeong Jae-cheol (Jo Jeong-seok), a businessman and former F1 racer, alongside the only colleague she trusts, Team Leader Yoon (Yeom Jeong-ah). With just two teammates left (Jeon Hye-jin, Ryu Jun-yeol), Si-yeon bets everything on catching Jae-cheol, who commits all manner of wrongdoing, but Jae-cheol's counterattack grows ever bolder. Jo Jeong-seok's villain performance is a highlight.

◇ How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (opens the 30th) = The final chapter of the trilogy that began with “How to Train Your Dragon” in 2010. “The Hidden World” follows the last adventure of Hiccup, now Viking chief, and his close companion Toothless. Continuing the touching bond between Hiccup and Toothless from earlier films, this installment brings a lump to viewers' throats. A story that's easy for anyone to understand and connect with, paired with dazzling visuals, deepens immersion. The high-altitude flight scenes of the Night Fury Toothless and a Light Fury are a particular highlight. Note that the film loses some of its fun and emotional impact if you haven't seen the earlier installments.

◇ Hello Carbot: The Secret of Omparos Island (opens the 31st) = An SF adventure depicting the fateful showdown between Chatan and the Animal Carbots against aliens who try to conquer the world by causing global warming. It is the second installment following last summer's box-office sensation “Hello Carbot: Cretaceous Era,” which set a Korean animated-film record by reaching 600,000 admissions in just five days, the fastest of any domestic animation. Directors Choi Shin-gyu and Kim Jin-cheol, who co-directed “Hello Carbot: Cretaceous Era,” once again share directing duties.

◇ Alita: Battle Angel (Feb. 5) = Opening for Lunar New Year, this action blockbuster is set in the 26th century and tells the story of Alita, a cyborg girl who has lost her memory. Known as a long-cherished dream project that director James Cameron conceived even before “Avatar,” the film has drawn early attention, and with Cameron's dedicated effort, “Alita: Battle Angel” was born and is expected to create a sensation in the film industry. With visual-effects pioneer Weta Digital on board, along with the overwhelming scale and detail of its motorball sequences, there's plenty to see. “Alita: Battle Angel” also collaborated with Korean painter Kim Hyun Jung to unveil “Kim Hyun Jung's Alita,” raising anticipation further.

By reporter Won Se-yeon

Written by — Won Se-yeon