A surprisingly good thriller, "Swiri" follows Hollywood formula down to a science while providing an interesting twist on the increased tensions between North Korea and South Korea. The film resembles a hodge-podge of films, like the Bruckheimer-style flicks ("Con Air," "The Rock") with its slow-mo hero shots with a heavy dose of melodrama thrown into the mix. Ultra-violent and quite bloody (the first five minutes feature a montage sequence showing us dead bodies and identifying marks that point out who the individuals are), "Swiri" is a little weak in the action choreography department (a number of shots substitute jerky camera movement for well-placed actor placement). However, by equating the political tensions to post Cold War Hollywood flicks was a solid move. "Swiri" accomplishes on its $3 million budget what many Hollywood $70 million productions cannot: hold our interest.
