(TV SERIES) The Tyrant - A Dark Spy Action Thriller Series Combined with Sci-Fi Element

I was not aware about this series that was released on Disney+ last Wednesday and only found out while I was searching for another one that my wife recommended. As it only had 4 episodes, I thought why not give it a try first and see if it's any good, cause the premise was very mysterious but seemed promising enough. OK, I'll get right to it then.

Brief Story Line

When a secret project called the Tyrant created by a team in South Korean intelligence agency was somehow found out by the US, they were forced to stop and surrender the sample. Director Choe (Kim Seon-ho - The Childe, Start Up TV series etc) who was the leader of the said project tasked his team to coordinate the delivery together with an assassin Chae Ja-gyeong (Jo Yoon-su - The Killer's Shopping List TV series etc).

Unexpectedly though, something occurred during the delivery which prompted the US intelligence to send their agents led by Paul (Kim Kang-woo - Night in Paradise, One Ordinary Day TV series etc) to ensure successful retrieval. Meanwhile Choe also hired the hitman Lim Sang (Cha Seung-won - New Year Blues, Wonderful World TV series etc) to clean up the mess.

So what happened to the sample? And how would the story conclude? You could find out in this mini series.

End of Brief Story Line

I have to admit that I was having a hard time understanding the story from the beginning. Not sure whether it was due to the story telling, or the lack of introductory scenes or because it required full concentration. And having dark scenes where they jumped here and there did not exactly help either as it seemed to not having focus. The only thing I appreciated in the first episode was the surprisingly violent action scenes. Once I reached second episode, I was starting to grasp the premise a bit, although it was not because it was clarified clearly but more because I was able to compile all the information into a better understanding. Amazingly I only understand the full picture once I reached the third episode.

I read about this series on the internet and found out that it was supposed to have a theatrical release but they decided to make it into a four part series instead. No wonder it only had very few episodes and short duration. Even if you combined all of them, it would only have roughly 169 minutes including intro and closing credits which would make it one long movie. All episodes were written and directed by the critically acclaimed Park Hoon-jung whose prior experience including writing for The Unjust and directing movies such as New World and The Witch part 1 & 2 that was said to be set in the same universe. Perhaps I should have watch those movies first?

Anyway it seems the series was getting praises from critics and audience though personally I was less appreciative due to my difficulty in understanding. However, I was in awe of the action sequence that were brutal, violent, swift and well crafted. The special effects were excellent as well. It was obvious that Park Hoon-jung did not hesitate to show those violence here and also got sufficient budget back up. Btw, I watched this before my wife and apparently she had the same view as I did on the actions and the story telling, but she was able to understand it faster than me. 

Of all the main cast, I admired Jo Yoon-su the most as she was very convincing on the action part and also Cha Seung-won who looked like a regular guy but actually a ruthless hitman. Additional cast included Kim Joo-hun (Perhaps Love, Strangers Again TV series etc) as director Sa, Mu Jin-sung (Mission: Cross, Missing Crown Prince TV series etc) as Choe's retrieval team leader Mo-yong and several others, plus a cameo of quite well known actor.

Out of the four episodes, my favorite was the finale as it had awesome action sequence. The ending was not exactly surprising but quite satisfying for me. From the way it ended, I think they were leaving it open for renewal of the series or perhaps it could be tied-in with another movie in future? Who knows, as Park Hoon-jung was known for expanding his universe like in his previous works. Overall for me and my wife, this was an entertaining series in term of violent action which was supported by good enough special effects, but not exactly thrilling from story telling point of view. However, it is possible that having seen The Witch movies might make it easier to understand and more enjoyable. So if you are fans of the director and are familiar with his works, I think you would enjoy the series. 

Mike's movie moments rating: 3 out of 5 stars