‘Money Heist: Korea’ review: A slick adaptation that needed more flamboyance 

When Netflix launched Álex Pina’s La Casa De Papel just a few years in the past, it didn’t take lengthy for Cash Heist, as we got here to realize it, to change into a world sensation. Regarded among the many streaming platform’s largest hits worldwide, the announcement of a Korean remake later got here as no shock. South Korean reveals over the past yr have finished exceptionally nicely for the platform, with the likes of Squid Recreation and All of us are Lifeless nonetheless being found every day.

The six episode Cash Heist: Korea – Joint Financial Space will get a novel geopolitical setting. In 2025, South Korea and North Korea are not at warfare, and are on the point of unification. Focusing on the Unified Korean Mint on the Joint Financial Space between these two areas, the Professor (Yoo Ji-Tae) places collectively a motley crew of thieves to tug off a heist, the likes of which the world hasn’t seen earlier than. 

A soldier and a BTS fan who strikes from North Korea to the South, Tokyo (Jeon Jong-So) quickly takes to crime earlier than she is scouted by the Professor to affix his crew of thieves. Berlin (Park Hae-Soo) is the one one who has managed to make it out of a North Korean Labour camp the place he was imprisoned for 25 years. Father and Son duo Moscow (Lee Gained-Jong) and Denver (Kim Ji-Hoon) who’s a road fighter, con-artist Nairobi (Jang Yoon-Ju), hacker Rio (Lee Hyun-Woo) who may be very harking back to a Ok-Pop Idol because the group says, and strongmen Oslo (Kim Ji-Hun) and Helsinki (Lee Kyu-Ho) make up the remainder of the crew.

Like the unique, the crew takes names of cities as its finest to keep away from figuring out one another’s identities. Right here although, Tokyo is slightly indignantly requested by her Korean crew members why she picked Tokyo, the Japanese capital. She doesn’t bat an eyelid as she responds with, “As a result of we’re about to do one thing unhealthy,” in a really loaded reference to the relations between the 2 international locations. 

Because the heist progresses, we additionally see how the Professor has established a relationship with South Korean disaster negotiator Inspector Seon Woo-Jin (Kim Yun-Jin). There’s a sluggish build-up right here for the burgeoning emotions which may expose the Professor’s ethical compass, if it exists. 

Whereas the story nearly faithfully sticks to the unique, the distinctive setting emerges as the largest spotlight of this adaptation. There’s palpable stress between the employees on the Mint, and the duty power officers who’re each from North and South Korea. We additionally get elaborate backstories for some characters rooted within the social and financial outcomes of the geopolitical modifications which have taken place. The simmering stress can be utilized by the crew as they try to maintain the hostages in management. The North Korean hostages are informed that they are going to be punished if a South Korea hostage steps out of line, and vice versa; Berlin says that this may be prevented in the event that they control one another. 

Whereas it begins off sluggish, the final three episodes are the place numerous the motion is packed into. The ensemble forged is competent, but in addition much more toned down on this model. Hae-Soo as Berlin for example is lacking that unhinged streak, and the absence of a backstory with Rio has Jong-In order a slightly mellow Tokyo. The actors nevertheless discover their footing within the latter episodes as soon as tensions are on the rise, and Ji-Hoon as Denver stands out among the many crew contained in the Mint. Whereas Yoo Ji-Tae brings alive a staid, and far too-composed Professor on display, it’s Kim Yun-Jin who makes extra of an impression because the harried, disaster negotiator who simply can’t appear to determine how the crew of thieves are continuously a step forward of the duty power.  

Other than the recent background in opposition to which the heist unfolds, the present stays an nearly trustworthy remake of the unique and it’s this predictability which turns into its undoing. It feels just like the makers and the actors determined to play it protected, and whereas the present is a slick adaptation, it wanted much more pizazz. 

The six episodes set the stage for a second season, and finish on a cliffhanger. The primary season of Cash Heist: Korea – Joint Financial Space will get proper by way of its setting and characters, however right here’s hoping the makers push the envelope and take some dangers within the second season. 

The primary season of Cash Heist: Korea- Joint Financial Space is at present streaming on Netflix