≡ Movie Insight: Ma Dong-seok Flexes Muscles In 'The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil'

[Anchor] In this week's look at the local box office, Korean action-thriller "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" is now on release. Our movie critic Jason Bechervaise has more details in this report. [Report] Ma Dong-seok, otherwise known as Don Lee overseas, is becomingly increasingly prolific, having starred in five features as a lead in 2018. Ma appears to be bringing his stamina and strong work ethic to the industry as he started his acting career later than his colleagues after his stint as a fitness instructor in the U.S. Beginning in supporting roles in 2004 and then taking on leading parts, he has been successful in embracing roles that utilize his background in fitness. In other words, he has become Korea's very own macho action-hero following in the footsteps of Arnold Schwarzenegger and more recently Liam Neeson. It was his role in Yeon Sang-ho's "Train to Busan" that put such persona in the limelight, and then was solidified following the success of "The Outlaws" His latest film, "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" that's now showing in local cinemas takes this even further, exploiting Ma's strong build as he plays a gangster who teams up with a cop to take down a serial killer. With offers from Hollywood coming in thick and fast and with "The Gangster, The Cop, The Devil" screening in Cannes, Ma is evidently at the peak of his career. Jason Bechervaise, eFM News.■ [2019.05.17]