"Shiri" is a by-the-book action/drama about a renegade force which steals a secret explosive to use to blow up the leaders of a divided Korea in an attempt to destabilize the country so that it can effect a unification...or something like that. In spite of being a technically and artistically good shoot with all the pyro, stunts, etc. expected of an action flick, "Shiri" gets lost in the minutia of criss-crossing subplots. The drama doesn't really work, the action is uninspired, and the whole flick fails to deliver anything new or creative. On the VHS I viewed, the subtitling was poorly translated as well - possibly to keep the subtitles short for slow readers - so the translation was apparently compromised. Recommended for action junkies and Koreans and other Asian viewers who may tap into the cultural subtleties of the drama.
