boisterously entertaining template serves as sly cover for commentary on the way that Korea's corrupted social and corporate structures have for decades been holding down the nation's real talent.

Shot with some wit and considerable speed, its short, sharp beatdowns are a refreshing change from the bloated action sequences favored by some of Mr. Kang's genre contemporaries.

Director Kang Woo-Suk spins an epic swirl of masculine psychodrama over his many punishing fight sequences, including flashbacks to the trio's origins as gifted scrappers who take one too many wrong turns.

High-school friends meet years later on a televised boxing competition. Ambitious drama offers a penetrating look at Korean society.