Gangnam Blues does not break much new ground for its genre, but it's very well-made in what is by now a familiar Korean style, emphasising clarity, medium-to-long shots, and symmetrical compositions with actors often directly facing the camera.

Time for some Gangnam 70s style in Yoo Ha's (A Dirty Carnival, A Frozen Flower) latest very watchable film...

The technical soundness of Gangnam Blues could not carry the film past mediocrity, a fact unfortunate because the movie had all the qualifications to become great.

But as hard as he tries, Lee fails to convince as a truly cold-blooded gangster - his boyish face and puppy-dog eyes are the complete opposite of menacing.