Notable Cast: Yoo Ah-in, Lee Jae-in, Ahn Jae-hong, Ra Mi-ran, Kim Hee-won, Oh Jung-se, Park Jin-young, Shin Goo
Before this review gets started, just wanted to say I absolutely love Yoo Ah-in as a performer and I am extremely grateful for his contributions to Korean cinema as a whole. I think he has made some of the greatest performances the country has seen over the last decade and I am beyond delighted to see him back on the screen once again. I will not get political here, but it is a shame to see him completely absent from the marketing of this film, and his lack of presence on even the poster seen here. His character is absolutely hilarious and he steals the show every time he is in frame, which thankfully, is quite often. With that out of the way, how is director Kang's latest comedic outing, this time being a superhero genre piece? It's absolutely fantastic, and I cannot wait for folks to see this one. If you love superhero movies in general and enjoy Kang's brand of extravagant humor, then this will be one you won't want to miss!
Hi-Five is about five different recipients of donated organs. Said organs vary, but each donation came from a dead superhuman, and his powers have been bestowed upon these five different transplanted individuals. The cast here is stacked, and if I can do this based on memory, we have: Lee Jae-in as Nine Girl. She is a taekwondo enthusiast and practitioner and she becomes super strong. Also, there is Ahn Jae-hong as Tank Man (I think, or maybe it was Boy, they make jokes on that), who has the ability to blow super powerful breath from his lungs. Yoo Ah-in (yay!) plays as Hwang Ki-dong, and I cannot remember his superhero name, but he can manipulate any electronically ran object within a huge vicinity. Kim Hee-won is Battery Man, and he can heal people, as long as he hydrates afterwards. Last, but certainly not least is Ra Mi-ran, and I won't spoil her power as it is revealed in a very fun way in the film. These five seemingly normal folks come together realizing that they have extraordinary gifts, and of course, evil is lurking in the background. We have a cult leader, played by veteran actor Shin Goo, who has the ability to absorb the lifeforce of other powered individuals, and he strengthens himself each time. He has a large group of people brainwashed, and is looking for our titular five heroes. You can see where this is all gonna lead, but I can tell you that you won't expect how it does so.
Hi-Five is definitely going to be the summer Korean blockbuster to beat. It is a fast-paced, hilarious, and hard-hitting romp that blends broad humor with some intense and equally hilarious set pieces that will have you cheering and laughing alongside each absurd and impressive moment. We get a chase sequence that I cannot put into words just how hard I laughed at. The visuals in that sequence are truly special, and I can't believe the music that comes into play. Talk about an iconic scene in the making. The laughs are played broadly and more often than not stick the landing with utter perfection. If you have seen the other classic Korean superhero movie, Arahan, strip back some of the grounded brutality from that, and you get Hi-Five. The combat may not be as intense as that one, but it is just as inventive and will keep you on the edge of your seat the entire time. This isn't an overly serious film, whatsoever, but when the drama bubbles to the surface, the tonal shifts never become as jarring as say Kang's previous, and also excellent outing, Swing Kids. This one stays pretty consistent in what it is going for but you do get very invested in these wonderfully written characters and will be rooting for them along the way. Everyone here works with an infectious chemistry and all five of our leads just have this electrifying presence. They are so funny and each have the right amount of heart and you get snippets into their past without needing full blown origin stories for each. The film never derails to focus big flashbacks, but brings itself alongside the current threats that are looming over them. I hate to take such an obvious jab, but this feels like peak Marvel, and I truly think the bigwig execs could take some notes from this movie. It doesn't do anything the genre hasn't tackled before but it never forgets to feel like a comic book first and foremost. Again, there are some totally absurd visuals and the way the main girl speeds along at multiple points, but it is done with such sincerity on display, that you find yourself totally invested and it feels real to the world it establishes so brilliantly.
I cannot believe how much I enjoyed Hi-Five. I assumed I would like it at the very least because one of my favorite filmmakers was helming the project, but to be honest, I've been very tired of superhero cinematic offerings for quite some time, and yet Kang injects new life into a worn out genre and gives it the oomph it has been sorely lacking for many years now. If he decides to bring the Hi-Five gang back for future installments, I'll be there day one! This is easily one of the best films to come out so far in 2025. This gets my highest recommendation possible. I don't think it will work for absolutely everyone, but for those that it meshes with, you will have an absolute blast with this one.