Yaksha: Ruthless Operations

jw 4/11/2022 12:18:34AM 8.4

OK-ish mash-up A secret service outpost has been sending made-up reports for over a year, and now an inspector is sent to find out what's going on there. South-Korean, North-Korean, Chinese and Japanese spies trying to out-trick, -guess and -gun each others... the sales pitch sounds good! Unfortunately, only a few scenes deliver glimpses of what this could have been if its potential had been realised into something original. But playing it safe, most of "Yaksha: Ruthless Operations" is a mix of Buddy Cop, Mission Impossible, James Bond knock-off, good old 80s action heroes wearing thick Plot Armour, and flat cardboard characters. The longer it runs, the more disappointing it gets. The only surprise is the ending, but it is not a plot twist: (possible spoiler... but you see it coming all the time) The Good Cop has been transformed into a Bad Cop, And That's OK. Before, the protagonist was against wanton violence, killing, torture; now his attitude is "whatever it takes", no holds barred. And everybody is happy with this outcome, possible sequel hinted at in end credits. A funny short scene at 00:42, in a bar, is worth seeing; skip the rest.