I’m Batman!

I always thought it was interesting how Joker is able to return to the streets after Batman puts him in Arkham Asylum. Of course, he serves his allotted time, but does he really pay his debt to society?

My question is: why not give him the chair?

He’s obviously unrepentant and will continue to wreak havoc.

It’s like a doctor who knows the cure to a disease but refuses to prescribe the real antidote because he knows it’ll put him out of business.

Not that I’m here to argue the merits of the death penalty, but it’s interesting how we pick and choose who deserves to die.

Anypoops, my stance on the death penalty is neither here nor there. However, it does tie into this week’s movie review.

Sort of.

Lol.

On the chopping block is none other than The Policeman’s Lineage.

Now let’s get itttttt!

The story begins in Seocho, Korea, where our hero, Major Crimes Officer Choi Min-Jae, is transferred from. Min-Jae, played by Parasite’s Choi Woo-sik—I still hate that movie—is your run-of-the-mill do-good police officer.

However, he’s also the son of the deceased police officer Choi Dong-Su.

Due to the circumstances surrounding his death, Dong-Su’s case is covered up and never properly reported.

Left with a huge question mark hanging over his head, Min-Jae follows in his father’s footsteps despite the warnings surrounding his father’s fate.

Enter the dragon: Hwang In-Ho, an Internal Affairs chief hellbent on catching Park Gang-Yoon, a first-rate cop who blurs the lines between good and evil.

Park Gang-Yoon, in my opinion, is either completely deluded or desperately trying to convince somebody that he’s not a criminal.

He certainly isn’t naïve.

He fully understands that he is, in fact, a dirty cop.

Though I often wondered what his motives were.

He cares for his former superior’s son, but then attacks him when he gets in the way.

He disobeys orders from upper management to drop cases, yet knowingly allows Na Young-Bin, our two-dimensional supervillain, to walk free.

So what exactly is he trying to prove?

He’s basically a modern Batman—except he’s broke.

Lol.

To fund his escapades, he turns to Cha Dong-Cheol, this universe’s Joker and the drug lord chasing Young-Bin.

To quote him:

“We have to meet them to catch them. They use money to keep us far away.”

Inevitably, Gang-Yoon gets caught up in his own game and is arrested.

To free his surrogate father, Min-Jae ultimately makes a deal with the same devils who killed his real father.

In the end, our James Bond becomes a dirty cop himself.

Moral of the story?

Sometimes you’ve got to get dirty with the people doing the dirt.

Side Note

The Policeman’s Lineage reminded me a lot of Jo Nesbø’s The Son.

Like Min-Jae, Sonny Lofthus—also known as “The Son”—is the child of a police officer with a disgraced reputation.

The difference is that Sonny starts on the wrong side of the law.

Long story short, both sons end up following in their fathers’ footsteps, though not necessarily in the ways they intended.

Highly recommend it if you’re looking for something to read.

Anypoops, I give it 3 out of 5 rose petals.