Okay, who ever said Asian people can't possibly hold their ground against world renowned directors like Guy Ritchie and pulp noir great Quentin Tarantino stand up. You deserve a slap on the back of your head JoPok style! No Blood, No Tears is a remarkable homage to the pulp noir greats. It is THE definitive film that displays how far and how fast the Asian cinema scene is growing. With so much style and so much substance to spare, No Blood, No Tears is a stunning film full of lively characters and bold and gritty action. The Korean movie genre is now basking in a tropical paradise we media people call "Commercial Success."

When it comes to depicting women on the silver screen, you could say Asian cinema isn't the kindest to this idea. Women are beaten and raped by men. They are portrayed as weak individuals with no strength and dignity. They're even looked upon as sexual objects and nothing else. Well, those of you female activists out there should be grateful for a film like No Blood, No Tears. It is not often, well okay, not since Thelma and Louise, which was like a million years ago, has a movie displayed the true strength of women and how downright dirty they can be when they are pushed to the limits of sanity. "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned" is what this movie is about. I'm afraid now. I'm afraid women out there will finally see where they can hit us and hurt us the most-our wallets. Argh!

Making her comeback to the big screen is Lee Hae-young who play the tough as nails taxi driver, Kyon-son. Her partner in crime is Korea's most favorite actress, Jeon Do-yeon, whose character Sujin is a struggling singer with an ex-boxer boyfriend from hell. Together, the two mash a combination of strength and finesse. No not like Shaq and Kobe. I mean it more like a combination of the undeniable feministic will and the beautiful gracefulness that is called "woman." Kyon-son and Sujin embodies this and you'll begin to see how great this on-screen chemistry works. Although the film is overflowing with sound characters, the viewers will never lose track of whom the movie revolves around.

While it's a film that revolves around two characters, the film will never have gained such praise from this reviewer without having a supporting cast like it did. Jeong Jae-yeong, from the magnificent Guns and Talks, plays a role unlike his normal. It's supposedly his biggest role to date even though his quiet sniper role in Guns and Talks made for a remarkable screen presence. He plays the ex-boxer, Puldok who manages an illegal underground dog-fighting ring. His boss is a mild-mannered yet sinister individual with a right hand man that makes the word "bad-ass" sound like "sugar pie." Then there is the three low-life scums who conspire to steal the bag from the bad ass right hand man. No individual is an add-on. They all play key roles and that's what makes this movie so fun to watch. Well except for the United Handicapped Democrats. I'll let you figure them out when you watch the movie. Heh.

No Blood, No Tears is by all means not exactly the greatest storytelling ever made. It's more a jump around type story like Pulp Fiction, which was mastery to say the least. However, where Pulp Fiction was slower and driven by story, No Blood, No Tears is a quick paced action delight. We're thrown into an evolving puzzle right from the start and we basically have to make use of everything along the way. Being only his second feature film, director Ryu Seung-wan looks as if he has the poise and knowledge of seasoned professionals. His style is apparent and it is noteworthy that Seung-wan truly did his homework on film making. He manages to grab hold of the viewer and pimp slap us with eye-candy leaving us to say stuff like, "Duh George, George. Look at the pretty colors, George. Look at the pretty colors." (Lenny of Mice and Men)

No Blood, No Tears is an art piece without a frame. It's free to set new standards in its genre. It's enough to satisfy an action lover's hunger and create imagery for art-filmoholics. Complete with astounding visual prestige and oozing with contemporary color, No Blood, No Tears hits the audience on all levels. This is truly a highly recommended film.