[TF Cinema Review] 'Tazza 4', Byun Yo-han&Noh Jae-won's thrilling acting showdown

The grand finale of the 'Tazza' series, spanning 20 yearsFeaturing poker instead of Hwatu... Expanding the setting to a global gambling scene'Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub,' opening on the 23rd, is a crime film about Jang Tae-young, who thought he had the world in his hands through his online casino business, and his best friend Park Tae-young, who shares the same name and took everything from him, meeting again in the global gambling world for a revenge match. /CJ ENM[THE FACT|Park Ji-yoon Reporter] A thrilling acting performance, as intense as the suspenseful matches, unfolds on screen. Actors Byun Yo-han and Noh Jae-won, while maintaining their distinct individual colors, clash with intense energy, brilliantly decorating the finale of the 'Tazza' series, which has continued for 20 years.The movie 'Tazza: The Song of Beelzebub' (Director Choi Gook-hee, hereinafter referred to as 'Tazza 4'), which will be released on screen on the 23rd, is a crime film about Jang Tae-young (played by Byun Yo-han), who thought he had the world in his hands through his online casino business, and his best friend Park Tae-young, who shares the same name and took everything from him, meeting again in the global gambling world for a revenge match.The film unfolds the story by interweaving the past and present of Jang Tae-young and Park Tae-young, who were inseparable friends during their school days, as they enter the online casino business and achieve success. They were closer than anyone and reliable partners, but as the scale of their business success grew, attention focused solely on the lucky Jang Tae-young, and Park Tae-young's jealousy, which had resided in a corner of his heart since childhood, quietly grew.Eventually, Jang Tae-young is framed for embezzlement during a business trip to Vietnam and handed over to a hitman. He narrowly escapes death by an absurd stroke of luck where a coin lands on its edge. After understanding the full truth with the help of Jo Jung-hwan (played by Yoon Kyung-ho), who handles the aftermath of assassinations, he seeks out the legendary Tazza, Kwak Dong-wook (played by Jo Woo-jin), to learn poker.Meanwhile, Park Tae-young, who believes Jang Tae-young is dead, finally establishes a casino under his own name. Kaneko (played by Miyoshi Ayaka), backed by a Yakuza organization, takes an interest in the Korean online casino business and sets up a high-stakes global gambling match involving magnates from Japan and Vietnam. Jang Tae-young also begins to collaborate with Kaneko to set up the game, aiming to take back everything Park Tae-young possesses.'Tazza 4,' based on the last installment of Huh Young-man's comic series of the same name, is the fourth sequel and the finale of the 'Tazza' film series, which has consistently expanded its unique world for 20 years, drawing significant attention. /CJ ENM'Tazza 4' is based on the last installment of Huh Young-man's comic series of the same name and is the fourth sequel and finale of the 'Tazza' film series, which has consistently expanded its unique world for 20 years.However, it features poker instead of Hwatu and expands the setting beyond Korea to Japan and Vietnam, completely severing ties with previous installments and presenting an independent story. This lowers the barrier to entry, allowing audiences who haven't seen the series to easily immerse themselves in the new world, while offering a different kind of enjoyment to previous viewers, rather than a repetition of familiar settings.Poker rules appropriate to the situation are displayed as subtitles, so there is no major difficulty in following the story. However, as poker is more complex and difficult than Hwatu and unfamiliar, the extent to which one can enjoy the scenes and immerse themselves in the characters inevitably varies depending on their basic knowledge. From the perspective of this reporter, who knows nothing about poker, it was disappointing that I had to focus on the subtitles to understand the rules, which made me miss the characters, and if I followed the characters' emotions, I missed the rules, making it difficult to fully immerse myself.Furthermore, while it was released during the Chuseok holiday season and clearly targeted an adult audience with its R-rated classification, the question of whether this was truly necessary lingers. Given the subject matter, the violence and intensity can be high, and even considering the intention to maintain the series' tone, it is difficult to readily agree when considering whether the scenes were essential to the story and if the female characters were utilized and exited in a disposable manner.Led by Byun Yo-han and Noh Jae-won, who deliver performances and chemistry beyond expectations, Jo Woo-jin, Yoon Kyung-ho, Moon Ji-hoon, and others fulfill their roles, enriching the film. /CJ ENMAmidst this, as the film focuses on the betrayal and revenge of two longtime friends with the same name, Byun Yo-han and Noh Jae-won, who lead the story, captivate the audience with their performances and chemistry that exceed expectations.Byun Yo-han, who underwent two weight changes for his role and even filmed bed scenes, portrays the desperate emotions of a character who falls due to his friend's betrayal and rises again from the bottom with a desire for revenge, revealing a new side of himself. Noh Jae-won, who once again dons the role of a character he doesn't want to get entangled with, injects tension with his somewhat deranged gaze as he depicts the process from subtle jealousy towards his friend to irreversible, chilling betrayal. It's also the first time he appears before the public as Moon Ji-hoon, not Swings, but he blends in well with his stable acting, and Yoon Kyung-ho and Jo Woo-jin also play their parts well.While there are points that may divide opinions, it is honestly difficult to find enjoyment that surpasses 'Tazza' (2006), which, despite being R-rated, drew 5.69 million viewers and is still remembered for its numerous famous lines. Nevertheless, by presenting an independent world with fresh settings and allowing for easy comprehension of the story without overthinking, it possesses its own competitiveness as an entertainment film for adult audiences. It is rated R and has a running time of 129 minutes.jiyoon-1031@tf.co.kr[Entertainment Desk | ssent@tf.co.kr]