Drama complements action in Don Lee’s PH-set film ‘The Roundup: Punishment’

He may have found global stardom for his roles in “Train to Busan,” “Along with the Gods” and Marvel Cinematic Universe’s “Eternals,” but Don Lee, aka Ma Dong-seok, told us in an email interview early this week that police lieutenant Ma Seok-do, his character in the popular South Korean action franchise “The Roundup,” is closest to his personality.

“I believe Seok-do is the character most similar to me,” he said when we asked him which of his roles resonates with him the most. “As an actor, I’ve always wanted to play this sort of detective in an action flick. But since such opportunities weren’t coming my way, I decided to create that role myself. Embedded in that role is the hope that the city [he lives in] might become a place without crime.”

Don’s answer didn’t really surprise us because when we spoke to him in a one-on-one interview for “Badland Hunters” last January, he also made it a point to single out Seok-do as the character he relates to the most.

He explained, “Seok-do resembles me a lot. [But] I do put many parts of me into a role when I’m trying to create a character. So, yeah, [he’s] quite like me—although I’m not saying I’m just as capable of killing monsters (laughs).”

In “The Roundup: Punishment,” the fourth installment in the action franchise that opens in the Philippines beginning Aug. 14, irrepressible “monster cop” Seok-do and his ragtag crew dive deep into the world of digital crimes.

Three years after the synthetic drug case roundup in Korea, their latest mission results in new alliances as Seok-do learns more and more about the dark side of the worldwide web.

Of particular interest to Filipino viewers is that while Seok-do continues to hunt vicious criminals, the current group he’s pursuing—headed by former Special Forces operative Baek Chang-ki (Kim Mu-yeol of “The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil”), who now operates an online gambling organization—has taken its operations outside Korea, particularly in Pogo (Philippine offshore gaming operators)-infested Manila!

Seok-do and Metro Investigations must chase down criminals who are dealing drugs through a delivery app. But when the app distributor is found dead in the Philippines, the team soon realizes that this case involves a huge illegal online gambling business that resorts to abduction, confinement, assault and even murder.

Aside from Don and Mu-yeol, the cast also includes Park Ji-hwan (“Gyeongseong Creature”), Lee Dong-hwi (“Reply 1988,” “Extreme Job”), Lee Ji-hoon (“Weightlifting Fairy”), Lee Joo-bin (“Queen of Tears”), Kim Do-geon (“The Penthouse”), Kim Min-jae (“Big Bet”) and Lee Beom-soo (“Giant”). As of June, “The Roundup: Punishment” has become the second highest-grossing Korean film of 2024.

When we asked Don what he thought could explain the action series’ enduring popularity, he said, “It seems that audiences enjoy realistic and thrilling action. Over the years, as I worked on films and various action projects, I have dedicated all of those experiences and the know-how I gained to creating the universe and the characters for ‘The Roundup’ series. I appreciate that lots of audiences have been enjoying the result of our meticulous efforts.

“Also, Seok-do appears to be well-liked for his thrilling pursuit of bad guys, realistic action, as well as his humorous traits. And I am truly grateful for the support I’ve been getting for ‘The Roundup’ film series.”

The rest of our Q&A with Don:

If you’re given a chance to meet Seok-do, do you think you two would get along well?

Ma Seok-do is a character that reflects a lot of Ma Dong-seok’s own traits, so it’ll feel like I’m meeting a brother. Since both of us have a background in boxing, I would also love to be able to spar with him.

What traits of Seok-do are similar to yours and in what way are you different from each other?

As I mentioned earlier, both Seok-do and I were boxers. But we also share a similar sense of humor—I really enjoy making other people laugh. However, unlike Seok-do, I don’t solve problems through physical power. After all, a character is just a character.

How different were the challenges that you had to pull through for the latest installment of the series?

For each series, we create different dramas and characters based on a criminal case we must deal with. Positive changes naturally result from this process. It isn’t easy to consistently show the powerful and realistic action that Seok-do gets to do in different ways each time.

Unlike the lighthearted story in “The Roundup: No Way Out”—the series’ third installment—it’s a different case this time around, and the emotions are heavier. We also aimed to focus on powerful boxing, rather than the rapid-fire action sequences shown in the previous films. The key is to design the drama and action to complement each other.

How has your character evolved from the first film to this latest one?

Since Ma Seok-do is the same character, I was careful not to just mimic myself. I aimed at discarding the bad aspects and retaining the good ones, but without merely repeating the good parts. I tried to capture the essence of a detective who evolves and becomes more seasoned while maintaining Seok-do’s core.

There was a lot of thought put into presenting the same humor in different situations. I also had to overcome the obsession with constantly changing my acting and action styles, while avoiding the laziness of becoming complacent.

I strive to think cleverly about various other aspects of production. Seok-do is gradually becoming more experienced. But in the future, he might get promoted or, conversely, end up in a less favorable position due to a major case. He could also get injured while dealing with significant incidents.

I have designed many variations to his story, such as overcoming situations with limited force. I will showcase more of this in the franchise’s upcoming installments.

What’s your favorite scene in the movie?

We put our heart and soul into every aspect of the film, so it’s really difficult to pick just one scene. However, if I had to choose, it would be the movie’s final action sequence. And you’ll understand why once you see it.

(Distributed by Black Cap Pictures in the Philippines, “The Roundup: Punishment” will open exclusively at SM Cinemas on Aug. 14.)