Kang Woo-suk’s box office hit Two Cops from 1993 deeply influenced all of Korea’s later police detective movies, with its set-up of two cops with contrasting characters. Wild Card uses a similar structure, resulting in an enjoyable and relaxed film. Hot-tempered hardworking cop Bang (Yang Dong-geun) faces one of his hardest challenges in solving a group of brutal serial murders. The victims were all killed by the deep impact of a heavy steel ball. Officer Bang is paired with his experienced and calm partner Officer Oh (Jung Jin-young), and they take the approach of getting every triad force they know to help in the investigation.
The set-up of Wild Card looks similar to Nowhere to Hide (1999) and Public Enemy (2002), but director Kim Yoo-jin (A Promise) shows his unique talent by using cinematography and editing to make a very fast-paced movie. The first scene, in which Officer Bang catches a criminal, shows the contrasting characters of the two cops very effectively. Besides the fast-paced investigation, the film also offers a softer side with Bang trying to win the love of a woman named Kang (Han Chae-young from Bet on My Disco). However, the most impressive and shocking part of the film involves the supporting characters who carry out the murders in atypical style.
Though Wild Card focuses on two cops, the film mainly highlights actor Yang Dong-geun. Yang has been successful as a hip-hop singer and started his film career with Zzang in 1998, but his turning point was his stand out performance in Bet on My Disco in 2002. The movie also casts the experienced Jung Jin-young in his first film after the box office success Hi, Dharma! in 2001. Although his role is similar to the cop he played in Guns & Talks (2001), he shows a much more developed character in Wild Card.
Ryan Law