“Seoul Raiders” doesn’t really succeed on any level other than putting Shu Qi in front of the camera. Richie Ren isn’t an actor and proves it definitively. Tony looked as if he used all his energy just delivering his lines and always seemed to be on the verge of yawning or laughing. The action scenes, unlike “Tokyo Raiders” were dreadful—the fights looked as if no one involved in the movie was earning their paycheck. Allen Sit Chun-Way is credited as the action director although given the very slow, clumsy and unconvincing kicks and punches that were thrown he must have been taking a snooze during the filming.

It was impossible to empathize or even get interested in any of the characters other than the translator for Black Bear, a small but vital role that, unlike the rest of the movie, actually seemed as if a screenwriter had spent more than a few minutes on it. Meme Tian was imperturbably efficient with a dangerous edge and looked great in her black power suit and no-nonsense glasses. Shu Qi played Shu Qi and did so admirably. She is gorgeous, the camera loves her and even though she was victim of a few jarring continuity errors—going from no lipstick to bright red gloss then back to the natural look in three successive shots in a scene, for example—her presence almost makes “Seoul Raiders” watchable.

Not recommended