If the premise sounds a bit odd, well, that’s because it is. It’s ridiculous in all the right ways - charming, chaotic, and utterly uninterested in playing it cool, and these are the reasons why it (mostly) works. Kang smartly leans into the absurdity rather than attempting to particularly ground the story too much in real-world logic. Instead of hulking, brooding heroes, we get mismatched weirdos grappling with their newly acquired powers in awkward, humorous, and occasionally touching ways. The tone is pure fun - there’s slapstick, visual gags, and a light sprinkling of satire about heroism and fame mixed in with the OTT fighting and action sequences.

 

The film wears its daftness on its sleeve, and the cast fully commits. As the focal point, Lee Jae-in goes all in as Wan-seo, the youngster who had to give up taekwondo following a heart condition, only to receive superhuman speed and strength following her transplant. She also provides the emotional core of the film with her relationship with her father, Jong-min (Jung-se). Similarly, Yoo Ah-in as Gi-dong - who is given the ability to control power and electricity - provides a fun and affable performance. Everyone is having a blast, from Ra Mi-ran’s Sun-nyeo, who can transfer powers from hero to hero, Ahn Jae‑hong as Ji-sung, who develops super-breath, and Kim Hee‑won as Yak-sun, who can heal by touch, to Park Jin‑young and Shin Goo, who play the villain, Seo Young‑chun, in elder and youthful forms. Together, the ensemble bounces off each other with the kind of disparate chemistry that allows the film to succeed even in its lesser moments.

​

Visually, Hi-Five is certainly eye-catching and inventive. Cinematographer Choi Chan‑min brings a distinct comic-book energy to the film that helps it to stand out further with the use of dynamic angles, expressive lighting, and bold colour schemes to accentuate the exaggerated action/superhuman sequences. Also, those needle drops? Rick Astley? Chef’s kiss.

​

All that being said, the film does overstay its welcome a bit. Clocking in at just over two hours, some scenes - especially in the final act - start to feel padded and drawn-out. A slightly tighter edit would have maybe made a slight difference, but even when it meanders, it does so with such good-natured charm that it’s hard to complain too much. 

​

Ultimately, Hi-Five is a strange little gem - endearingly goofy, emotionally grounded, and clearly made with affection for its oddball characters. It’s not trying to be dark, gritty, or bleak. It’s not trying to provide a mirror to society and the world around us (too much, anyway). It just wants to have fun, and it wants you to have fun too. It doesn’t take itself seriously for a second, and that’s its superpower. Why so serious, indeed.