Back in 2009, renowned film critic Roger Ebert offered one of his witty reviews to Pierre Morel’s action-thriller Taken, in which he mentioned that ‘It’s always a puzzle to review a movie like this. On the one hand, it’s preposterous. But who expects a “Bourne”-type city-wrecking operative to be plausible? On the other hand, it’s very well-made.‘
I believe most of us remember Taken, a story about a father — and former CIA agent — who hunts down the human traffickers who kidnapped his teenage daughter.
A very similar description can be given to SBS’s major hit Agent Kim Reactivated, which came to a very successful close on July 25th, 2026. The series had a nationwide average viewership rating of 19.8%, dominated the Netflix Global Top 10 Non-English rankings for its entire run, and just so happens to follow a highly skilled father desperate to save his daughter.
So would it surprise you if I said that SBS’s latest blockbuster-esque phenomenon inevitably reminded me of Ebert’s assessment of Taken? Because, while the narrative of Agent Kim Reactivated is indeed preposterous, this is a very well-made action-thriller drama indeed.
This review is spoiler-free! But if you are in a rush, why don’t you pin this article for later? Our pin is at the bottom!
Father, Manager… and Indomitable Covert Agent?
Based on Jeong Jong-taek and Toy’s webtoon of the same name, Agent Kim Reactivated comprises 10 adrenaline-fueled episodes penned by Nam Dae-joong and directed by Yi Seung-young and Lee So-eun. We’re introduced to Mr Kim (So Ji-sub), a seemingly meek and ordinary middle-aged single father. Every day, he wakes up early to prepare breakfast for his teenage daughter, Kim Min-ji (Seo Su-min), and works diligently at a local bank where he quietly puts up with the sneaky practices of his superiors.
This is only the first of many displays of corruption in Agent Kim Reactivated. The following one pops up when Mr Kim is called to Min-ji’s school after she gets involved in a fight with a classmate. You see, Min-ji has been bullied for quite some time, and she’s had enough. But the bully in question is Ju Hye-ri (Yu Ji-ahn), the daughter of the powerful president of Juhak Construction, Ju Gang-chan (Joo Sang-wook). The school, which has always allowed Hye-ri to do whatever she sees fit, is then keen to blame the whole thing on Min-ji instead.
A loving father, Mr Kim has always doted on his one and only daughter. However, Min-ji is now a high schooler who seems to be going through her rebellious phase, which means she wants her dad to keep his distance. When Mr Kim decides that the best thing for his daughter is to keep their head down, ask for forgiveness, and just transfer schools, Min-ji feels deeply betrayed. Shouldn’t her dad believe in her? Defend her? Fight back?
Well, Min-ji gives him an ultimatum: either Mr Kim gives her some space to think about things, or she’ll run away from home. Out of her dad’s reach, Min-ji is lured into a confrontation with Hye-ri, who feels humiliated by this whole chicanery. She simply can’t accept that a girl, poorer than her and raised by a single father, dares to stand up to her. Hye-ri then gathers her cronies and a gang of gangster wannabes (how or why Hye-ri has such connections remains a mystery) to teach Min-ji a lesson. Things get out of control fast and soon, Min-ji is on the ground, bleeding uncontrollably and presumed dead.
When Min-ji fails to return home, Mr Kim tries to track her down without success. He comes to a simple conclusion: His daughter has been kidnapped, and he needs to save her — which means that the meek bank manager we met during the show’s first ten minutes gives way to Kim a.k.a. Agent 66, a former North Korean soldier and South Korean covert agent. Ebert described the protagonist of Taken as “a master of every skill, a laser-eyed, sharpshooting, pursuit-driving, pocket-picking, impersonating, knife-fighting, torturing, karate-fighting killing machine” — and I think that’s a pretty accurate description of our Mr Kim too.
But, unlike Taken, Agent Kim Reactivated isn’t about “a one-man rescue squad“. Mr Kim has two long-time friends with whom he can share his mission: former Olympic Taekwondo gold medalist Seong Han-soo (Choi Dae-hoon) and former elite special forces soldier Park Jin-cheol (Yoon Kyung-ho). Armed with legendary fighting skills and a panoply of weapons, this dangerous — but quirky — trio sets out to save Min-ji.
Oh, and I forgot to mention one little detail: the success of an upcoming inter-Korean summit is now on the line since the North Koreans figured out that Mr Kim is still alive and well in the South. That means that both the South and the North Koreans want to eliminate Agent 66 as soon as possible. Chaotic enough for you? I would surely say so.
The Mission of Agent Kim Reactivated: To Be the Action Spectacle
Agent Kim Reactivated then unfolds with the grace of a bull in a china shop. Well-choreographed and energetically filmed fighting scenes make up for the majority of the series, establishing a high-octane narrative that has oodles of action but very little substance. Characters come and go according to the script’s needs, whose structure is determined by the mind-blowing set pieces it aims to deliver. The storytelling in Agent Kim Reactivated undeniably bends to the will of its action scenes, forgoing a solid, nuanced plot for pure adrenaline.
The vicious — and often outrageous — adventures of Mr Kim are peppered with repetitive, contrived events, but the script makes everything feel urgent, crucial, and life-threatening. Even with a watered-down second half, Agent Kim Reactivated keeps its characters on constant high alert, pushing them through a seemingly never-ending string of barbaric sequences without respite.
That’s not necessarily a flaw, however. The goal of the show is to be a somehow cathartic, hyper-violent spectacle — and that’s exactly what it is. A tale of murky politics, fatherly love, and insane product placement, Agent Kim Reactivated is as gripping as your suspension of disbelief allows it to be.
What balances out all the graphic depictions of violence and stops the series from drowning in its own darkness is the dynamics between its protagonists. Through So Ji-sub’s complex performance, Mr Kim finds three-dimensionality. His Rambo-like persona lacks the macho facet we often encounter in similar action-thriller fare and, instead, his character is given a heart through his relationship with his daughter. His desire to be a good father, his frustration for failing to notice Min-ji’s struggles, and his determination to save her are all openly portrayed throughout the series. Mr Kim might be tough, but he cries. He might seem invincible, but he is allowed to feel pain — not necessarily physical, but emotional.
Mr Kim’s humanity is shared by his friends, Han-soo and Jin-cheol, fellow fathers who are likewise encouraged to show their emotions freely. Han-soo and Jin-cheol are also responsible for injecting this story with a sense of humour, which lands well most of the time thanks to Choi Dae-hoon’s and Yoon Kyung-ho’s impeccable delivery. So, Choi, and Yoon work remarkably well together; their extraordinary chemistry gives their banter charm, their characters soul, and the script a proper backbone. These are desperately needed, considering that secondary roles and antagonists are given shallow characterisation — a supporting cast of mere devices and archetypes rather than fully fledged individuals.
While most of the show is given to the concepts of vengeance, corruption, and immorality, Agent Kim Reactivated finds its true core in redemption, fatherhood, and brotherhood. More than any thematic content or narrative logic, it’s the bond between Kim and Min-ji, as well as the one between Kim, Han-soo, and Jin-cheol, that remains after all the pomp and grandeur of the action is washed away.
Besides its talented cast, Agent Kim Reactivated also counts on some superb camerawork and sharp editing. Its visual language blends the aesthetics of its source material and the Hollywoodian action films from which it certainly found some inspiration. With deep compositions that take full advantage of both the fore- and the background as well as a clever use of shadows, the series is a showy pageant of electrifying fighting scenes. Visually, its only weakness lies in its poor AI-generated sequences and bizarre visual effects, which clash aesthetically with the rest of the show and give it an aberrant artificiality.
Should You Watch Agent Kim Reactivated?
Led by a trio of charismatic (and slightly crazy) protagonists, Agent Kim Reactivated is a breathtaking roller coaster full of kicks, punches, and high-stakes rescue missions. To enjoy the ride, you should be ready for its vicious portrayal of violence and willing to let go of any need for a tight and sound narrative. After all, it’s the experience of seeing the bad guys get their comeuppance in the most brutal and flashy way possible that counts.
If that’s what you’re looking for, I’m sure that Agent Kim Reactivated will tick all your action-thriller checkboxes. Otherwise, the fight for your attention might be the only one the indomitable Mr Kim will inevitably succumb to.
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