2009 opens with an assassination attempt gone wrong in 1909, affecting history as we know it. After learning that Japan and the US won WW2 and Korea is now a colony of Japan for the past 100 years we move ahead to 2009, where Japanese Bureau of Investigation agents, and best friends, Masayuki Sakamoto, played by Dong-Kun Jang, and Shojiro Saiko, played by Toru Nakamura, are part of a team that has to deal with a terrorist strike during the opening party for an exhibit of historical artifacts. Things get a bit confusing for the agents when they learn that one of the terrorists was trying to escape, dressed as a waiter, with the rest of the hostages. It doesn’t help matters when he’s killed, along with all of the other terrorists. No live terrorists, no answers… yet.
When Sakamoto discovers that the lone terrorist was trying to steal a particular, crescent-moon shaped artifact, he becomes drawn into an investigation that leads to the discovery that the artifact, the Lunar Soul, is one of two artifacts that enable one to travel through time. At every step of the investigation, he is thwarted by his boss and the foundation that sponsored the exhibit. During the investigation, we learn about the depth of the friendship between Sakamoto and Saiko. While cadets, Saiko and a lovely young woman named Yuriko had had a relationship which became strained until Sakamoto wrote her a letter that moved her and eventually led to she and Saiko marrying and having a daughter.
Eventually, Sakamoto’s refusal to be more discreet in his investigation leads to the death of his adopted uncle, who is also the chief of police. What’s worse, and somewhat expected, is that he is framed for it which leads to an interrogation by his former partner and friend. After managing to escape Sakamoto meets up with the terrorist group and comes to terms with their motives, changing history back to the way that it originally was with Korea being it’s own country. Sakamoto is the catalyst in the groups fight for a free Korea and comes through.
The movie moves fast towards the end, but it’s all good. This was definitely a fun film and something that I would most certainly recommend.