I will start by saying action thrillers are among my favourite genres, and The Villainess is one of my favourite movies.

However, Carter was a swing and a miss for director Jung Byung Gil.

The trailer immediately caught my attention initially, and the plot, while a familiar trope, held some excitement as I was eager to see that Korean twist I have come to love. Regrettably, the execution of Carter left me sorely disappointed. Nothing about it made sense or made an effort to. At some points, I found myself laughing at the sheer ridiculousness of the fighting scenes. I don't usually watch movies for their realism; that's just not what movie magic is. But the disconnected plot and overdone fight scenes were just too hard to accept. I tried to follow the storyline to no avail, and the end left me annoyed rather than curious as I assume was its intended purpose. The foreign actors playing the CIA were frustrating as it seemed they were acting bad on purpose. Their lines felt forced and their movements robotic, like some weird caricature.

I had hoped for the best with Carter. I went in with average expectations but left feeling disappointed. Had I watched it solely for the action and had no expectations for the storyline or plot, this movie would have easily been an 8 or 9. But, I have seen far better movies and dramas with a similar premise that have both action and story to satisfy the senses. But, for lack of a better phrase, this movie was not it.