The 2012 movie The Thieves often draws comparison to the iconic American heist film Ocean's Eleven. However, the theme that is the meat of The Thieves is the fact that no one can trust a criminal, which is best exemplified by Quentin Tarantino's groundbreaking movie Reservoir Dogs.  Directed by Choi Dong Hoon of Tazza:The High Rollers, the film continues to be the second highest grossing Korean film and with good reason. Veteran actor Kim Yoon Seok leads the esteemed cast as Macau Park, a lifelong high stakes criminal who initiates a plot to steal the legendary Tear of the Sun diamond. The Thieves features an ensemble cast which extends beyond You Who Came From The Stars leads Kim Soo Hyun and Jun Ji Hyun.

The Thieves is a jewel heist film with the characters portrayed as seemingly likable backstabbers whose choices of careers has encouraged them to have poor judgment. While Kim Soo Hyun lends his beefcake appearance to the film, Jun Ji Hyun is the true standout in The Thieves. Heist films tend to place a great emphasis on the relationship dynamics of the male characters, while treating any women who are included in the cast as accessories.

This is not the case in The Theives, which opens with Yenicall (Jun Ji Hyun) and Chewing Gum (Kim Hae Sook) as a mother-daughter con artist team. Jun Ji Hyun relies heavily on her sex appeal throughout the film to emerge seemingly victorious, however, she is not a simpering heroine. As one of the only true cat burglars, Yenicall is one of the most empowered members of the ragtag group. She exerts her feminine wiles over Zampano (Kim Soo Hyun), while accomplishing her job.

Pepsee, portrayed by actress Kim Hye Soo, is a recently paroled safe cracker with a grudge against Macau Park. She has been burned by love in the past and is led by Popie (Lee Jung Jae) to choose an alternative to the set plan for the heist. Pepsee displays justifiable suspicious against the other two main younger women on the team, which includes Julie (Angelica Lee). Julie is part of a Hong Kong gang led by Chen (Simon Yam), which views the Korean team with which they are paired with mild contempt. As the plot unfolds, both the Korean and Hong Kong team learn who can truly be trusted amongst their ranks.

The Thieves shares similarities with Reservoir Dogs in that the jewel heist does not conclude as neatly and as ecumenically as what is seen in Ocean's Eleven. The nature of criminals is to lie, cheat, and steal, which is proven throughout The Thieves. There is very little honor amongst the group, whose mission is to obtain the Tear of the Sun diamond from Madame Tiffany (Yeh Soo Jung). Madame Tiffany is the lover of Hong Kong king pen Wei Hong (Kim Gook Seo). Wei Hong, as well as Madame Tiffany, are portrayed in straw man fashion as greater evils than the criminal masterminds that are viciously plotting against one another in The Thieves.

The Thieves leisurely travels throughout Asia, covering locales in Macau, Hong Kong, and Korea. The film is a visual feast for audiences, with an emphasis on Jun Jin Hyun's wire stunts. The sabbotaged stunt scene from You Who Came From The Stars becomes most relevant after watching Jun Ji Hyun effortlessly trapeze throughout buildings in the film. Those who are faint of heart should note that The Thieves treats the consequences of high-stakes theft much more realistically than Ocean's Eleven.

The Thieves was distributed in the United States by Well Go USA and is available internationally on DVD, as well as Netflix.