Jack & Joker Review: Deals a Few Fun Cards Before Losing the Plot
Sneha Jaiswal (Twitter | Instagram)
Jack is a kind athlete turned debt-collector, whose dreams of living a simple life are dashed by a notorious thief named Joker, who robs a bank and the cops zero in on Jack as a primary suspect in the case due to misleading circumstances. The arrest changes their lives, Jack is forced to work for a loan-shark, while Joker lands in prison. Thus begins an “enemies to lovers” tale between the debt-collector and the expert thief.
Directed by Tee Bundit Sintanaparadee (“I Feel You Linger In The Air”/“Step by Step”/”TharnType”), the 2024 Thai series “Jack & Joker: U Steal My Heart!” stars Yin Anan Wong and War Wanarat Ratsameerat as titular protagonists Jack and Joker respectively. Spanning 12 episodes, the show begins with a dramatic bank heist, which is preceded by a disclaimer that essentially tells the viewers – “we know this isn’t possible in real life, just go along with it”. The honesty was refreshing, and it was the creators’ way of saying this show is pure entertainment.
The first few episodes of Jack & Joker are fun, with the pilot introducing Joker as a bright young man who, mistreated by his father, turns to a life of crime for thrills. On the day Joker plans a big bank heist, athlete Jack visits the same bank to apply for a loan to start a learning center. Disguised as a bank manager, Joker approves the loan but later surrenders himself to clear Jack of suspicion after the robbery—though Jack never learns this. Years later, Joker, fresh out of prison, is shocked to find Jack, once a kind-hearted dreamer, now a feared debt collector working for the ruthless Boss (Beam Sarunyoo Prachakit). Hoping to make amends, Joker teams up with thugs Tattoo (Prom Ratchapat Worrasarn) and Hoy (Bonz Nadol Lamprasert) to steal a ring belonging to Jack, now held by Boss as collateral, hoping it would set Jack free. Their mission sets off a series of chaotic events, ultimately bringing Jack and Joker closer together.
The first few episodes were definitely fun, and I found myself looking forward to catching up with the series every Monday. Fans of Yin Anan Wong and War Wanarat Ratsameerat from the college drama Love Mechanics already know their onscreen chemistry is fantastic. That remains true in Jack & Joker as well, but unfortunately, the romantic subplot is quite thin, leaving their dynamic underexplored. There’s a generous amount of action across the episodes, although a lot of the sequences are poorly choreographed. On top of that, the comedic material becomes less effective as the series progresses, and the plot spirals into chaos. For example, a major subplot involves a wealthy heiress who is in love with Jack. At one point, Jack’s character is briefly reduced to an object of negotiation, as the heiress strikes a deal with Boss over a theft orchestrated by Joker—her end of the deal being to ensure Jack agrees to date or marry her.
While both Yin and War are entertaining in their roles, the plot is overstretched and this show should’ve only been about eight episodes long. Apart from the lead actors, the one character that stood out best in “Jack & Joker” was Mark Siwat Jumlongkul as Aran, the flamboyant, self-obsessed son of Boss. Mark brings a lot of sass and hilarity to Aran’s personality, and manages to make the stereotypical rich brat character somewhat likable in the show.
Overall, there was a lot of potential wasted in this show, if they wanted to make like a heist-parody series, they should’ve hired better comedy writers.
Rating: 5 on 10. Jack & Joker is available on iQIYI.
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