The Fatal Encounter (2014)

Story: I won’t spoil it, but I think the storyline was done very well. There definitely a lot of flashbacks throughout the movie, but I think they were placed in the movie in a way that made sense, and tied all of the story together. The entire movie does have a dark tone to it, but I found it to be interesting and exciting at times. The action scenes especially, are really good.

Acting/Cast: I know majority of the actors and actresses since I’m a long time drama watcher. But honestly, I love the acting of everyone here. Both the good and bad characters were acted out fantastically, you can tell how hard they’ve worked on this movie. Everyone’s acting, their facial expression, and emotions really made me get into the movie.

Music: Mostly instrumentals, but I think it complimented the movie quite well. I barely noticed the soundtrack because it was like a part of the movie, but it was still nicely done.

Rewatch Value: I would definitely, definitely watch this again. There are many amazing things about this movie, such as the acting, the cast, the storyline, the action scenes and so on.

Overall: This is a fantastic movie. I definitely recommend this movie. If you like any of the actors/actress or if you like historical-type films, then you should definitely watch it. Even if you usually don’t, watch it anyway. I think you’ll like what you see.

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I started this because of Hyun Bin, I didn't have any expectation of it, I didn't even knew what was all about. But even if I had had the the biggest expectations in the entire universe, this movie would had not disappointed me. The highlight of the movie was the stunning acting of both main and secundary actors. Hyun Bin portrayed a perfect alone, afraid but brave king who's looking for some changes, but he alone was not the only amazing thing. The acting of Han Ji Min as a despicable, evil and young queen was not a joke, I finished Rooftop Prince only a couple of days earlier and I though she was a good actress, now I realize I needed to see more of her to know she was not only good but Great with a big G. The others actors were all at the same level of greatness. The cast, the action, the story, ect. it made the best historical movie I have ever seen.

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"I'm surrounded by enemies"

I recently watched The Throne, a film about King Young Jo and Crown Prince Sado’s unhealthy relationship. The Fatal Encounter told the story of Sado’s son, Jung Jo, who inherited the throne when Young Jo died. “I’m surrounded by enemies.” That was a gross understatement. Jung Jo suffered numerous assassination attempts, including the one this film covered.

King Jung Jo has only one person in the world that he trusts, his clerk Gap Soo. The Queen Dowager is seeking to kill him along with the Noron party and their many tentacles. His enemies have hired an assassin, #220/Eul Soo as well as enlisting the powerful military leader, General Goo Sun Bok. Over the period of a day, alliances are tested as Jung Jo is set up to be murdered. So much for the heavenly mandate and divine right to rule.

The film started at the end and then traveled back almost 21 hours in time. The power alliances were revealed as well as the shady group that imprisoned and trained children to be assassins. Several of the children had been imbedded within the palace as sleepers and informants.

Hyun Bin gave a strong performance as the entangled king seeking to find a way to stay alive and to protect his people. Jung Jae Young played eunuch and clerk Gap Soo in an understated manner befitting a king’s servant. Jo Jung Suk took a nuanced approach to his assassin #220. Eul Soo wanted to quit and run off with the woman he loved but the king of the assassins wasn’t ready to let him go. The other performances were all a pleasure to watch as well.

The sets and cinematography all helped to pull me into King Jung Jo’s world. The fight choreography was among the best I’ve seen in Korean cinema. Though the king needed to have better trained guards. Eul Soo cut through them like warm butter. Something I learned, it’s best to bring archers during a rainstorm, old style guns were all but useless. #2-Hyun Bin had some marvelous abs showcased in an early scene. Thank you director-nim.

The Fatal Encounter had flashbacks within flashbacks but was still easy to follow. The pacing kept the story moving, never slowing down or dragging. Starring some of the most famous Korean actors and actresses, the performances were a treat to watch. I enjoyed the deadly triangle, square, pentagon…let’s just say deadly polygon that played out over 135 minutes.

“Do your utmost in trivial things. From that you can attain sincerity…It is only those with complete sincerity who can transform everything.”

17 December 2024

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