Masterpiece....
Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is an absolute cinematic gem that effortlessly blends supernatural elements with laugh-out-loud comedy. This Korean film is a rollercoaster ride of emotions, keeping viewers on the edge of their seats while simultaneously tickling their funny bone.From the moment the film starts, it grabs your attention with its intriguing premise and vibrant characters. The portrayal of Dr. Cheon, a charismatic fake exorcist, is nothing short of brilliant. His on-screen presence is magnetic, and his witty banter with his sidekick, In-bae, is pure gold.
The film’s masterful blend of horror and humor is a testament to the director's skill. The suspenseful moments are genuinely chilling, while the comedic relief comes at just the right time, preventing the film from becoming overly dark. The special effects are top-notch, immersing the audience in a world of supernatural wonder.
Every aspect of this film is executed to perfection. The pacing is impeccable, the storyline is engaging, and the characters are relatable. It's rare to find a film that delivers on all fronts, but "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman" undoubtedly achieves this.
If you're looking for a thrilling, entertaining, and unforgettable cinematic experience, I wholeheartedly recommend "Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman." It's a 10/10 in my book.
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This review may contain spoilers
plot of the movie to avoid confusion
Dr.cheon is the eldest grandson of cheon family of shammas.He is incredibly talented in making talesman compared to his younger brother, but is not interested in becoming the heir. Dr.cheon's grandfather is a gifted shamman and chose his youngest grandson as the next family shamman, There is an evil guy who practices black magic ,He grew his power making use of human sacrifices. He is head of a cult and those people kidnap and kill civilians, retrieve their finger and makes an instrument which the villain use to control people temporarily to achieve what he wants to do. The villain strategically eliminates all possible threats which include shammas with good conscience and their gifted heirs, gifted individuals who posses ability to see the supernatural born outside the shamman lineage. They are the only people capable of putting up a fight. Dr.cheon is not aware of these facts for about 3/4th time of the movie. What he knows is that, his younger brother went missing and his grandfather found a evil talisman in his younger brothers pillow. Following this his grandfather and assistants performed a ritual in hope of finding the lost child and he witnessed that the villain they are after is incredibly strong. Later his grandfather located a cave inside a forest and found his lost grandson still alive there tied up. the villain possessed the body of the child and sneak attacked the grandfather. Grandfather untied his grandson and used a special talisman and his sword to lockup the evil guy but it was only half successful, his sword broke and the villain tore the talisman into two pieces . The villain killed the grandfather and grandson and used his cult followers to dispose their body faraway in a reed field, Dr.cheon and his grandfather's friend found their corpse in the reed field. They know they are against something very strong but have no idea where to find their enemy or the fact that there are civilian cult members aiding the villain. Dr.cheon under the pretence of exorcism travel from place to place to find any traces or clues, but he never encountered a real spirit, most of the cases were psychiatric cases and to bring peace to them he does fake exorcism and earns his living. He is always searching for news about supernatural encounters hoping he might find some clues. His efforts didn't go in vain, he encountered a genuine case which led him to eventually kill and imprison the soul of the villain inside the talisman which his grandfather made and this time it was a complete success. He also saved his client who happen to have the divine eyes to see spirits and ends up hiring her.Was this review helpful to you?
To shaman or not to shaman
It's technically a generation battle of shamanism between an evil mystical being and the Cheon clan, led by the untalented grandson of the chief shaman for revenge, overall it has great visual effects and cinematography. However the direction of the storyline somehow felt lost, it's using a mix of both practical combat and psychic powers for the fights, which gets muddled on whether the movie is trying to be tactical or mystical, because even the resolution part gets the same treatment. Just like its intro part when they're showing how shamanism is a con with staged props to scam money, but then afterwards the whole movie turns out to be a huge shaman battle, it's quite contradicting at some point.Was this review helpful to you?
1Ring the bell, the paranormal fight is ready to begin!
Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman was a light, entertaining shaman fantasy. It was more humorous than scary, goofier than ghoulish. Not an outright comedy but not a horror either. Kang Dong Won’s screen presence helped tie together the dark backstory with the action-packed present.Dr. Cheon and his assistant Kang In Bae take on shamanic jobs across Korea. Because Kang is in charge of the special effects to sell their show, he believes Dr. Cheon is a fake. Cheon does fleece his wealthy clients and has become a YouTube celebrity. While Cheon makes a living exorcising “ghosts” and “demons” from people what he’s really doing is solving clients’ problems psychologically. At every job he tests his bell which will only ring if ghosts or the supernatural are nearby. He is on the hunt for a dangerous demonic force that destroyed his family. When a young woman hires him claiming she can see ghosts, the bell of fate is set to ring.
This film had numerous supernatural chase scenes which were creative. Kang Dong Won made for a compelling shaman as he searched for the source of the paranormal events. With his ghost revealing bell and sword of destiny he was prepared to face the forces of evil. I much preferred this film to his previous wizardly turn in Jeon Woo Chi: The Taoist Wizard. For the most part this was an entertaining story, it just felt like the characters were thinly drawn. The Big Bad’s motivations were hazy. Did he want to take over the world or destroy it? There were a few loose narrative ends tied up by a trip to the Celestial Maiden for an informational exposition dump.
Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman benefited from its short run time. While the characters weren’t fleshed out the film moved at a solid pace, never becoming boring. The CGI was adequate and for the most part didn’t distract from the story. It was a 90-minute fantasy romp that while forgettable was enjoyable.
20 October2024
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Horror never found…
It’s for sure more of an action fantasy with just some elements of horror. Truth to be told, it had more comedy than horror and I’m not mad about it.It was an entertaining and light watch. A lot of jokes were basic, but they landed well. Simple plot works well with simple writing and good visuals, and that’s exactly what this movie delivers.
Timing for some revelations was a bit questionable, like when we find out what is the actual goal of the main villain. Or what is the importance of each and every character. Still, the pacing is great and the pay off is decent.
Honestly speaking, the production value was for sure the best aspect of the show. Great special effects, great set design, beautiful lighting and use of colors and filters. Stunning for many scenes, screenshots worthy.
For the acting, no complaints, but the roles were not that demanding anyway.
Overall, fun and simple sometimes is the best combination. Not everything has to be a complex philosophical tale with double meanings, sometimes a movie has to be just an entertainment.
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A "no-brain-required" movie that succeed where the drama "Island" failed
Watching this film, I couldn't help myself to think of the drama "Island" which approaches the same topic: exorcists fighting evil forces. It is so much better in this relatively short movie versus "Island" that it bumped up my enjoyment and I couldn't help to wish for it to be a series. To be fair, the movie does not revolutionize the genre but it makes for sure an overall entertaining watch.In terms of scenario and storytelling, nothing really new there: we are for sure in charted territory regarding supernatural plot. But given the short duration of the movie, I thought they did a good job introducing the characters, the powers and the stakes. I particularly enjoyed the past story and would have loved to have more of it to explore further the background of the hero.
I really liked the ensemble cast. Given the script any acting flaws would have made the film quite cringy. It was fortunately not the case here as there were no weak link. Our hero played by Kang Dong Won is really the highlight of the film. I really want to dig more into his filmography.
I found the visual effects as well as the fight scenes rather good. Nothing really innovative in the techniques used but easy to comprehend for the viewer. You immediately understand how evil vs good works. The OST was enjoyable, making the badass moments even more badass in an almost second degree way (or at least that's how I perceived it).
I would recommend this to people looking for an entertaining fantasy movie. The horror level is quite limited, there are some scare frights but overall nothing too gruesome. If you enjoyed series like the western show "Supernatural" or even "Island" South Korean drama (which was a real disappointment to me), you might really enjoy this. In my opinion, it is what should have been "Island": entertaining, not taking itself too seriously despite featuring quite dark spirits and power in the story... It is more a "B" movie, you will not left it with a super deep impression (especially if you have already seen / read a few pieces in that genre) but it is an overall good watch.
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Waste of potential
Never before have I seen a movie with such unnecessary plot holes and honestly, this required a full 16 length drama runtime.Nothing was explained. I originally thought that the villain is a demon but it turns out that he is just some dude? The female mc is the most useless person I’ve ever seen. She doesn’t do much the entire story and I’m not sure why she even exists.
The male mc’s past was undeveloped as hell. The fight sequences were pretty nicely done I feel though.
Overall, required way more attention to the characters and nothing made any sense.
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pleasing fantasy
Dr. Cheon is a likeable guy and the movie rightfully carries his name in the title. He also has his sidekicks, a small group of distinct characters. Unfortunately they weren't used much in the story. They are here mostly for show, but I can imagine them having more responsibilities in a sequel if they decide to make it.I like this type of movies so the plot holes didn't bother me too much. There is adventure and fantasy, and a little bit of spirituality, and also action. Would like to see more movies like this from Korea. The atmosphere is great, especially in the first part where the comedy and a small bits of horror work well. At the end it becomes more and more generic but still very enjoyable and exciting. The runtime is good, not every movie needs to be 2-ghour long. All in all, not a masterpiece but a great relaxing evening movie.
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Hope to get sequel with the same cast for this movie..
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