1
Anthojay
Fight scenes lacks precision on martial arts techniques
A fairly simple storyline that doesn't have too much complexity going on, pacing is quite slow at the beginning and it has largely inconsistent tones, jumping back and forth between dead serious and then light drama out of sudden, which is a weird choice of direction.Now when it comes to action sequences and fight scenes, it was acceptable but nothing extraordinary, it lacks precision on martial arts techniques, and even the use of surrounding props is very minimal. For very big amount of fight scenes they're just throwing punches repeatedly and it's really tiresome to watch.
For instance, I was just comparing it to some of the best Korean martial arts film, like Jang Hyuk's "The Swordsman" and "The Killer", Ma Dongseok's "The Roundup" franchise, and even Netflix own originals "My Name" had much better fight scenes than this. To be honest, they could've reduced some of the fight scenes and mainly focus on a few big ones to improve quality not quantity.
Was this review helpful to you?
Ordinary stuffs
Straightforward and simple storyline, literally too simple it has nothing heavy in its plot to raise the stakes except trying to chase the criminals tirelessly. Some of the fight scenes are not bad though they are not really that martial arts centric, everything just feels too one dimensional and empty.Was this review helpful to you?
Bloated and repetitive, glad that now it has come to an end.
It's just an unnecessary extension of S2 where it keeps going on and on using the same plot with barely any new information to offer, just endless cgi fights that looks uncooked. At least it has an okay closure that put a stop to all these disappointments, let's just keep them in a safe place at a sweet home and never bring them back again.Was this review helpful to you?
The story writing has to be better than this
A standard disaster survival formulaic that bears a lot of similarities to their own Korean counterpart, everything feels too familiar and predictable, done with just a different set of creatures and characters. The setting is surely not a problem, to execute this brilliantly it requires top quality writing, but the emotions just don't hit so well in here, not to mention about the plot holes that are hard not to notice, action sequence is acceptable though it looks too much of a setup on purpose. As one of the two final films of the late actor Lee Sunkyun, his performance is respectable and it will be remembered in the legacy of his works.Was this review helpful to you?
Confidential Assignment 2: International
3 people found this review helpful
North-South conflict with Americano blend
The usual formula of North-South conflict but with a style of "Americano" blend, overall a pretty high quality production but does have its shortcomings. Despite the complicated three way multinational storyline, it still pale in comparison like this year's best selling korean movie The Roundup, it lacks defining thrills as the villain doesn't even look intimidating enough, and most of the time it was overwhelmed by comedy all over the place. The meaty part kicks off too late and the first half of the movie is basically lifted only by comedy, fortunately it gets better when the main case is on track which provided a satisfying ending sequence with enough pressure points. Action scenes do look very gripping with accurate sound effects and exhilarating scores, but i guess most audiences will be moved by the visuals of the two male leads which is prominently highlighted in here.Was this review helpful to you?
Tremendous storytelling and strong emotions
The storytelling they were able to present in this movie is tremendous, the imagination of the brain cloning concept is almost infinite for a distant future but it's also treated with a very realistic approach on how it would affect the future world. The dystopian cinematography is absolutely stunning and believable, basically the class struggle that comes with the advancement of technology is really well indicated, that's why it is so heartfelt and immersive while watching. Using the personal connection of the characters as the main driver of the plot surrounding this seemingly soulless robotic world, the strong emotions stand out effectively from the rest of the sci-fi movies more than ever before.Was this review helpful to you?
Stylish but unremarkable
It doesn't really capture the essence of Korean independence movement and its fighters, it was more like a plot device to make way for its multiple heroes of abilities, a team that "assembles", similar to some comic storyline that you'll know. The action scenes were acceptable but nothing remarkable, it's a little too kdrama-ish at some point. The storyline itself is a mess for its political tension due to it being intentionally fiction, while the latter episodes were flooded with repetitive gunfights, it just hardly hits the target of an effective plot.Was this review helpful to you?
Great conspiracies but too convoluted
Pretty interesting premise, the plot is really hefty just as its title suggests, there's a lot of brain power fueling within the conspiracies and it latches onto it until the end without stopping. As breathtaking as it may seem, the details are also too convoluted and it simply lacks the pivotal structure that could drive this movie into something more exciting. There's just too much to follow and it somehow closes with a lowkey ending that leaves a lot of questions unanswered, not a bad concept but a little too philosophical for a crime thriller.Was this review helpful to you?
Artistic cult horror movie
Good setting but the execution at the beginning could be better as it takes a significant amount of time to gain traction, and a few action scenes here and there really didn't look too fine at all honestly. However once the tension takes off in the second half, the storytelling does have a lot to offer especially in the plot twist department, the concept behind it somehow becomes exceptionally huge. It's just that maybe the poor writing took away some of its quality, or else this could very well be one of the most artistic Korean cult horror movie ever.Was this review helpful to you?
Good backstory but lackluster horror
The overall narrative is pretty good in providing a nice flow of storyline and adequate structure for its backstory, though the visual impact on its horror elements might be a little lackluster and falls short in terms of attention to details. Despite that the logical reasoning at the end is relevant enough to justify the grudge held in the train station, and it even comes with a spy-like mission ending for the final resolution, which is a pleasant surprise and a fresh take for Korean horror films.Was this review helpful to you?
Best election theme kdrama to date
The initial story building is extremely brilliant, the setup packs a lot of punch and it was executed cleanly with great impact. Then the story shifted onto the main theme of election campaign, at here we're getting a full range of political agendas and modern election mechanism that are relevant to the real world. The political war is so intense but also very realistic, the direction is clear for each sides of the candidacy in the run, with tactics that are all plenty interesting to watch. Even until the closing part it was still able to shock viewers with its final blow and give the drama a satisfying ending, making it one the best election theme kdrama to date.Was this review helpful to you?
More people should watch it to know the truth behind cults
The whole documentary about religious cults is just fucking weird, because the cases in this documentary are all true events, which makes it even weirder. All of the cult leaders are basically criminals who commit crime using the name of the Lord, brainwashing people and deceiving their followers like a grand scale of scam. The documentary goes so deeply into how everything operated in those cults, it's hard to imagine why so many people would believe in this kind of stuff. It is really terrifying but also highly informative, more people should watch it so that no more victims will ever fall for these shits again.Was this review helpful to you?
A separation between predators and weaklings in this hopeless world
It reminds me on some of the great tvN and OCN hardcore crime dramas back in the day, though it now becomes more of a rare genre these days. This drama going digital on TVING is actually a wise decision, there's no more limits on the level of gore and psychotic scenes, which makes it intensely sick. The concept is extremely terrifying yet it feels so convincing because the sentiment is so strong in here. A technical reasoning on the separation between predators and weaklings, how some are able to gloss over their sins so easily and how some will be suffering for the rest of their life in this completely hopeless world, this drama will be able to speak for losers out there, fictionally at least.Was this review helpful to you?
Hip concept is the main driver of the race
Absolutely crazy retro setting for a car action film, everything looks really cool and colorful, from a bunch of classic cars to vintage fashion, the production spent a whole lot of effort in the visual designs of this film. The story though took some time to start kicking, the first half is basically a flashy intro that lasted too long, things only get interesting when the team plans for the revenge grand scheme to take down the corrupted military dictatorship. The final car chase scenes have some intense moves but yet to be groundbreaking. The mission seems like an easy miracle and everything is a perfect plan, but the hip concept is basically the main driver of the race to the finish line.Was this review helpful to you?
Cyberpunk inspired third person virtual reality
A totally experimental and ridiculous action thriller that somehow able to achieve the director's ambitious vision. It's sort of a cyberpunk inspired third person virtual reality mixed bag, and I believe majority will be put off by its nauseating camera works, but getting motion sickness for 2 hours is totally worth it, I'm in for it. Joo Won gets extremely physical and maximum adrenaline in every action scene from the start to the end, not really sure whether it can be said as an enjoyable cinematic experience, but it does look sick as fuck. This format may not work for the silver screen, but for Netflix at home, hell yeah!Was this review helpful to you?
