Prisoners of War

War films are released left and right, but usually all feel like another rehash with little to nothing new to them. With the Asian film market they are well-known for their epic period pieces and have delivered some really well done war films. The latest of this genre My Way coming out of Korea takes a unique take on the war film. While they have proved the ability to make a great war movie, will this new twist with the story manage to create something memorable or just be another loss on the battlefield? My Way follows a Korean and Japanese marathon runner that are thrust into a bitter rivalry that follows them off the track and onto the battlefield as they are forced to enlist. This is not only a good war film it is easily one of the best to come along in quite a while. As it advertised, it is very much like Saving Private Ryan, but way better. The story is a bit out there at times but is amazing to watch. It has taken the true story of a Korean body found on the beaches of Normandy and created and amazing journey around it. The performances are all really well done and only enhance the overall experience. There are times in war movies that they try to deliver a well-crafted story to make a better film, but end up sacrificing the war aspect. Here they not only didn't ignore it, they deliver on a massive scale. With a film running almost two and a half hours, it delivers almost non-stop violent bloody action that takes you directly onto the battlefield. While it is a long film, it never really feels like it. The story moves at a breathtaking pace with a brilliantly executed pace and beautifully violent visuals that will not soon be forgotten.

My Way has not only created a brilliant war film, it takes you on a journey of redemption and emotional pain. There are so many levels to this film that it's nearly impossible to touch on them all. If you are a fan of this genre then you have to give this movie a shot. It is not just a movie; it's an experience of cleverly written and executed filmmaking that will entertain on numerous levels.

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This is my first review. I'll make it short. Someone else mentions the shaky camera. That annoyed me for the first 15 minutes or so, (reminded me of that annoying zoom on Iris) but then I forgot all about it and enjoyed what was a great war movie that every film buff should try and see.

I'll give it 9/10. Hell no, make it a 10/10, that other point just because Kim In-kwon was in the cast and he was fantastic as usual. (I hope the South Koreans appreciate what a highly gifted actor he is. I grew up loving the likes of Bette Davis, Joan Crawford etc. I know what I'm talking about, i.e. screen charisma AND great acting skills).

Taro Yamamoto as Noda was another character played very well. For some reason he reminded me of Doug Hutchison's character Percy from The Green Mile. (It annoyed me I'd seen him before but couldn't recall where so I had to look him up. He was the card cheater in Kaiji and one of the older kids on Battle Royale.)

Back to the point. My Way = Epic movie. I loved it.

While waiting from Hollywood or American cinematography to blasts away with an adventure of epic proportions heres comes this outsider. The cheesy story of two friends that lives an entire life in war and madness brings out the best in the latest Asian cinematography. Great story,amazing war battles never seen before,enough depth in the characters to make a movie worth seeing,a tight and emotional little jewel from Korea that comes as an outsider to win this year our cinematic addictions of what movies is all about. This movie is Epic in all levels and a definitely miss-not for the cinefils that respects theirself. The word Epic redefines it's self,so simple.

i was at red box last Saturday. i am a 66 yr. old white male brought up dirt poor in the south. all my family is military. all of us. i saw the picture of 2 soldiers walking the other way. i saw the title "my way". i clicked "review". i had to see this movie! i was very sick later that day. i put this movie in the DVD player. it hit me! the south Korean and the Japanese runners! the mud. the language! the realism. this is one of the finest films ever made! the story is true. the characters put Hollywood to shame! the battle scenes. the casting, the cinematography, are out of this world! this is the finest war movie ever made! hands down! if this movie does not take all of the Oscars, send the Oscar committee to north Korea! and leave them!

Greetings again from the darkness. Was anxious to see a big-budget Korean take on WWII, and overall came away impressed ... despite the shortcomings and annoyances. My history with Korean films have been limited to small, intimate stories told with quiet manner, and frenetic action flicks with sub-standard stunt work. Director and co-writer Je-kyu Kang attempts to combine an intimate story of two young men with an epic war film with a record body count and excruciatingly frequent number of cuts/edits.

The movie starts off by showing us how the lives of two boys first intersect. Jun-shik Kim (by Dong-gun Jong) is a farmer's son whose dad works on the estate of Tatsuo Hasegawa's (Jo Odagiri) grandfather. A wide class difference separates the boys, but their love of running generates a severe feud ... a rivalry that won't die easily. All of this takes place in Japan-occupied Korea, and it's clear early on that the filmmaker sets out to defend all Korean actions.

Inspired by a real life 1944 photo that shows a Korean soldier being captured while wearing a Nazi uniform, the back-story here is as strange and complex as any you have seen ... unfortunately, it is handled with the manipulative touch of a sledge hammer. As their marathon-running rivalry reaches a crescendo, both boys are drawn into the Japanese Army, albeit via substantially different routes. Tatsuo is an officer, while Jun-shik is an enslaved line soldier. Their bitter rivalry does not stop for a little thing like WWII and it leads to many moments of near insanity.

What really is impressive about the film is the three main battle scenes, especially the storming of Normandy Beach. If you have seen Saving Private Ryan, then you know the model ... however, this one takes it even further. It is intense, loud and brutal. The question of whether the rivalry can survive capture by Russians and then Nazi's, or whether survival instincts take over is really the heart of the story.

As terrific as the battle scenes are, it is impossible not to mention the hyper-editing that lasts most of the film's 142 minutes. It is hard on the senses and makes the action difficult to follow ... which is a shame for a film that offers so much realism in war scenes. Still, it's not an easy film to watch and we care enough about the two characters to put up with the eyeball attack we get in most scenes.