Hae-jeok: Ba-da-ro gan san-jeok

"The Pirates" is an entertaining and epic South Korean comedy-action film in the key of "Cutthroat Island" and "Pirates of the Caribbean". It tells the fictional tale of several groups looking for the precious and significant Ming Emperor's Seal of State which was swallowed by a giant whale. A group of mountain bandits led by a former soldier and rebel, a righteous group of pirates led by the smart woman Yeo-wol and an evil group of pirates that teams up with a pitiless army clash on their quest for fame, redemption and wealth.

Even though the story is rather predictable, the acting performances are spectacular enough to get the viewers emotionally involved. Especially Son Ye-jin convinces as tough female pirate with a strong moral compass. The various settings from spectacular fight scenes in a military camp over vivid chase sequences in a coastal village to spectacular naval battles make this movie a gripping roller-coaster ride. The colourful costumes only add to this and bring the fourteenth century to life in a mostly genuine way. The special effects are slightly exaggerated but nevertheless well-executed and the deep-sea sequences involving whales are beautiful and ethereal. This potpourri of stunning elements makes this film one of the best pirate movies in a very long time without reinventing the genre but rather focusing on its strengths in form of spectacular settings, breathtaking effects and solid acting performances.

Genre fans should ignore the uninspired sequels of the "Pirates of the Caribbean" franchise that are childish and hollow slapstick spectacles. "The Pirates" is a creative, diversified and energizing film that offers something for every taste including spectacular fight scenes, dramatic and emotional passages, romantic relationships, some sinister suspense and a balanced dose of humoristic elements. Get your rum ready, get together with some of your friends and enjoy this stylish blockbuster with a smile upon your face.

Liked the tone of this attractively filmed adventure movie. The story is kept simple and easy to follow as 3 factions pursue the whale and the seal. The action is creatively choreographed. SYJ is so capable a pirate and looks so alluring. Great look for her. She can do action! Enough fun adventure and just a little romance. The scenes with SYJ and KNG when chained are funny.

This movie has it all... a great cast, lots of action, adventure, kick-ass pirates, a hilarious band of thieves, really nasty villains, comedy, romance, and a story about honor. It mixes true historical events with fantasy.

China has sent a royal seal and the new name for the korean nation, but the ship is wreaked in a storm and the royal seal is swallowed by a whale. Now the thieves, the pirates, and the mercenaries hired by the royal court are in a race to find the royal seal.

I love this movie and didn't want it to end.

This is a mixed bag. Combining comedy with action and fantasy is not new, but I'm not sure everyone will be able to enjoy this as such. There are a few mood changes and changes in the tone of the movie, swinging from slapstick to "actual" violence (still a movie so obviously not real violence), that has consequences. The story might be confusing for some too, mixing actual history with some fictional stuff. But that's also what makes this entertaining.

All if you let yourself into this. There are some nods to other movies, even if the scenes develop differently (see a big giant wheel). The acting is nice enough, the humor working, if you allow it too (mood/tone changes again). The action is nicely choreographed and helps the movie a lot. Entertaining and fun, while even at two hours it doesn't feel stretched

First the amazing thing is the budget of the movie. How did they pull it off with just 13 million dollars. Movie has an good cinematography with such a limited budget.

It's not much of a thriller. It's the comedy especially the male lead. In on word we can say that the movie fun adventure thriller rollercoaster. Doesn't get bored for a second. The combination secnes with the male and female lead were so much fun.

If you were looking for a fun movie it's the best choice.