Along with the Gods: Les 49 derniers jours

Do not watch this sequel without first watching the first one.

In terms of cinematics, there seems to be less compared with the first. Yet the drama, wit & humor are truly delightful.

Let's talk about the advantages and the disadvantages of the movie. The plot was unexpected but wonderful. The director connected the first with this film perfectly. In addition, the ending truly made me teary-eyed. It touched me a lot. Then I have to say some arrangement I don not understand. The first was the character Seongju God. I believed that director wanted to add this character to the second film to enrich the story. But this character was completely a tool man to promote the development of the plot. Moreover, the first half of the movie was full of low-grade jokes. They doesn't make me laugh, okay? ALL IN ALL, Sin-gwa ham-kke: In-gwa yeon was a good film. Its shortcomings could not cover its shining points. It was worth watching.

The plot was strong and connected ,, proceeding with saving the soul of Kim Ja-hong during a long trial of 49 days ... and introducing the side story of the kid and the grandfather and their protector was a bold smart choice ,, and finally we know the truth and connection between the trio "Gang-rim, Hae Won-maeg and I Deog-chun" ... It was literally near perfection, the cinematography and visual effects were spot on ,, and even the script had more action than the first movie it still didn't lose the emotional dramatic part.

The cast was even better than last time ,, they now get along "in away" and you can feel the banter and back and forth comedic lines flying :D .

The final two scenes in the credits were amazing and shocking and a possible open gate for "finger crossed" a third and last movie to see how the story of "Kim Ja-hong" will finally end :)

By now, you would have probably heard of this unexpected hit of a South-Korean title. Yes, it already had all the makings of a blockbuster, but it surpassed even projections by pundits. Surpassing 10 million viewers in only 15 days, Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds tripled returns of the US$36 million investment on the 2-parter, and became the second highest-grossing film of all time in Korea.

Most importantly, it will be remembered as "that emotional rollercoaster of a film that kept my waterworks going".

Given my history with the franchise, I prepared an extra packet of tissues for the viewing of the sequel. But sadly, I hardly used a piece. Although both titles were shot together, Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days feels like a distant product. It pushed up the sliders on scale and size, but lost the epic in their storytelling and pacing.

What happened, Director Kim Yong-hwa?

The film returns us to hell, and along with the three guardians Gang-lim (Ha Jung-woo), Haewonmak (Ju Ji-hoon) and Lee Deok-choon (Kim Hyang-gi), we now accompany new paragon Kim Soo-hong (Kim Dong-wook) - brother of first episode's paragon, Kim Ja-hong - through his trials.

While the first chapter had Ja-hong as the plot anchor, The Last 49 Days turns our attention to the 3 guardians and their mysterious past. This, to me, is where the sequel flounders.

It's not long before we splinter into various story arcs. There's the main story of the trio's pasts, retold through increasingly frustrating flashbacks that sometimes last no more than a minute. Then there's the added task from King Yeomra, which dispatches Haewonmak and Deok-choon to claim a long-overdue soul, Hur Choon-sam (Nam Il-woo).

Turns out the old fellow (who appears briefly in the first film) is protected by his ultra-powerful resident Household God Seongju (Ma Deok-seok). As the two guardians struggle to wrestle the deity into submission, they find out not only his reason for protecting his client, but also that he was an ex-guardian who was there at their own passing - thus a key to retrieving their memories.

Add to that, Gang-lim's supposed agenda is throwing in all his chips to get Soo-hong reincarnated, Soo-hong's own unwillingness to do so because he doesn't want to believe that his friends murdered him, Seongju's bout with failed investments and helping his actual charge (Choon-sam's grandson) to find a real guardian, and you have essentially a very diluted film. Even King Yeomra is not spared with his own little twist!

By sowing 49 Days with so much storyline, a deft director might still be able to measure out portions of steer his priorities in the right direction to maintain a strong plot with a moral compass like the first. But Kim dropped the hat on this one. The second episode flickers back and forth stories incoherently, and makes for a frustrating viewing.

Most annoying of all is Soo-hong's temperamental behaviour. It seems to serve only as a catalyst to drive Gang-lim's actions, and loses potency because of it. Gang-lim's own guilt-laden agenda is also slightly unbearable, given how it was obvious halfway what it was really all about.

While the film does still feature gorgeous graphics and settings, it has lost a slight shine from the first film's reveal. We get to see a new scene for Indolence Hell, but other new segments really raise eyebrows in the wrong way. One word - dinosaurs.

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days stays on track in terms of a continuation, but the calibre is far more hollow than the first. You'll get to enjoy some light sobbing at the end, but this second chapter leaves no lasting impression.

Let's hope the next episode fares better. And yes, there will be one.

A wonderful follow up to its predecessor, the movie picks up directly after the first. While I was doubtful on how they could make the story as compelling as the first one, this sequel delivers by focusing on the backstories of Ganglim and his crew. It also slowly builds around the previous story without retreading on the old plot. Furthermore, it also provides closure to the first part by seeing the aftermath of the events of the first movie. In fact, there are three layers of stories, the conclusion of the first part, Ganglim and his crew's backstories, and a new mission for the team while Ganglim is occupied. Jung-woo Ha returns as Ganglim and is every relatable while maintain a charismatic performance. Ji-Hoon Ju's character is given another side the audience has not seen, while the ever-likable Hyang-gi Kim's still shines. Dong Soek Ma's portrayal as the benevolent kitchen god is an great addition to the series, and his talent is not wasted. Plot-wise there are many twists and though some could be predicted, others are not. There are great after credit scenes too, and something that looks like the starting of a franchise. But the storytelling is still good, and most of the protagonists get to shine.