The Legend of Gingko

LEGEND OF GINGKO (or GINGKO BED 2 as it's sometimes called, although the two movies have little ties) could have been a really good movie. Instead it's just a good movie. The film loses some points for not knowing what it wants to be. As a period adventure film, the movie gets points for offering up some brutal combat. But the whole thing goes out the window when magic and supernatural elements come into play. Some minor supernatural elements ala CONAN would not have deterred from the movie's greatness, but there's simply too much special effects in a movie that really didn't need it.

6 out of 10

(go to www.nixflix.com for a more detailed review of this movie and reviews of other foreign films)

Not, I repeat, not a sequel to Gingko Bed. Great sense of a fully realized world where young men must go through a life and death trial to be a warrior and evil lurks in the forest just outside the peaceful compounds of the village. Great performances by all. Especially Yoon-jin Kim who plays the female warrior / archer, Yun. She also played the North Korean agent in the movie Shiri. Don't miss it!

This movie, which has a lot of fighting scenes, isn't about the action. The fighting scenes are messy and hardly believable. In my opinion they do not make the story less realistic.But the heart of the movie is good. Good and evil isn't portrayed as black and white. We see two rival clans, but both have their motives to fight for the survival of their people, which means suffering for the opponents. The movie makes some unexpected twists that makes it more interesting on a personal level In the end it's about obsession, possession versus love. Whatever you gain, brings others in disadvantage. This is the most important message I saw in this movie. A beautiful Korean fantasy story.

... to say the least.

I bought this baby for €4.99, and I keep wondering why it's priced so low! Perhaps because nobody knows the film? Well, they should.

Don't get me wrong, it's no masterpiece, but it can easily compete with most of recent blockbusters. The action sequences were very nice, and the acting was incredible, as were the settings and costumes. To bad for the rather badly done CGI, but what can someone expect from a country that only recently has adopted CGI.

conclusion: Gingko shows us just a little bit of the bright future Southern Korea has in the international movie industy. 7,5/10

Sorry - this movie is just a cheap TV-Production. I saw very much promotion Material and expect a professionell Movie like "Stormriders" - what i was presented was a Low-Budget-Movie like "XENA" or "Hercules" on TV. No Atmosphere, very boring, more then worse Fight-Scenes. Some good ideas - not more. I hope i will get the Chance to make a movie like this and then i show how to do such a movie!!!

My ASIAN-Tips: "MUSA - THE WARRIOR", "STORMRIDERS", "SHAOLIN SOCCER", "BATTLE ROYAL", "VERSUS", etc.

Sorry for my bad English!