Soo

One gritty authentic South Korean action flick, when South Korean movie industry was not yet infected by the Hollywood crap films, as it seems to be the case now. Actually, I don't watch new Korean films anymore, precisely for this stinking reason. The plot itself brings nothing really new, though, and it is not the greatest South Korean film ever; I have seen far better before watching this one, and also Korean actioners made since. You must watch this film at all costs, if you crave for Asian cinema, if you are a new comer. You will see what the South Korean films were in the 2000's. Nothing to do with today craps.

The movie description on the back of my DVD cover (German release) compares this movie with 'A Bittersweet Life' and 'Oldboy'. Usually I wouldn't trust these cheap advertising lines of the distribution companies anyway but I was still lured by the "revenge with a twist" theme of the movie plot description.

The first half of the movie isn't too bad at all, we get to know the killer trying to find his long lost brother. He finally finds out where he is and that he is a cop but at their first meeting the cop gets shot dead right before his eyes. As you'd expect the killer wants to find out who killed his brother and to take revenge. He takes the identity of his brother, disguises as a cop and starts the action. A series of flashbacks into their youth adds on to how they had been separated and introduces a few more characters. So far, so good... nice little twist in the script, killer turns cop, movie not bad so far. Unfortunately after that the movie gets worse and worse... plot holes, an almost never-ending overdone showdown ... I won't develop that much more, just read the previous 3 user comments who already pointed out most of the weak parts.

As for a simple revenge action film the average viewer will normally accept a few plot holes but there are just too many and also the behaviour of the characters are just too absurd to take it seriously. To make it worse: choreography of the action scenes in the final showdown is too slow and almost makes you look for the 'fast fwd' button on your remote control.

What does this movie then have in common with 'A Bittersweet Life' or 'Oldboy'? Except for the revenge theme and a stylish photography not much unfortunately.

On the whole this movie is rather a waste of time. Don't hesitate to see 'A Bittersweet Life' however if you have missed it so far. Another nice one from South Korea is 'Mr. Socrates'. And I must admit that I had enjoyed Travolta's 'The Punisher' or 'Death Sentence' with Kevin Bacon more than this one...

SOO: REVENGE FOR A TWISTED FATE is one of those (extremely) violent revenge movies you either like or you don't like. I like it- up to a point. A PLOT point (or two), I should add. Sure, there are a number of things that just don't add up, but the CRAFTSMANSHIP involved here is impressive indeed. (Think about this: when was the last time you complained about the inherent logic- or lack of same- in, say, a Clint Eastwood western or a Chuck Norris one-man slaughterhouse movie or any OTHER so-called "action" movie...?) One rarely (if ever) plunks down money to see how the "story" unfolds in an ACTION movie. (If Logic were a prerequisite for an Action movie, the genre itself might not exist...) If it's Revenge and Action you're looking for, SOO: REVENGE FOR A TWISTED FATE has both- in spades.

I like Korean movies in general. They have a certain style to them, but they also have some mannerisms, that are new (maybe even alien) to me, but are always great to watch. One of those things, is the violence that is portrayed in a gritty way. Not stylized and most of the time it doesn't even look like it's choreographed, but this raw power/energy has a vibe that translates great onto the big screen, like in this case.

The problem here though is the story. It's a shame, because it could be a real great movie (especially with that showdown/ending), but it misses out on some points (at least for my taste). It makes for a nice viewing then, but never achieves grand status (in my book)