Wonderland

Using AI to comfort those who lost or losing their loved ones seems to be a good intentionand a great idea. However, it does not mean that there are no challenges when it is really taking place.

Bai Li's story brings out a question about how a person who still denies about the death of loved ones can be comforted. Yet, a person who is fully aware the death of the loved ones, struggles between wanting to provide the comfort and at the same time wanting the other person to face the reality.

Tae-joo's virtual existence does not only bring comfort to Jeong-in, "he" also makes her relying on him. It makes it hard for Jeong-in to know what she really wants when she is challenged to make a choice.

Above the moral issues that provoke me as a viewer, I like how the director presented the stories. Some may find the movie confusing as there are changing scenes and changing characters. I like how Bai Li' reflection in the mirror to depict reality verses virtual. It's a very clever way to bring out an idea.

Overall, it is a movie that is not for "easy-watching". It is probably better to watch a few times to appreciate the theme.

The script needed to be handed to another team to tighten it. Some lines need development and emphasis, others need to trail away. There's an epilogue after the credits which ties up a loose end, but we didn't need it because we weren't interested. Indeed, it is a distraction.

The acting, direction and production is faultless. Korea's film & television industry is superb.

The theme of this (slightly futuristic) film is novel... can AI creations be independent beings?

As such, Wonderland, is very moving. Once the viewer works out who's who. And who's not who.

I enthusiastically recommend this piece. It's tri-lingual (English, Korean and Chinese) in case you get a bit confused with language.

Watch it.

It's thought provoking, cerebral, but have a box of tissues close by.

I understand the frustration by some reviewers, but I wonder if they're a little harsh. This movie made me think of Black Mirror, which gets rave reviews for its futuristic dystopian themes. However this movie, which in my opinion holds the same genre, is getting beaten up for not being "complete". I think that open-endedness is part of its creativity. If you follow k dramas, you'll know the stellar cast in this film, even the smaller roles. I thought the emotions portrayed were almost heart wrenching at times. I do believe you need to be into this type of artistic genre to enjoy and appreciate it, but if you like Black Mirror, I think you should give it a chance!

This movie was poorly planned out.

The creators purposely witheld important details up until the very end of the film so you'll spend most of its lenght not really understanding where they are going.

The actors, while doing a decent job, feel off because of the previously mentioned missing information.

This film would have greatly benefited from either being made as a limited series, dticking to a more linear structure or just making the plot a lot simpler.

Its lenght is not too bad (though it felt longer than it needed to be) but I saw a few scenes of little value which could be trimmed so they could focus on better building the supporting cast.

Overall, this movie is a huge disappointment, full of wasted potential.

I would strongly suggest that people research the premise of the movie before watching as it takes a long time before the storyline becomes clear. In a world where loved ones who have passed but can be created in an AI universe we see stories of how people connect and how our memories of people are not all they seem. The movie cast includes Tang Wei, Bae Suzy, Park Bo-gum and Gong Yoo who along with the rest of the cast deliver great performances. I am not surprised it failed to be popular in Korean cinemas on release as it was released in the summer when you expect action blockbusters not films leaving viewers to question the depths of human connection. I viewed it on a streaming service, knew the plot and thought it was an interesting watch.