Illang - Uomini e lupi

Failing to create any sense of intrigue about its futuristic world, The Wolf Brigade is one disappointing mess that carries bits n pieces of brilliance scattered here n there but the overall product is too weak & uninspiring to sustain the interest and leaves the viewers feeling rather indifferent in the end. An unfortunate misfire, Kim Jee-woon's latest is also his weakest film to date.

The director of this movie is one of my personal favourites who previously made such modern classics as Tale of two sisters, Bittersweet life and I saw the devil. This time however he disappointed me even if his new feature is not nearly as bad as its initial korean reputation would suggest. A remake of the acclaimed japanese anime Jin-roh this new movie somehow fails to make the impact that one might expect from this director. It's not like it is not competently made, it just lacks that excitement off all those earlier movies. The production values are top-notch with excellent cinematography and fight coreography but the final product somehow feels like an unremarkable and hollow action movie without that spark that made Bittersweet life such an unforgettable experience. Kim knows how to direct and edit frenetic chase sequences but the narrative here is so unconvincing and bland that it is just not enough. The acting does no favour either as Gang Dong-Won and Han Hyo-Joo come off as boring protagonists. The only bright spot is newcomer Kim Moo-Jeol as the villain wearing a badass leather coat who manages to breath some fresh air into the mean economics of the movie. Unfortunately the 139 minute lenght is also way too much, hopefully the new cut (soon to be released on Netflix) will make the movie somewhat tighter and more exciting.

This was a major flop on release in Korea.... But I found it stylish satisfying and at times genuinely scary! Perhaps not being aware of its background helped. I genuinely enjoyed it.

Out of all world cinema I have to say Korea may well be the one I've always had the best relationship with. They from experience are consistent in their filmmaking efforts and for the most part this is no different.

A Netflix live action adaptation of a Japanese anime series of movies, I went in unfamiliar with the source material. I now look forward to giving the three movies my time as this was interesting stuff.

With a complex plot that's frighteningly realistic, true to life and believable it looks like a AAA Hollywood movie. It is quite frankly a feast for the eyes, the incredibly structured action sequences, cinematic visuals and cinematography. A feast for the mind however? Less so.

I'm not saying this is a brainless action flick because it's really not, in many ways it might be considered too smart for its own good and the plot is hard to do justice in little over two hours.

I would however recommend this to those into their action/martial arts films over anyone really wanting something to get their teeth into. It looks fantastic, the cast deliver but I feel they undershot a tad.

The Good:

Strong soundtrack

Some decent writing

Looks fantastic

Very well choreographed action

The Bad:

Scale isn't done justice

Alright, well why would Korean take on remaking "Jin Roh: Wolf Brigade"? That just eluded me.

Regardless, I found this movie on Netflix while perusing through their Asian section. Having seen the animated movie back during my late teenage years, of course I had to give a live action movie a view, without a doubt.

So how was it? Well in all honesty, I can say that it wasn't all that impressive. Sure, the visual effects and the armors were great, and there were a couple of good gun fights. But the storyline was just so mediocre that it was hard to get immersed into the movie, into the universe and into embracing the Korean remake.

The acting in the movie was fairly good, taking into consideration the horribly weak script they had to work with.

Sure, the movie was adequate for what it turned out to be, and it was entertaining for sure. I had just expected somewhat more from a live action movie based on the classic "Jin Roh: Wolf Brigade" anime. But for viewers not familiar with the 1999 anime, then I am sure this is a mighty fine and dandy movie. But for us already well familiar with the 1999 anime, not so much...