Foreign Language Hall of Fame

The following film follows the ongoing battles between the Japanese forces, and the Korean resistance fighters, who are constantly hiding in the shadows, and attempting to quietly make their moves. Don't be mislead though, this is no history lesson, since most of the movie's focus is the entertainment value of the story, instead of faithfully devoting itself to any historical events.

The first thirty minutes or so were a bit of a chore to get through, because I was mostly lost and confused, by the multitude of names and faces that I couldn't keep up with. Of course, as the film went on, that problem slowly faded away, while my engrossment in the events increased. With that being said, I still can't really say I was totally into the happenings, and that probably stems from my lack of investment in the characters, who were neatly portrayed by the actors, but still weren't interesting or immersing enough, for me to care about them personally.

Nonetheless, there were some very memorable sequences here and there, like that greatly edited drinking scene, or the entire train trip. I also highly enjoyed the score, and the drama it brought by itself to the overall atmosphere. The cinematography is better than one would initially expect, from this kind of film, which resembles a better version of Hollywood blockbusters. Despite how expensive the movie looks, I can't really say that any of the effects, digital or practical, were that impressive, which is kind of a shame for a mostly action packed flick. Other than that, this is a perfectly paced, fairly entertaining, fun roller-coaster that I enjoyed riding.