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Korean war drama based on the real confrontation between a rag taggle group of predominantly inexperienced Southern student soldiers defending a school in a strategic location against a Northern invasionary force.
This is a somewhat mixed affair which really doesn't do itself any favours by throwing the viewer straight into an opening action sequence that may successfully impart a sense of turmoil during a hectic confrontation but sadly is neither staged particularly well, with some mediocre CGI, nor that pleasant a watch. Thankfully proceedings do settle down after this introduction to the central character and subsequent action scenes are generally better managed.
Dealing with a group of 71 student soldiers it's not surprising that most remain nameless and focus is given to just the primary players but the dynamics within that select few is largely clichéd and predictable. Perhaps these are true representations of those that took part in reality but even if so it does feel rather contrived on screen - a criticism that also applies to the caricature presented as the leader of the North Korean force and the dynamic between that man and the students.
Unfortunately both these feelings of contrivance and the sheer amount of running time devoted to a generally underwhelming lead-up to the inevitable confrontation between the two forces do leave that section of proceedings feeling something of a disappointment. The main confrontation, though relatively brief, is for the most part a far more engaging watch, even if the closing stages do go completely over the top and feel rather ridiculous.
71: Into The Fire does eventually evolve into the movie one hopes for but takes far too long to get there imo and whilst entertaining in places it's too hit and miss for me to earn more than a +
Pohwasogeuro
[71: Into The Fire]
John H. Lee
2010
[71: Into The Fire]
John H. Lee
2010
Korean war drama based on the real confrontation between a rag taggle group of predominantly inexperienced Southern student soldiers defending a school in a strategic location against a Northern invasionary force.
This is a somewhat mixed affair which really doesn't do itself any favours by throwing the viewer straight into an opening action sequence that may successfully impart a sense of turmoil during a hectic confrontation but sadly is neither staged particularly well, with some mediocre CGI, nor that pleasant a watch. Thankfully proceedings do settle down after this introduction to the central character and subsequent action scenes are generally better managed.
Dealing with a group of 71 student soldiers it's not surprising that most remain nameless and focus is given to just the primary players but the dynamics within that select few is largely clichéd and predictable. Perhaps these are true representations of those that took part in reality but even if so it does feel rather contrived on screen - a criticism that also applies to the caricature presented as the leader of the North Korean force and the dynamic between that man and the students.
Unfortunately both these feelings of contrivance and the sheer amount of running time devoted to a generally underwhelming lead-up to the inevitable confrontation between the two forces do leave that section of proceedings feeling something of a disappointment. The main confrontation, though relatively brief, is for the most part a far more engaging watch, even if the closing stages do go completely over the top and feel rather ridiculous.
71: Into The Fire does eventually evolve into the movie one hopes for but takes far too long to get there imo and whilst entertaining in places it's too hit and miss for me to earn more than a +