henke on 6/2/2007 at 20:38
Just saw what is probably the best action movie I've seen since Kill Bill (vol.1). This appreciation might however be colored by my very low expectations of this film. I'd been seeing VHS copies of it for years on the rack at my local supermarket but never picked it up. When I recently found they stocked the DVD version of it, for only 3.99€ no less, I finaly gave in to my curiosity, bought it, watched the trailer, was unimpressed, left it lying there for a few days until I got bored enough to watch it. Hey, this is just the kind of boring description of the reviewers own life that has nothing at all to do with the movie that you might read in a IMDb review, isn't it? Sorry. On to the movie.
Shiri centers on two South Korean Special Ops agents who are searching for North Korean elite soldiers out to blow shit up in the name of reuniting South and North Korea. Most South Koreans seem to want the same thing but why it doesn't get done I have no idea. I guess you need to know some politics to get the whole picture. Anyway the plot and the character development are really the main reason to watch this movie. The action scenes are alright, but... it aint John Woo. There are some nicely directed scenes here and there, though, like the opening montage of the NK soldiers' brutal training-sessions. What I didn't realize until I started watching was that there are quite a few familiar faces here. It starrs Yunjin Kim(who plays Sun, in Lost), Kang-ho Song(Mr. Vengeance) and Min-sik Choi(Mr. Oldboy himself) among others.
So, yeah, what I'm trying to say here, without saying too much about the plot(much like the trailer) is to watch this movie!
HENKESCORE: 8
(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPL0vM71vrc) Trailer (YouTube)
(
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0192657/) IMDb entry
The Alchemist on 6/2/2007 at 20:43
Yes yes I've seen this and it's awesome.
Mega :thumb: :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:.
Oldboy and that entire trilogy is awesome as well. Korean films are actually pretty damn :thumb: :thumb: :thumb:.
<Username> on 6/2/2007 at 21:30
I think you might like (
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0294252/) 2009: Lost Memories. Great action sequences. It does share the highly nationalistic tendencies with Shiri though.
The Alchemist on 6/2/2007 at 21:57
Quote Posted by <Username>
I think you might like (
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0294252/) 2009: Lost Memories. Great action sequences. It does share the highly nationalistic tendencies with Shiri though.
You say that like it's a bad thing. :(
Scots Taffer on 7/2/2007 at 00:03
Did the climax of this movie involve a bomb in a stadium?
If so, I saw most of this movie. The screening we were at had some blip and about twenty minutes of footage was lost towards the end of the flick. It was entertaining enough, but I'd seen a lot of Asian cinema at the time and wasn't overly impressed.
enter on 7/2/2007 at 00:57
I have a hard time believing it could top (
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0387596/) Silmido from its ranking as the second best asian film on my list.. But it seems to have been added to my 'to watch' list at some point so guess I'll have to track it down and give it a chance someday.
TheOutrider on 7/2/2007 at 00:57
Quote Posted by The Alchemist
You say that like it's a bad thing. :(
Try (
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0428725/) Born To Fight, by the people who brought us Ong-Bak, on for size. Awesome stunts just like Ong-Bak, and some hilarious gore (rocket launcher TO THE FACE), but Jesus Tapdancing Christ the nationalism. A large group of people singing what I think is the Thai national anthem together in the face of death. A single Thai coin reinvigorating the Hero's will to fight for his friends and family, to the point where he embeds it in his bandana before returning for epic asskicking.
henke on 7/2/2007 at 06:13
Yeah, that's the one Scots. Shame you missed the end, it really ties it all together. I was weeping like a girl! Ok, I wasn't weeping but I might have been. If I was a girl. Who weeps at the end of movies.
Matthew on 7/2/2007 at 09:53
Quote Posted by henke
Most South Koreans seem to want the same thing but why it doesn't get done I have no idea.
There's a bit of a dispute about which government gets to use its system after reunification.
krummi on 9/2/2007 at 00:04
Good film, except the awful CGI bombs ruin the whole thing. I cant believe that you got past those henke :o