The Chaser (추격자 / Chugyeogja)

Personally, I feel that Korean cinema is at the forefront of the motion picture business, bringing innovative films that continue to push the boundary even while being well-produced. Unfortunately, The Chaser is one of those that strive to be recognized but falters along the way.

Jung-ho Eom is a fallen detective who now runs a pimping business. Scenes of his office show him ordering a lad around while having a multitude of phones on his desk all being charged. When one of them rings, Jung-ho quickly answers, jotting the customer’s requested time and girl in a childish scribble in an old notebook, desperate for the business. This is how we’re introduced to the situation befalling this man: his girls have been slowly disappearing mysteriously and he can ill afford the loss of business.

Having been a detective once (it’s later revealed that corruption was the cause of his discharge), Jung-ho starts to investigate this “case”, as he suspects foul play from an unruly customer. However, he’s on his own, for his cop friends care little about what happened to some prostitutes. As the culprit is identified and the clock races to rescue the most recent victim, the action and excitement clearly picks up.

However, with all the suspense in the plot and the lead character (played by Yun-seok Kim) doing a decent performance (he is on screen 80% of the time), The Chaser falls short at the halfway mark. The suspect is identified and even apprehended at this point, but frustrating incompetence and implausible coincidences mire the rest of the film, when Jung-ho is forced to run around the city hunting down the suspect by himself.

Jung-ho himself is also a conundrum. During the film, he is clearly an honorable man with a conscience, as he strives tirelessly to rescue his “girl”. But the opinions of his former detective friends say otherwise, as do the opinions of his other girls. They all point to Jung-ho being a despicable character. Later on, Jung-ho takes care of the victim’s daughter, showing the audience his virtuous inner self, but the emotions showed here feel contrived. Finally, Jung-ho’s struggle with the antagonist is a laughable affair, with blood pouring from both men as they continue to strike each other with little effect. What defies explanation is how a scrawny guy can cause a former detective (part of a top-tiered team) so much trouble.

The film does have its merits. It took a risk by telling a story almost entirely through a third-person focus on the main character. This it largely succeeds in, which may warrant the film a watching, but there simply needed to be a stronger plot. The simplicity of just one man chasing another for 2 hours makes the style a simple gimmick, and that will not do in the current competitive climate.

Pros: Interesting style; good character showcase; engaging first half
Cons: Weak story; impossible situations; drags out the second half
Conclusion: A good effort, but casual movie-watchers should take a pass
Score: 3/5

Doomsday

Doomsday seems to be one of those films that has everything you can possibly want in an action flick (explosions, guns, hand-to-hand combat, mobs, eye candy) and yet seem be missing something at its core. The premise is even somewhat plausible. A killer virus has surfaced in Scotland, spreading through skin contact. With no cure in sight, a giant wall is built to quarantine off the entire Scotland area, with residents inside left to fend for themselves. After about 25 years, the virus is found outside of the wall, prompting the desperate UK government to send in a team of experts to find a cure from survivors on the other side of the wall.

This introduction kept me readily engaged but the plausibility ends as soon as the team led by Major Eden Sinclair (played by Rhona Mitra) enters the wall. They encounter a large group of organized punks that seem to do nothing but glorify violence. What defies the realm of possibility is that there are so many survivors who have seemingly no means of sustaining themselves. The excellent premise is further destroyed when this group somehow has vehicles and electricity.

However, Doomsday is an enjoyable adventure. Perhaps it might be more accurate to describe the film as pulling together so many different genres that the experience becomes enjoyable. For instance, the infected mobs act like zombies but in other parts the Major has a solo duel sequence that has a definite Gladiator feel. Sometimes these elements are so over-the-top that the scenes become ludicrously amusing. Throw in crazy car chase sequences, medieval knights, and an amoral politician, then shake them all up in a bag and out comes Doomsday. Best served hot.

Pros: Fascination idea with pretty slick action sequences
Cons: Doesn’t go far enough into seriously exploring the limits of human nature
Conclusion: If you’re familiar with the “suspension of disbelief” concept, then you’re going to have a great time.
Score: 4/5

IMDB

Street Kings

I finally had a chance to catch Street Kings, which I took a pass on originally based mainly on the trailer, but recently a friend has convinced me otherwise. Appearing in theaters just before the arrival of numerous summer blockbusters, Street Kings certainly serves its purpose of bridging the gap between the winter and summer releases.

One area Street Kings certainly impresses is its cast list. With Keanu Reeves taking the charge as Detective Tom Ludlow, Street Kings provides a tale of violence and gore entirely from the police perspective. Rather than a cop-and-robber story, Street Kings focuses mainly on the rivalry between police members. Reeves come as close as the dictionary definition of vigilante, with the twist that no one has any oversight. What ensues is almost constant action, as Reeves goes from one gunfight to the next, with each one being equally brutal. There’s no romanticizing of killing and death here - there simply is a lot of it. Although the plot flows smoothly enough, offering just a tad more than the minimum to avoid feelings of manufactured action sequences, the story is certainly a rehash of previous titles. No surprises found here.

Other characters stand well enough on their own, with the most notable being Forest Whitaker as Captain Jack Wander, Ludlow’s boss. Unfortunately, everyone else is easily forgettable and hardly developed. In fact, the other three members in Ludlow’s squad are basically identical. Ludlow’s girlfriend falls in the same line as those three guys - forgettable.

Even with its shortfalls, I am reluctant to criticize Street Kings too much. It makes no excuse for what it’s about, offering plenty of mindless action, perfect for those days when you and some buddies just want to watch some solid gunfights without thinking too much.

Pros: Guns and realism
Cons: Not going to be make you question cops and duty
Conclusion: Don’t expect too much and the respectable cast should win you over.
Score: 3/5

IMDB

Apologies

There is simply no excuse for the lack of updates. The reason is certainly not due to my decrease in consumption of media entertainment, so I will attempt to rectify that with more timely posts (and perhaps some back-reviewing of notable titles). For future updates, I will continue to use the 5 point system, but for now I will attempt to do without the half-point increments. After reading thru some of my past reviews, I realize that I am still disinclined to use the top 5/5 rating, settling rather on the 4.5 level. Another change is that I will include links to the appropriate page on IMDB (The Internet Movie Database) whenever possible for easy access to complete actor/actress/production/release information.

Finally, to reiterate the purpose of this blog, I wish only to jot down some initial reactions to some things I have watched to hopefully provide some alternative options to the much-hyped productions. A lot of good media slips through the cracks, if simply due to a lack of funds for advertisements and billboards. Thus, tripe-A movies such as those from Pixar or Marvel will never show up here. I also keep my mind open regarding foreign films, in particular with an emphasis on those coming out of Asia, so those will also receive plenty of coverage here.