Myeongryang, huiori bada

South Korea shows that it has a strong film foundation and can make essentially any movies it wants, as long as Koreans keep going to see them. And it looks like people from other parts of the world will also come see them. An interesting, historical epic that is pathetic, but can also be bloody and gritty. Definitely above average. (27/04/2015)

The last Korean blockbuster and the winner of this year's box office in Korea is over. The R-rated treatment is definitely a big plus, it gives the film some juice during the action scenes. The cast is also very decent, pitting the two acting stars Min-sik Choi and Seung-ryong Ryoo against each other, couldn't have been better. The emotions work as well and the visuals are definitely a high standard, though the recent The Pirates looked better me. It's also interesting that the film is divided into two halves, the first, more "boring" one, which deals only with strategy and tactics, and the second, more "action-packed" one, where the fighting is at sea. I'm not a fan of warships, so the action didn't bring me to my knees, I prefer swords and arrows in historical films, but luckily this film was a nice change for me and I certainly wasn't bored. 75% (31/12/2014)