Seiryu Stone Betta, Pep Guardiola Communication Skills, Jesus Catfish Weight, Identify The Economic Issues Facing Pre Revolutionary France?, Articles I

Netflix's Maniac: 16 Best Easter Eggs, References, Callbacks And Clues You Missed. I was 100% on-board with this movie until about the last 15 minutes or so. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. The main male protagonist, Im Joong-Kyung played by Gang Dong-won, is your usual super-competent combatant, and theres never really any tension about whether or not he will succeed in overcoming the obstacles in front of him so much as how he will do it. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. The action in this film is so intense and epic! The film's musical score was composed by Hajime Mizoguchi. Illang: The Wolf Brigade (sometimes known as Inrang: The Wolf Brigade, which has been used at least once) is a 2018 Korean science fiction dystopian movie directed by Kim Jee-woon.It stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. No country needs a Special Unit as scary as this, but its a compelling starting point for an action movie that promptly disbands the group one scene after theyre introduced. Even the action scenes all feature some guy thinking a lot before getting shot stupidly a second later. We are told through a 5-minute-long prologue that fears of an impending war over a territorial dispute between Japan and China caused the two Koreas to launch preparations for unification. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 For example, after the first 15 minutes, you have to wait about 50 minutes for the next real action sequence. [10], The following month the film shown in Cannes' March du Film, where Variety's Derek Elley noted it for pushing cel animation to its limits in the action scenes and for Okiura's focus on stillness in between while considering it a less complex work than its predecessor Ghost in the Shell lacking its "stomach-churning, visionary moments". After hesitating to shoot the girl responsible for the blast, Lt. Lim (Gang Dong-won, the rare live-action star whos less expressive than his hand-drawn equivalent) is publicly reprimanded and sent to re-education whatever that means (other than a chance to feature a flashy training sequence in which he shoots his way through an abandoned building). Not worth watching. Its only use is during the prologue to explain why the government would launch a Special Unit force to put an end to Sect. While it's better paced and isn't as boring, it doesn't make its characters any more emotionally involving, and I don't think it takes full advantage of the world it tries to portray, instead relying on a more expanded yet overplotted story. Why? The special unit is able to track the fleeing members to the sewers and hunt down some members there. [1][17] Filming began on August 16, 2017 in Studio Cube, a South Korean filming complex, and completed on March 23, 2018. It focuses on Kazuki Fuse, a member of the elite Kerberos Panzer Corps, a metropolitan counter-terrorism unit. Summary: In 2029, an elite police force combats a terrorist group opposing Korean reunification. While Illangs additions are generally good, the film chipped at the originals emotional core to make the film have more action. Learn more about our use of cookies and information. Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. Better simply to go with it, trusting that Kim can take whatever situation that arises as an opportunity to stage an exciting fight, chase, standoff or shootout like the one atop Seouls Namsan Tower, where an elaborate plan to capture and/or kill Lim goes awry, leading to a dazzling escape whereby our hero jumps out the window of the observation deck, scales a scarlet red fire hose the 440 feet to the ground, and proceeds to bash his way out of the parking lot in a stolen Mercedes. The soldiers survive, but Lim shows shock. Who killed her at that moment? [21], Illang: The Wolf Brigade was released in South Korea on July 25, 2018. He meets a woman claiming to be the girls sister, Lee Yun-hee (singer-turned-wooden-actress Han Hyo-joo), and theyll soon find themselves at the center of a conspiracy to disband the Special Unit--despite them already been disbanded after the opening scene. An unfortunate misfire, Kim Jee-woon's latest is also his weakest film to date. (Source: KoBiz) Edit Translation, In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. The first couple minutes at the protest was good. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Director Kim Jee-woon transplants the Japanese anime to a unified Korea, where steel-plated super-cops make a strong impression, then disappear for most of the movie. Oh, Kim Jee-Woon, what have you done? Three Crows Magazine is a reader-funded publication and your support keeps us operational and independent to continue paying our authors for the best fiction and non-fiction possible. It's not like it is not competently made, it just lacks that excitement off all those earlier movies. Gay rights have, 23 min read TAMSYN MUIR is the bestselling author of the Locked Tomb Trilogy, which begins withGideon the Ninth, continues. And it's a shame because the initial idea was not bad. I thought all of the fighting and firefights of the movie were incredibly unique and interesting as far as movies go, the setting was also something that I enjoyed. However, Fuse sneaks in, seizes Kei, neutralizes the Capitol Police agents and they escape. [9], An early comment on the film was given by Blue Sky animator Andr Mazzone, who was shown the film in May 1999 as part of a delegation from the studio to Production IG's headquarters. As more soldiers join in, the girl detonates the bomb in her hands. [8] It was subsequently shown in Cannes' March du Film, which presumably netted its early French theatrical release on November 17. They changed huge plot points that destroyed the original theme and made it feel more Hollywood. Yun-hee turns on the tracking device through which the state security can track them. I thought the escaped Sect leader would play a major role in this story, but that gets quickly wrapped off at the end (on a news channel scene). Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. Lots of netizens are surprised by union between super-hot actors and super-skilled film directors. Overall, though, if you have heartbreaking memories of the original, this one does not deliver the same emotional punch the original possessed. I watched Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade a few months back, and I'm not a fan of it. However, the film's "slow, deliberate pace" is criticised. [6], The film was released on July 25, 2018. You can also change your preferences at any time by clicking Cookie Preferences in the footer of each page. I genuinely enjoyed it. The balance between the realistic locations and the futuristic technologies like iron armor and diverse guns was very impressive. Terms of Use and The movie doesn't deviate that much from a possible reality of a reunified north and south korea. The only one good thing are the action moments of shooting and fights which keep the audience awake. First, they get a chance to track down and all-but-eliminate a terrorist group called the Sect (although its never quite clear what these rebels oppose, or whether were supposed to be rooting for or against them), before an incident involving an underage suicide bomber forces the authorities to pull the plug on the program. The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. Good production value Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. The story ends with the wolf eating Little Red Riding Hood. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Either one of these, dedicated to complete, I think would have made a fantastic film. The number of South Korean film admissions in July 2018 was the lowest since 2008. Each of them is a one man army, with heavy duty machine guns, steel shields on their forearms capable of resisting hand-grenades, and German war helmets with gas masks covering their faces. Whatever. Released October 19th, 2018, 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Kim Moo-yul, Jung Woo-sung The R movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 20 min, and received a user score of 63 . A really good action movie with an intriguing setup. Behind all of this, frequently peeking through to the forefront, is an almost political thriller of two government agencies trying to discredit and overpower the other. There's certainly a lot going on plot-wise, and the movie doesn't juggle the material well. Email news@gamespot.com. Anime adaptations are rarely a good idea in the first place. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. A good movie if you don't know about Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, Could've been so much better if it wasn't for the convoluted plot. From the very beginning the audience is thrown into a plot which is rather vague and confused. The animation is good for its time, and while it flirts with interesting ideas, it moves at such a slow pace and features such a dull main character that I found myself frequently bored. I highly recommend this film for action lovers, asian cinema enthusiats. The training part in the building was also lackluster, the action was more over the top but there was no strategy to it, no teamwork and we didn't get to see Fuse (Lim) get re-trained like he did in the original. Kim Jee-woon knows what the hell he's doing when it comes to staging and shooting action, and the action sequences here are fluidly shot and feature some really neat choreography. But the time we got to the bunker, the main character when from a vulnerable character we were rooting for into the predator. My excitement dimmed after I read about how poorly it was received in Korea this summer by both audiences and critics. Illang: The Wolf Brigade Photos View All Photos Movie Info. The acting is decent, the effects and suits are quite good and the plot flows smootly until the end. The film follows Kazuki Fuse, a member of a special police unit set during an alternate history of 1950s Japanese riots. EDIT: cause I screwed up my numbers, apparently. Actually, the meaning of Wolf Brigade changes midway through the movie, by which point audiences will have learned that its best not to spend too much energy attempting to follow the plot. poorly it was received in Korea this summer. If you haven't, go watch this film. Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political upri Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the chaos. Yet moving the story from Japan to a Korean peninsula which is on the point of reunifying in 2029 results in a film which is both over-plotted and melodramatic. The use of light and shadow to build suspense as the sewers suddenly go dark and multiple red eyes start to glow will send chills down your spine. . Indeed, those hulking red-eyed soldier-cops disappear for nearly 90 minutes, until such time that Lim puts his own uniform on again and faces off against corrupt Public Security honcho Han Sang-woo (Kim Moo-yul, the films most charismatic actor), who may also be a Wolf Brigade member. The adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's "Jin-Roh" of 1999 is quite good, it retains the essence of the original animation film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. People just want to the see the armor suit fighting. This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 21:03. To be fair, part of my partial disappointment may be that the movie was more or less advertised as a full-on actioner, and that is what I was expecting. A trap is set by the local police forces and the Public Security Division intended to discredit the Special Unit with Kei as bait to catch Fuse, intending to show a terrorist passing a satchel bomb to a member of the Panzers. When I heard this movie was coming out this year, I was very excited since Kim Jee-woon is one of Korea's big-name directors, and I had hoped this would play in U.S. theaters like several Korean movies do (typically at CGV Cinemas). "[27], As per Yonhap review, the film "spent so much time trying to recreate the world from the animated movie and remakes it into a big-scale action blockbuster that it never got the simple things right the film falls short of properly delivering the intense inner conflict felt by Joong-kyung. [13][14][15][16][17][18], Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, "[Review] Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Blu-ray)", "Warner Bros. and KIM Jee-woon Team Up Once More on JIN-ROH Remake", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action INRANG Starts Shooting in August", "Jin-roh: "The Wolf Brigade" Set for Unexpected Korean Remake", "Korean Live-Action Jin-Roh Film Aims to Cast Actress Han Hyo-joo", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action Drama INRANG Completes 8 Months of Filming", "YUBARI INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2000", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jin-Roh:_The_Wolf_Brigade&oldid=1136119828, International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award, Ryuichi Horibe (Ron Halder in the English version) as. Epoxy Flooring UAE; Floor Coating UAE; Self Leveling Floor Coating; Wood Finishes and Coating; Functional Coatings. The events prompt Japan to remilitarize, and the U.S. and Russia to ramp up military interests in the area. Archived post. Though the plot gets convoluted with interagency disputes, leading to a few slow scenes where people are mostly sitting and talking to ensure we understand what exactly is going on, the aforementioned actions scenes do enough to break this up. This is bright and vibrant action movie, filled with decent special effects and appropriately entertaining fight and chase sequences, mainly utilising super technology in the form of massive shoot-outs and the like. The main problem with it is that two and a half hours it's much too overlong and could have done with some judicious cutting, but other than that this is a solid effort. "[29], On the first day of its release, the film attracted 274,525 admissions. Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16+ | 2h 19m | Sci-Fi Movies In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. But thats not the end of the road for Illang, which will next head to Netflix in all other territories. [11] Helen McCarthy in 500 Essential Anime Movies called the anime "a must-see" and praised the score and the design, commenting on "some breathtakingly composed scenes". Like why can't you just flim everything the same as the originals? Some of the action was too over the top for the serious type of movie this was trying to be. You need a javascript enabled browser to watch videos. In those finals moments, they manage to seemingly invalidate the rest of the film; it's quite literally the complete opposite of the anime. In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. I thought all of the fighting and firefights of the movie were incredibly unique and interesting as far as movies go, the setting was also something that I enjoyed. [4] [5] Press J to jump to the feed. It seems the movie didn't work well in Korea, and I remember watching the Jin roh anim as a kid and didn't like it that much. The Warner Bros logo is bright red against a black background. As such, this movie exists in a sort of limbo. See production, box office & company info, Chief Presidential Secretary Park Jeong-gi. Kim knows how to direct and edit frenetic chase sequences but the narrative here is so unconvincing and bland that it is just not enough. The music video brings together the best moments from Kim Ji Woon's fantasy action movie "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (Inrang) of 2018. The unit is characterized by their futuristic military gear, and respirators containing glowing red lights. He stands up to instructor Jang Jin-tae. A man is convicted of a robbery he didnt commit and spends six years in jail. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Rafael Motamayor (@RafaelMotamayor) is a recovering cinephile and freelance writer from Venezuela currently freezing his ass off in cold, grey, Norway. I do recommend you give it a shot if you're looking for a decent action movie to while away a Friday evening with, but its lack of a real plot makes for a confusing viewing session. 2023 GAMESPOT, A FANDOM COMPANY. Later, Kei reveals her role in the deception and suggests they leave together, but Fuse decides to stay. 3. The film was financed by Union Investment Partners, with production being announced in 2013. The Wandering Earth. After the event, significant opposition to the Special Unit forces the group to utilize their iconic gas masks, to hide their identity as well as provide use in case of bio-hazardous threats. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. He visits the ashes of the dead girl and meets Kei Amemiya, who claims to be the elder sister of the terrorist and they develop a friendship. Yun-hee tells him she saw a puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood, but a version without a happy ending. I felt like the new happy ending didn't match up to the original ending in the anime movie. Even though there are some modifications to the overall story, and one significant diversion, the characters, and story beats are heavily inspired by the original. Having just watched this, I can say that it's a relatively faithful adaptation of Oshii's source material, improving in some ways and worsening in others. EDIT 2: I have no idea why the numbers are screwy. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2018. This. Significant tariffs are imposed upon both countries, creating an economic depression for both, and weakening public support for reunification. Lim is ordered to kill Yun-hee for being a Sect member and spy for the state security. Failing to follow an order to execute a frightened young girl only to see her commit suicide by detonating an improvised explosive device before his very eyes, Fuse is put on trial and sent back to the training camp for re-evaluation. Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 18+ | 2h 19m | Action & Adventure In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. Fullmetal Alchemist The Revenge of Scar. A remake of the acclaimed japanese anime Jin-roh this new movie somehow fails to make the impact that one might expect from this director. The new instruction is to go into the sewers together with Yun-hee. Soldier Lim Joong-kyung of the Special Forces encounters a girl carrying a bomb and wants to make her give it up. Genre: . From here on out, Illang: The Wolf Brigade devotes much of its remaining runtime to a pointless attempt at inflating the runtime and creating intrigue when you dont care about the mystery. This time however he disappointed me even if his new feature is not nearly as bad as its initial korean reputation would suggest. All Rights Reserved. [Edit: typo due to puppy paws hitting my keyboard]. Aside from the blackouts and the demonstrations at the beginning, I didn't fully get a sense of the effects of the reunification process. And the fact that they put in a special fight at the end that wasn't in the original was really cool, especially since it was the first time a member of the Wolf Brigade fought someone on their level in skill. Jin-Roh (, Jinr, lit. Yun-hee sits down with her brother as the train departs. Illang tries for a slightly different emotional tug, but it didnt quite take the time to build it up for me the way the slower, more plodding Jin-Roh managed. But everything feels like it's in slow motion: the predictable love affair, the speech patterns, they way everybody has to make weird faces to show how important their emotions are. The ending being the most disappointing part. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The movie looks great, from the cinematography to the locations, so there is some eye candy to savor during the slower moments. Jee-Woon's films 'I saw the Devil' and 'The Good the Bad the Weird' are among my favorite Korean films (and favorite films in general). Read all Director Jee-woon Kim Writers The movie mentions at the beginning that the two Koreas are slowly pushing toward reunification and earning the ire of other countries, and then quickly explains what's going on internally. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. Outside of this small fleshing out of the world, the Korean setting and backdrop really arent utilized to affect the films story all that much. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Fearing the possibility of war, North Korea and South Korea agree to re-unify for the sake of survival, with a five year interim put in place as preparation for the reunification. Rafael Motamayor The Korean police forces quickly become overwhelmed with the size and violence of protests in the regions, prompting the government to create a new, elite police force called the "Special Unit." Two things right off the bat: Wow. All stories are accompa. Gustav Horn, Carl (2002). By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Furthermore, Illang is not a direct remake of the animation and is rather an adaptation that borrows heavily from the original. To take a beloved classic and make it a big budget blockbuster and then add 40 minutes to the runtime is an even worse idea. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is the third film adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos Saga manga, released in 1999. I am a big fan of Korean films and still possess vivid memories of my reaction to Jin-Roh back in college. Didn't feel anything for the characters or their romance.