Reviews & Ratings for
Save the Green Planet! More at IMDbPro »Jigureul jikyeora! (original title)

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43 out of 50 people found the following review useful:
Amazing Korean Film, 22 May 2004
Author: zandert33 from New York

How many films can have you laughing one minute and totally freaked out the next? This movie, "Save the Green Planet", is not for the faint of heart. There are tons of disturbing scenes, but if you able to take everything in you will find an amazing piece of cinema. It's a shame that Hollywood wouldn't have the gall to but out something as amazing as this. This movie will twist your emotions like none other. You will not know who to cheer for, who's doing good, and who's evil. It's a crime to list this movie as a true comedy, it doesn't even fit the mold of "dark comedy", it's a true hybrid of multiple movie styles, only the Korean movie makers have been able to pull this off flawlessly. This isn't a film for everybody, however if you have a true passion for movies, and want to find out what the hype concerning Korean movies is all about, this is the place to go.

42 out of 53 people found the following review useful:
Insane, and insanely funny, 17 May 2005

Author: poikkeus from San Francisco

The set-up alone for Save the Green Planet demands your attention.

When a drugged up, marginalized bee-keeper (Ha-kyun Shin) researches the background of a powerful industrialist (Yun-shik Baek), he can draw only one conclusion: the latter is an alien from Andromeda with designs on taking over the Earth on the next eclipse. And he does what any paranoid, stimulant-addled citizen might do -- kidnap the man, shackle him in his basement, and torture the truth out of him.

From this wacky premise comes one of those rare films that successfully mixes dark comedy with true pathos. But the real excitement comes with the film-making, which offers cinematic parodies, inventive plotting, and some penetrating commentary on the evolution of humankind. If Charlie Kaufman were South Korean, this would be the kind of film he'd make.

Alternative history fans will roll in the aisles with the film's wry treatment of UFOs, the death of the dinosaurs, alien abduction, and all sorts of science fiction clichés. Save the Green Planet is just plain fun -- scary fun, uncomfortable fun -- but you won't dare doze off for even an instant.

32 out of 44 people found the following review useful:
shockingly enjoyable, 28 February 2004

Author: (c_waddle) from England

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

There has been a lot of hypes surrounding the film... and my god, what an astounding work of cinema which was the last thing i expected

The cinematography was fantastic and the suspense scenes were so refreshing that it completely blew my mind. I was on the edge of the seat throughout the film. Every time i was about to get bored (which i definetely didn't!), it was injected with some violence (chopping off fish heads), but it was beautifully merged in as a whole. The twist was anticipated, but what was so good about it was that it kept me wondering throughout the film how it was going to end. Everyone also seemed to have missed what a great job the director managed with the music. The grand-scale orchestral music and the punk rock music worked as salt and pepper on a great dish, and the sound was superb.

The let down factors were mostly due to the script, especially the disappointing ending. The director must have realised he had a huge task in his hand after reading the scenario and even though he tried his best, some scenes just do not make any sense, especially when Byunggu's dead mum appears throwing some pills out. Maybe the film was not scientific enough, but i don't think you can apply science into a topic such as Aliens anyway... The blend of comedy, thriller/horror, police drama and satire works brilliantly, although the fusion-genre diluted the whole point of the story by a fraction. The biggest downside was the crude uninteligent cg effect, which was apparently meant to be intentional but the film would have looked so much more polished if they were cut off... and it still would make sense.

I give this film an 8.3 simply because it was so easy to get into and i watched it without stopping it once. Breathtaking!

19 out of 25 people found the following review useful:
so shocking and good, 7 April 2003

Author: kleaner from South Korea

This is one of the most unprecented korean films I've ever seen. It contains almost every film genre, horror, comedy, action, thriller and so on. The story is very rare to find in the main stream movis. The plot was so surprising. Acting, and cinematography were also superb. Assuming that it's the director's dubut film, I expect that he becomes a great master as he keeps making movies. This is a true rule breaker. Other Korean fist timer directors, who made such crap as "Jungle Juice" and "My wife is a gangster" and there are so many, should reflect on themselves.

16 out of 21 people found the following review useful:
South Korea keeps supplying us with great movies!, 2 December 2005

Author: scobbah (scobbah@gmail.com) from Örebro, Sweden

Now this is something different, that is one thing I can assure you. I didn't know what to expect from this piece. So let's start somewhere. If you like original movies, this one qualifies! It is a weird (but good) mix of different genres here, and all in all it is one superb hybrid film. It has it what it takes to keep you focused, changing rapidly between some more thriller/horror moments and all of a sudden there is a large dose of a more comedy touch - all blended with a feeling of sci-fi. Ha-Kyun Shin makes a superb performance here, and you develop some kind of hate-love for his character. South Korea keeps supplying us with great movies, and here's a solid 8/10. If you like "Oldboy" and familiar stuff, I bet you will like this one. At least give it a try.

26 out of 41 people found the following review useful:
Ahead of it's time, 1 May 2004

Author: ben_kim1 from Detroit, MI

Very strange film.. It's a comedy, drama, sometimes serious sometimes not.. And sad.

Anyone who is a true fan of film will find this interesting at worst..

UFO/Sci-fi fans stay away... This isn't an Alien film and you won't find what you're looking for.

The film tells the story of a fanatic who tracks down aliens that are living in our society. He comes across an important business man and keeps him in his basement to force him to give up information about his alien race.

20 out of 31 people found the following review useful:
Well Crafted Film, 17 November 2003

Author: porsche98892000 from USA. Chicago

This movie was quite a shock, when I first watched it. It did very badly in the Korean Box office. But however, this films has some elements that I've never seen in a film before. It has almost all the genre you could think of. Its funny, serious, thrilling, sad, shocking, and the plot that will grab your attention from beginning of the movie. However, some people might not like it... because they might think is some stupid sci-fi junk that has been made before. But I strongly disagree. Watch this film! and you won't regret!

8 out of 12 people found the following review useful:
wow!, 16 September 2003

Author: Dominik Sostar (skydancer@email.si) from Slovenia

I have been a fan of Asia movies for a while now, but this still came as a surprise. This film has it all, and the actors are simply incredible. I've seen two of them in Boksuneun naui geot and have only high praise for them. This movie stars of a bit funny I guess, all the silly suits for hounting aliens, etc. It soon becomes quite disturbing with all the torchering of the "alien" victim. You start to feel how disturbed this guy is. After a while, you start to feel sorry for him. And the end is totally unexpected. You simply must see this movie. You won't see anything like it coming from Hollywood. Or anywhere else I guess.

5 out of 7 people found the following review useful:
A stunning film which successfully crosses genres with ease, 14 August 2007

Author: hoggaglust-1 from United Kingdom

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

Save The Green Planet was one of those films that kept 'looking' at me from the shelves whilst DVD shopping. Usually, I only collect Asian horror movies, but (as with the equally bizarre Happiness of the Katikuris) I couldn't resist taking a look at this one. I'm so glad I did.

I know that you should never judge a book by its cover, but looking at the Green Planet's sleeve notes, you'd be forgiven for assuming this was a lighthearted, screwball comedy with the trademark 'bonkers' story line and characterisations. How wrong you would be. Whilst many of the elements in Green Planet are about as bonkers as bonkers gets, the film is intrinsically a touching, sad and fulfilling piece of cinema. There are some truly horrifying moments too, and it's only when we realise the truth behind the protagonist's irrational and violent behaviour that we can feel heartfelt sympathy for his empty, one man crusade against 'alien' invaders. The tension in the scenes where the protagonist's hostage tries; (and almost succeeds) to escape from his underground dungeon is about as effective as anything you will witness in a movie.

At once funny, tense, horrifying, and inevitably tragic, Save The Green Planet is a strange, sad but uplifting film well worth a place in your DVD collection.

7 out of 11 people found the following review useful:
grrreeeaat movieeee!!, 25 June 2003

Author: aubad from seoul, korea

Save the Green Planet! by Jang, Junwhan is my "first" movie of my life. Gang, Mansik is the alien. Gang, his surname means that he is strong ('gang'hada) and he has the power. Lee, Byunggu was born to good man, but he lives in tragic cause of tragedy of the world. Lee, his surname means this. Byunggu, his personal name means save('gu'hada) the ill('byung'deun) green plnet(ji'gu'). So he planned to save this planet from alien, the power of tragic. Sooni is his girl friend. We don't know her surname from the movie. Her name, Sooni means that she is naive and weak. But she gets the courage from love of or to Byunggu. Maybe This movie is kind of love story. Maybe love will save us. Anyway, I wish this movie become known to the world in Moskva.

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