Arahan (2004)

As a dorky cop falls in with five Tao masters who admire his c'hi, an ancient foe comes looking for them all.

Director:

Seung-wan Ryoo

Writers:

Ji-hie Eun, Hae-Young Lee (as Hae-yeong Lee)

Stars:

Seung-bum Ryoo, So-yi Yoon, Sung-Ki Ahn

3 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Seung-bum Ryoo	...	Sang-hwan (as Seung-beom Ryu)
So-yi Yoon	...	Wi-jin
Sung-Ki Ahn	...	Ja-woon (as Sung-kee Ahn)
Doo-hong Jung	...	Heuk-woon
Ju-sang Yun	...	Mu-woon
Kim Jee-Young	...	Banyagain (as Ji-yeong Kim)
Yeong-In Kim	...	Monk Bong Su-nim
Chan-gi Baek	...	Sul-woon
Yun-bae Park	...	Police Sgt. Choi
Jae-man Kim	...	Gang Member
Won Lee	...	Sun-dong
Dae-yeon Lee	...	Yoon Jeon-soo
Dong Joo Kim	...	Sang-hwan's Mom
Kyeong-ae Kim	...	Mature Lady Fruit Seller
Soon-cheol Yoo	...	Heuk-woon (Elderly Man) (as Soon-chul Yoo)

Storyline

When a thieving cyclist steals a purse from a pedestrian, clumsy, naive yet honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan gives chase, but it's the skilled specialist in martial arts, Wi-jin, who captures the criminal while severely injuring Sang-hwan. She brings Sang-hwan to her home, where five Masters of Tao heal him and find that he has a powerful c'hi (spiritual energy of the universe). He could be a powerful warrior. As Sang-hwan begins training to ascend to the level of a Maruchi (male Tao Master), the evil, ancient and ambitious Heuk-woon, accidentally released from his imprisonment, awakens. The powerful Heuk-woon attacks the masters, searching for a key that they protect, which would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world. When the masters are defeated, Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only and last hope of mankind.

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Plot Keywords:

chi | training | chase | martial arts | jaywalking | 

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Taglines:

Urban martial arts versus an ancient evil.

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Genres:

Action | Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official site [South Korea]

Country:

South Korea

Language:

Korean

Release Date:

30 April 2004 (South Korea)

Also Known As:

Arahan

Box Office

Budget:

$4,500,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$39,707

Company Credits

Production Co:

CJ Entertainment, Fun and Happiness, Good Movie Company

Technical Specs

Runtime:

114 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

Banyagain: All confrontations begin and end with the eyes, like in The Art of War. It's the best way to win a confrontation without fighting. It's winning mastery with the eyes.

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Soundtracks

Kung Fu
Written (song and lyrics) by Lee Seung-bok
Performed by Kim Hyeong-gyu, Lee Seung-bok, Lee Ho-joon (f. Rec-Roc)

User Reviews

A Clumsy Anti-Hero Is Born

When a thief driving a motorcycle steals a purse of a pedestrian, the clumsy, naive and honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan (Seung-beom Ryu) runs after him, but the skilled specialist in martial arts Wi-jin (So-yi Yoon) captures the criminal and Sang-hwan is severely injured. She brings Sang-hwan to her home, where the six Masters of Tao heal him and believe that he has a powerful Qi, the spiritual energy of the universe, and could be a powerful warrior. Sang-hwan begins his training to ascend to a Maruchi, while the evil and ambitious Heuk-woon (Doo-hong Jung) is accidentally released from his imprisonment. The powerful Heuk-woon attacks the masters, searching a key that they protect, which would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world. When the masters are defeated, Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only hope to mankind.

"Arahan" has great special effects, a nice cast and could be a good action movie. Unfortunately the comedy never works, with the clumsy anti-hero Sang-hwan being a confused not-funny character. Maybe this type of humor works in other cultures, but I did not like it. The developments of the rich characters is weak, and maybe in Asian cultures the concepts of Qi and Tao are clear, but at least for me, I was forced to research about these concepts of the Chinese culture to understand their meanings. But for fans like me of South-Korean movies, "Arahan" is essential. My vote is six.

Title Brazil): "Arahan"