Arahan jangpung daejakjeon (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-jun Lee (script editor)

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)

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

Wi-jin: Many skilled people reach the state of master without knowing. There are countless masters today. They've just adjusted to a changing world, but most are Tao disciples who fight against evil c'hi. The Seven Masters seek a leader among such people, who can restore the flow of pure c'hi to the world.

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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

Fun, Action and Special-Effects

I had a chance to view this film during the NIFFF 2004 (Neuchatel International Fantasy Film Festival) in Switzerland. Far Eastern Films are very popular this days (at least in Europe) and offer a different way of telling stories than the big US-productions. The naive downtown policeman Sang Hwan helps the good and punishes the bad. He is discovered b a martial art master and trained to unleash the powers within him, in order to fight the ultimate evil Heung Un and save the world. This South-Korean film is combining humor, action and special effects a little bit in the tradition of Jackie Chan-films. "Arahan" is based on a Korean cartoon. 3 out of 5 *