Movie: Kundo (15)
Rating: 5/5
Period action epics are a delight and treat to watch, largely because of their scale of production, grandeur, visual effects, splendid cinematography and lots of jaw-dropping action sequences. I can happily say I found all these and rather much more than all these in the South Korean action epic KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT. It's so amazing that I can watch it again and again!
Ha Jung-woo is one of my favourite actors, and his performance is a major asset to this film. The transformation he undergoes is a treat to watch and his look suits him very well. Kang Dong Won is menacing at times, and delivers a terrific performance for a role that seems to be tailor-made for him. Cho Jin-woong and Ma Dong-seok are excellent and provide a good comic relief. Other actors like Lee Sung-min and Yoon Ji-hye, Lee Gyeung-young plays their parts extremely well. The best thing is that all actors fits in their respective roles.
Direction by Yoon Jong-bin is excellent. The story and screenplay are both excellent, as is the editing since the film never bores at all. The technical aspects, for which the film won a lot of acclaim and accolades, are the major strength of KUNDO. The action sequences are jaw-dropping and are bound to impress action fans. The visuals effects are extremely impressive, as is the splendid cinematography. I really loved one shot in the climax action sequence with Ha Jung-woo, which showed him walking, with a good usage of sound effects while maintaining a heavy impact.
The music too is a plus point of KUNDO, as it enhances the mood from time to time. Visually the film is like a fantasy.
KUNDO: AGE OF THE RAMPANT is undoubtedly a great action-fantasy epic that deserves to be seen, at any cost.
