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Ang-ma-reul bo-at-da (2010)
A gore-fest that showed a lot of promise but ultimately floundered due to its lack of character and realism.
I had heard this was a film to rival Park Chan-wook's "Oldboy"-and to some it might, as I'm aware many did not enjoy Oldboy as much as I did-but in all honesty I found it wanting in substance and gruelling in pace. It's a superficial and unsubstantial horror film that mainly sticks in the mind due to disturbing content, not disturbing themes.
SPOILERS WILL BE INCLUDED BEYOND THIS POINT
Let's handle each aspect of film itself to break down what I feel didn't work about the film:
First, our Protagonist, Agent Soo-hyeon. What can be said about him other than his occupation and relationship with the victim? Well, very little. He is given a bit of extra characterization with a more vulnerable side at the beginning phone call, but after that point he becomes singular in his goals and shows next-to-no personality besides hesitance and blood lust.
This would be fine if his plan made any sense. Don't get me wrong, I understand the concept of catch-and-release torture and why he might pick it, but not only does it immediately make him into an unlikable character, subjecting multiple women to horrifying conditions because he was continuously sloppy with his surveillance of his target. But also a lot of his choices are not only medically impossible to sustain (like constant knock-outs actually leading to brain damage) but also he makes ridiculous action-movie level choices that make the movie seem like a cartoon. The final death scene for the villain also seems hilariously out of theme, with him inflicting horror on the villain's family...a family the villain doesn't even care about.
Speaking of Kyung-chul, he was mostly fine. See, in the movies there's always an ongoing attempt to explain a serial killer's reasoning or to make them refined/attractive to make them more horrifying. However, reading the real cases of killers reveals the vast majority of them are brutal simpletons who commit horrible crimes for no reason besides they can. I respected the decision to make Kyung-chul more in line with this type of thinking, but he's ruined in the final scene by trying to make him care about a family he outright abandoned to become a serial killer. It's very confusing.
When it comes to the plot itself, it's structured well but is bogged down by ridiculously unbelievable set pieces and repetitive actions. The only thing to keep up continuous engagement is the shock value of the gore, which doesn't affect me personally all that much. The structure is mostly good but the choices of some characters (mainly our inconsistent protagonist) are too stupid to feel justifiable.
All-in-all I was thoroughly disappointed.
Journey to Promethea (2010)
Billy Zane never stands in this entire production.
Rarely funny even ironically and gets a star for at least having a plot that can be followed.
Avengers: Infinity War (2018)
This is not a film for outsiders to the franchise, but it rewards those who followed along.
To review this as a traditional film is a bit of a fallacy, I understand the reasoning but there is an aspect to the MCU that needs to be acknowledged by critics and viewership: These are episodic films. They are essentially a long-episode series. They are not stand-alones.
If you have not seen the major releases that play into this title (the Guardians films, Captain America: Civil War, Thor: Ragnarok) then you will neither understand nor enjoy this film. It's to be expected but I don't think it inherently makes this a weak episode-film. It is among the strongest MCU episode-films.
The film itself is one of the few MCU films that has an unconventional edge to it. Its central plot plays through the motives and actions of the villain, with the heroes playing supplementary roles in their various approaches to defeat him. The characters are overall well-written, though there are certain ones that may feel dubious to some viewers (I have seen mixed opinions on the Guardians' portrayal but I enjoyed it.)
Thanos himself is interesting and flawed, as well as fun to watch both as an enemy to our characters and as the possible protagonist. His power also appears to be over-the-top but it actually is quite balanced well in the end of the film.
McGuffin-hunting may break the film for others, and I can understand that, but the nature of it didn't bother me because I found it handled in an appropriate way.
Infinity War is not perfect by any stretch, I contemplated rating it a 7/10 instead of an 8...however I think tit was a very well-executed film with many redeeming qualities, and I hadn't enjoyed a Marvel film to this degree in a long while, and though I agree it's overhyped, I don't believe it should have to fit into the boxes that traditional critics continue to try and push on this episodic film series.
Deadpool 2 (2018)
I enjoyed the jokes, if you expect more than you'll be disappointed.
Watch Deadpool, if you enjoy the humour in it for what it is, then you'll probably enjoy the humour in the second. I went to the film with this in mind and got my money's worth, and enjoyed some of the parts I didn't fully expect, (such as the X-Force launch). The overall action-direction has also improved, with action being more fun to follow and funnier than the first.
That being said, besides the few times that it circumvents its own plot, Deadpool 2 follows a hackneyed, cliche plot that doesn't stray far from typical beats, and the "sad part" at the beginning feels incredibly shoe-horned in and weak. Many of the characters are also very under-written, such as Russel and Domino. A lot of wasted potential, but I'd say similar things about the first.
Worth the price, but isn't particularly noteworthy. I don't think I'd see it again, but I'm glad I watched it.