While it's better paced and isn't as boring, it doesn't make its characters any more emotionally involving, and I don't think it takes full advantage of the world it tries to portray, instead relying on a more expanded yet overplotted story. Either one of these, dedicated to complete, I think would have made a fantastic film. That concept alone ought to make for a fascinating science-fiction parable, although its barely dealt with in any practical terms, other than to explain a wave of demonstrations that turn tragic on what comes to be known as Bloody Friday, when peacekeeping forces accidentally murder 15 schoolgirls, mistaking them for terrorists. There is action in the movie, and the action scenes are (reasonably) well done, but there are large chunks of the movie where there's no action at all. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. Lim is supposed to take out the state security in the sewers. It was Kim Jee-woon's second film to compete at the festival after I Saw the Devil in 2010. The first couple minutes at the protest was good. Think of the T-60 Power Armor from the Fallout series, but make it 100 times scarier and more evil, and add terrifying round red eyes that glow with the intensity of nightmarish soldiers from hell, and you get the Special Unit soldiers. That was satisfying. The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. Writer/director Kim Jee-woon clearly has an eye for intriguing thrillers and electrifying action, but he doesnt seem to know what to do with the movie's bad actors, and his idea to take a relatively simple story and add 4 different subplots was misguided. A really good action movie with an intriguing setup. That inexplicable something a story (in any medium) can have. Fearing the possibility of war, North Korea and South Korea agree to re-unify for the sake of survival, with a five year interim put in place as preparation for the reunification. Oh, Kim Jee-Woon, what have you done? . There is zero emotional depth to the characters (or actors who can convey any emotion), and together they make for a boring and shallow couple. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is the third film adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos Saga manga, released in 1999. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. [6] Oshii, who characterized him as "allergic to computers", admitted that had he directed the film he would have relied in computer animation just as he did in Ghost in the Shell and no more than 30,000 cels would have been needed. [21], Illang: The Wolf Brigade was released in South Korea on July 25, 2018. The use of light and shadow to build suspense as the sewers suddenly go dark and multiple red eyes start to glow will send chills down your spine. But I found it stylish satisfying and at times genuinely scary! Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. However, the intelligence service Public, Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. Kei embraces Fuse and sadly recites the dialogue of Little Red Riding Hood, describing the grotesque appearance of the wolf disguised as a loved one. "[28], Jason Bechervaise from Screendaily wrote that the film "contains moments of stylistic brilliance through some compelling set-pieces. [5] Oshii considered him the most able candidate among the younger staff of the studio and both Production IG and Bandai Visual, knowing about his directing ambitions and his interest in creating a serious drama, wanted him to do his debut for them. After the Dragon King steals his staff, the Monkey King sets off on a mission to get it back. 4 min read Rebecca Zahabi sets her gripping debut in a future Britain of much darker times. To make this more convoluted, he adds too many interested parties and secret organizations into his conspiracy (some of them appearing only in conversation and for 5 minutes), making it hard to keep track of who works for whom or what they want. It's not their job to care if the people are innocent or should have a voice in their country's future. I am a big fan of Korean films and still possess vivid memories of my reaction to Jin-Roh back in college. 2. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2018. [17][22][23], The film was selected to compete at the 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, which was held from September 2129, 2018. In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. Jin-Roh (, Jinr, lit. They provide Fuse with a full set of armor and weaponry, before leaving with Kei in tow. Theatrical poster. that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. Forget the special units you know - any of them. That whole movie. Outside of this small fleshing out of the world, the Korean setting and backdrop really arent utilized to affect the films story all that much. The original isnt great but the script is thight and know exactly what it is and how to tell it but the new one is just a mess. Action comes easy to Korean director Kim; its actors that he doesnt always know what to do with. After the attack (and the fun), the film starts getting complicated. It has been relicensed in North America by Discotek Media, with a DVD released on April 29, 2014 followed by a Blu-Ray on January 27, 2015.[2][3]. The main problem with it is that two and a half hours it's much too overlong and could have done with some judicious cutting, but other than that this is a solid effort. Jin-Roh is the third film in Oshii's Kerberos saga and is primarily based on Oshii's manga Kerberos Panzer Cop. befitting to our Korean situation and what not Perhaps if I had seen the anime version the other raters talk about, I would have understood what was going on. EDIT 2: I have no idea why the numbers are screwy. Having just watched this, I can say that it's a relatively faithful adaptation of Oshii's source material, improving in some ways and worsening in others. Yun-hee tells him how her sister joining "The Sect" destroyed her family. I thought all of the fighting and firefights of the movie were incredibly unique and interesting as far as movies go, the setting was also something that I enjoyed. Anti Slip Coating UAE That was satisfying! Gustav Horn, Carl (2002). Talk about the film. The movie tries to go about the ending differently, but I just rolled my eyes at it because it doesn't add anything meaningful. Illang: The Wolf Brigade is a (Korean: ; Hanja: ; RR: Illang; lit. Two things right off the bat: Wow. I just hate Anime live series. Some okay action and fighting scenes. Now I never read the Manga, but I did watch the Anime (Jin Roh). Even if the film managed to balance the romance, sci-fi, action, and political conspiracy, it wouldnt change the fact that the two have the least amount of chemistry in a couple since Anakin and Padm in Star Wars. In 2024, when "political order in the Korean peninsula is shaken," following territorial disputes between China, Japan, and South Korea. Since Lim was the last to see the girl alive, Han asks him to give the book to her sister. The movie doesn't deviate that much from a possible reality of a reunified north and south korea. But thats not the end of the road for Illang, which will next head to Netflix in all other territories. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. "Werewolf"), also known as Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade in its American release, is a 1999 Japanese action political thriller[1] anime film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (in his directorial debut) and written by Mamoru Oshii. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Yoon-hee claims a lot of things over the course of the movie, and sooner or later, one would do well to stop believing her, since shes the rebel/spy/love-interest/damsel-in-distress on whom the movies unnecessarily convoluted plot pivots at least three too many times. The only one good thing are the action moments of shooting and fights which keep the audience awake. At one point, I really wanted to find out what's playing behind the scenes politically, as we see the special unit troops storm a building and nothing else after that. During a large demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square, the sect shows itself by bombing the police. (Source: KoBiz). After the event, significant opposition to the Special Unit forces the group to utilize their iconic gas masks, to hide their identity as well as provide use in case of bio-hazardous threats. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. A year after the formation of the Special Unit, an incident known as "Bloody Friday" occurs, in which the special unit mistakenly fires upon young girls in a suspected Sect compound. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. [Edit: typo due to puppy paws hitting my keyboard]. There, it may find a cult following, considering that the sharp-looking film boasts some of the most spectacular set pieces including a stunning climactic showdown in which a steel-clad killing machine blasts his way through sewer tunnels crawling with dirty cops that audiences are likely to find on the streaming service this fall. Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. [10], The following month the film shown in Cannes' March du Film, where Variety's Derek Elley noted it for pushing cel animation to its limits in the action scenes and for Okiura's focus on stillness in between while considering it a less complex work than its predecessor Ghost in the Shell lacking its "stomach-churning, visionary moments". But everything feels like it's in slow motion: the predictable love affair, the speech patterns, they way everybody has to make weird faces to show how important their emotions are. The unit is characterized by their futuristic military gear, and respirators containing glowing red lights. The sci-fi bit of the plot is merely veneer over the very Asian politicking. [4] The production eventually evolved into a feature film following the international success of Ghost in the Shell as Manga Entertainment wanted a similar hit and saw potential in Kerberos Panzer Cops as the manga had been published in the United States. It tries to keep that core, though it approaches it from a slightly different angle that, if this movie were an original, would probably work. In the last scene, Yun-hee's brother is seen sitting in a train looking out at a man sitting on a bench. As a Korean critic, I should have gave it a 10 but on a second thought That being said, there were some big changes that made the film more enjoyable for me. They are able to arrest the terrorist Gu Mi-kyung, and ask her to track down the leader of the sect so they can have evidence. The issue is that there are only two action scenes, and they are buried beneath 139 minutes of convoluted storylines and melodrama. Im late to this, but I just wanted to add my thoughts. [10][11] The film competed in the San Sebastin International Film Festival for the Golden Shell, becoming the second South Korean film to do so.[12]. Failing to follow an order to execute a frightened young girl only to see her commit suicide by detonating an improvised explosive device before his very eyes, Fuse is put on trial and sent back to the training camp for re-evaluation. Although currently living in Korea having served in the national army as well. Read all Director Jee-woon Kim Writers [24][12], A red carpet and showcase event for the film was held on July 18, 2018 at Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu with the attendance of the director and cast. Kang Dong Won looks out of place in such an action role. Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. A much-anticipated reunion between director Kim Jee-woon and Jung Woo-sung, featuring Minho from K-pop group SHINee. In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. Learn more about our use of cookies and information. + : It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I can't explain it, but it hit it's marks and hit them perfectly. Yun-hee is a former member of "The Sect" who is supposed to trap Lim for the State Security. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. However, he refuses, seeing no need for her death. Illang: The Wolf Brigade. He ultimately still found the experience frustrating both through the tiping ("The moment you write, you want to direct") and after realizing the result would unavoidably be much different from what he pictured in his head. My excitement dimmed after I read about how poorly it was received in Korea this summer by both audiences and critics. It was developed by Kakao Pages and Daum Webtoon and was released on June 27, 2018, beginning a weekly run of chapters that led up to the film's release on July 25. After hesitating to shoot the girl responsible for the blast, Lt. Lim (Gang Dong-won, the rare live-action star whos less expressive than his hand-drawn equivalent) is publicly reprimanded and sent to re-education whatever that means (other than a chance to feature a flashy training sequence in which he shoots his way through an abandoned building). "[27], As per Yonhap review, the film "spent so much time trying to recreate the world from the animated movie and remakes it into a big-scale action blockbuster that it never got the simple things right the film falls short of properly delivering the intense inner conflict felt by Joong-kyung. I'm glad I wasn't the only one looking for where North Korea fit into the plot. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. Ironically, that makes Illang a rather ideal project, at least on paper. While there are some franchises that I have completely abandoned because I dont want to watch another origin story and meet the same cast of familiar characters all over again, a twenty-year gap between the original incarnation and a remake seems like a fair enough deal. All stories are accompa. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. Sigh.. These Wolf Brigade uniforms are truly terrifying, turning normal cops into what look like nightmarish Nazi cyborgs, at least in silhouette: Beneath German tank helmets, a pair or round red eyes glow inhumanly at any who cross their paths, while their standard-issue peashooters have been replaced with heavy-duty machine guns. Contribute to chinapedia/wikipedia.en development by creating an account on GitHub. Even worse, Kim Jee-woons decision to give away with the original films bleak ending in favor of a happy and commercially friendly ending betrays the only interesting themes in this underwhelming Korean sci-fi thriller. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. Fuse confronts his own humanity when he fails to shoot a young terrorist that his unit traps in the storm-water tunnels. After that I didn't care who was fighting who. Fuse is horrified at his action, but now having sacrificed his humanity, he has no other choice but to remain part of the pack. Whatever. A remake of the acclaimed japanese anime Jin-roh this new movie somehow fails to make the impact that one might expect from this director. Unfortunately the 139 minute lenght is also way too much, hopefully the new cut (soon to be released on Netflix) will make the movie somewhat tighter and more exciting. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 18+ | 2h 19m | Action & Adventure In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. Amidst this bloody struggle between two ultra-powerful institutions, rumors emerge of a secret "Wolf Brigade" being formed within the Special Unit. Entertaining and quite intelligent combat and action sequences throughout the movie; however, remarkably dumb reasons provided by the plot to explain the purpose of this combat. damn. It had the chance to take the core concept of the original and remake it with more Korean influences and depart into a similar, but uniquely different, film or to recapture the original with live action and a few more action sequences. But it's been quite a while so I don't remember it that fondly. Alright, well why would Korean take on remaking "Jin Roh: Wolf Brigade"? Yun-hee tells him she saw a puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood, but a version without a happy ending. He uses mostly tracking shots, following each of the players involved, highlighting the fear and desperation in the eyes of the terrorists (though the film never makes it clear if we should feel bad for them or not), and the cold, heartless dedication behind the cyborg-like the Special Unit. [32] The number of South Korean film admissions in July 2018 dropped by 21.4% from 2017, to 5.39 million, due to the sluggishness of this film and the absence of intermediate films to replace it. A South Korean live-action remake titled Illang: The Wolf Brigade directed by Kim Jee-woon updates the setting from Japan to a dystopian South Korea, where the plot revolves around plans to unite the two Koreas. The premise was funny in the beginning about reunification. The Wandering Earth. You can also change your preferences at any time by clicking Cookie Preferences in the footer of each page. They from experience are consistent in their filmmaking efforts and for the most part this is no different. That just eluded me. Just wow. So I can't really compare the two versions, I just remember that I liked the animated version and I can say the same thing for the live action version. [20], Webtoon writer Yoon Tae-ho penned a prequel titled Illang: Prequel, which took place five years before the events of the film. The stories focus on the aftermath of one of the unit's members who froze when confronted with a particularly young terrorist and couldn't perform his duty of killing her. If you have, I'm sure this will be less of a discussion and more reminiscing about how dropped our jowls were by the end credits. Illang: The Wolf Brigade Photos View All Photos Movie Info. A Rare Dud From Kim Jee-woon. By Netflix acquired the international distribution rights of the film. The main plots complexity makes early portions a bit sluggish but sets up for a lot of twists and betrayals later on. The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. [33][34], San Sebastin International Film Festival, 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action INRANG Starts Shooting in August", "(Yonhap Interview) Director Kim Jee-woon: Che Guevara inspires me to constantly challenge myself", "Warner Bros. and KIM Jee-woon Team Up Once More on JIN-ROH Remake", "Summer box-office preview: the 5 most highly anticipated Korean movies", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi INRANG Arms Up for July Release", "Director Kim Jee-woon's 'Inrang' unveiled to media", "Hotshots in film industry team up in sci-fi-themed 'The Wolf Brigade', "Korean cinemas earned more despite fewer admissions this summer", "How 'Illang' went from blockbuster to major box office flop: Warner Bros. Korea's summer release failed to please audiences", "Kim Jee-woon's 'Wolf Brigade' advances to San Sebastian film fest", "The English Cast and Crew of Illang: The Wolf Brigade, the South Korean live action remake of #JinRoh, now available English dubbed on Netflix", "Rookie Ok Ja-yeon to star in "Illang: The Wolf Brigade", "Netflix Picks Up Kim Jee-woon's 'Wolf Brigade', "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action Drama INRANG Completes 8 Months of Filming", "S. Korea's largest film studio opens doors to support 'hallyu', "Korean special makeup artist works for 'Darkest Hour', "MOSS, INSIDE MEN Writer Pens ILLANG: PREQUEL Webtoon", "Netflix Picks Up Kim Jee-woon's Action Thriller 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade', "Netflix acquires distribution rights of South Korean action-thriller", "Gang Dong-won and Han Hyo-joo to make public appearance next week after dating rumors", "Despite star power, 'Illang' can't meet high expectations: Local adaptation of a Japanese hit film fails to satisfy movie critics", "(Movie Review) 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' eventually loses its way", "[fn ] "'', .. ", "Korea Box Office: 'Mission: Impossible' Beats 'Wolf Brigade', ""'' "..7 10 ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Illang:_The_Wolf_Brigade&oldid=1135526482, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 05:34. Deep. The Wolf Brigade is a high powered, deadly force of men whose job it is to crush the sect opposing reunification. You can change your cookie preferences. Now we do get the live action version of it. Then over an hour of nothing and confusing story. The end "battle" for me was a bit over the top and needed to be toned down some otherwise the action was all very well done and enjoyable. Fantastic and brilliant, with an intense and memorable ending. Did the filmmakers forget, or did nothing new get produced after 2018? The training part in the building was also lackluster, the action was more over the top but there was no strategy to it, no teamwork and we didn't get to see Fuse (Lim) get re-trained like he did in the original. Pretty good not great. Out of all world cinema I have to say Korea may well be the one I've always had the best relationship with. I give it a B-. "Frontiers of Total Filmmaking: Mamoru Oshii Creator of Jin-Roh." The film picks up five years later, as conditions have drastically worsened. Lim is ordered to kill Yun-hee for being a Sect member and spy for the state security. This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 21:03. Honestly, being released on Netflix is its best hope for reaching a wide audience. To be fair, part of my partial disappointment may be that the movie was more or less advertised as a full-on actioner, and that is what I was expecting. Why do so many Korean movies feel like they're in slow motion. [4] [5] By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. I was very confused regarding the motivation of each main character. Failing to create any sense of intrigue about its futuristic world, The Wolf Brigade is one disappointing mess that carries bits n pieces of brilliance scattered here n there but the overall product is too weak & uninspiring to sustain the interest and leaves the viewers feeling rather indifferent in the end. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. His short fiction has been previously published in Three Crows Magazine, Black Denim Lit and Trigger Warnings: Short Fiction with Pictures. I went into this film not quite sure what to expect, but with a lot of high hopes. Interesting what the Korean Scriptwriters think about Super Powers meddling into Reunification of the Republic of South Korea and the Democratic People's Nation of North Korea. Fuse is distraught, but regardless kills Kei. He likes writing about horror despite being the most scary-cat person he knows. And it's a shame because the initial idea was not bad. From his friend Han Sang-woo, Lim receives a diary that is said to have belonged to the deceased girl Lee Jae-hee. The sniper? Netflix and third parties use cookies and similar technologies on this website to collect information about your browsing activities, which we use to analyse your use of the website, to personalise our services and to customise our online advertisements. I do recommend you give it a shot if you're looking for a decent action movie to while away a Friday evening with, but its lack of a real plot makes for a confusing viewing session. The movie is certainly pretty to look at. [4] Still the celwork was subsequently processed through the Animo software in order to enhance some visual effects, textures and camerawork.[7]. The story breezes over the main conflict (special unit vs. public security) without really making it keenly felt. The windows in the car he hijacks are obviously easily smashed, but bulletproof when he reverses and gets shot at. Lim meets Lee Yun-hee at the Namsan Tower. In those finals moments, they manage to seemingly invalidate the rest of the film; it's quite literally the complete opposite of the anime. It was originally planned to be the third and final live-action feature film of the Kerberos trilogy, but its production wasn't possible until 1994, while Oshii was already working on Ghost in the Shell.
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