JohnnyRobinson
Springfield, MO
The Ending Is So Sad!
I thought this was going to be a movie about a train accident!
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got to watch the movie....
It is not so much as a SCARY movie, but a psychological movie.
However, it keeps you on the edge of your seat and as I have said before, the difference between a good movie and a GREAT movie is keeping you on the edge of your seat and you forgetting that you are actually watching a movie!
Imagine being on your way to your ex-wife's place with your child, and everyone is being turned into zombies?
That is exactly what happens in this movie to Seo Suk Woo (Gong Yoo) and his daughter, Seo Soo Ahn (Kim Soo An) as they travel on a high-speed train toward Busan, which turns out to be the only safe place for all the few people left on their train who have not been infected yet; the director has your attention from the moment the first 'infected' climb on board the ill-fated train and he keeps your attention until the survivors reach the safety of the Busan outskirts.
The movement of the film from one couple to the other is expertly done, with your attention never
Suk Woo is a self-centered man whose relationship with his daughter is more than "strained"; he believes that his work is more important than his daughter, who herself sees him (rightly) as self-centered and egotistical.
What is so ironic about Suk Woo is that he learns to be selfless toward his daughter and others, way too late!
What I like about this film is 1) that it doesn't give the 'infected' or the survivors super-human strength or powers; the survivors take the kind of precautions that a normal person would if they were in the same situation. Also, the 'infected' also do not have any super-human powers, but lack the ability to be able to do may things that a normal person would be able to do (which makes the survivors' job that much easier!
2) characters that developed over the course of the movie (imagine what a series about this could do!); all except one character grew due to the disaster, although a series would have allowed for more development of the characters and a look at the backgrounds of the different main cast members (I personally would like to have seen the background story of Yong Suk (played by Kim Eui Sung) in this setting.
3) the fast pace of the events taking place; no one has time to do much except react to each individual situation that presents itself.
4) we see all three main couples, the high school couple, the couple expecting a baby, and the father /daughter duo, willing to sacrifice for the women in the film ...in different ways.
5) To a lesser extent, toe story of the two elderly sisters (Ye Soo Jung and Park Myung Shin), being a minor story, but as you will see, an important one for the final outcome of the survivors, is itself worth waiting for.
6) The music (which i am learning to pay more attention to as I watch more movies) is minimal; in my opinion, the ringing phones replace much of the music as being most important in this movie.
7) the survivors are almost eliminated at the end; only a grieving song saves their lives as they emerge to safety at the end of the movie.
What I dislikes was 1) the fear and apprehension of some of the survivors as a small group emerges from another car inhabited by the 'infected'; what is ironic, the small group are the only ones to come close to surviving: had they all co-operated, more would have lived to make it to safety. They acted as the villagers in the movie SEVEN SAMURAI (1954), helpless to do anything except the wrong thing!
2) the anti-hero Yong Suk (Kim Eui Sung) who is a well-known actor but I have never seen in any movie before...his greedy obsession with reaching Busan led to the deaths of many of the support and main cast members. I will be watching for him in other movies from now on!
3) some of the other survivors acted selfishly, causing the 'infection' of other survivors. All could have made it had they cooperated along the way!
By the way, I have never seen Gonge Yoo act before, but his best scene in this movie is his last one, without a doubt!
A "SPECIAL MENTION" should go to the captain of the bullet train (Jung Suk Yong), who made it possible for the last survivors to get a chance to escape to Busan, and the director for allowing him that privilege; he remained col and collected while others lost their ability to think clearly!
All in all, passing up this movie would be a grave mistake!
The cinematography was excellent, from the zombies (the mass support cast most of which are not listed individually) to the main cast members appear to portray their characters well; and work together toward making the movie seem realistic and such a blockbuster!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I finally got to watch the movie....
It is not so much as a SCARY movie, but a psychological movie.
However, it keeps you on the edge of your seat and as I have said before, the difference between a good movie and a GREAT movie is keeping you on the edge of your seat and you forgetting that you are actually watching a movie!
Imagine being on your way to your ex-wife's place with your child, and everyone is being turned into zombies?
That is exactly what happens in this movie to Seo Suk Woo (Gong Yoo) and his daughter, Seo Soo Ahn (Kim Soo An) as they travel on a high-speed train toward Busan, which turns out to be the only safe place for all the few people left on their train who have not been infected yet; the director has your attention from the moment the first 'infected' climb on board the ill-fated train and he keeps your attention until the survivors reach the safety of the Busan outskirts.
The movement of the film from one couple to the other is expertly done, with your attention never
Suk Woo is a self-centered man whose relationship with his daughter is more than "strained"; he believes that his work is more important than his daughter, who herself sees him (rightly) as self-centered and egotistical.
What is so ironic about Suk Woo is that he learns to be selfless toward his daughter and others, way too late!
What I like about this film is 1) that it doesn't give the 'infected' or the survivors super-human strength or powers; the survivors take the kind of precautions that a normal person would if they were in the same situation. Also, the 'infected' also do not have any super-human powers, but lack the ability to be able to do may things that a normal person would be able to do (which makes the survivors' job that much easier!
2) characters that developed over the course of the movie (imagine what a series about this could do!); all except one character grew due to the disaster, although a series would have allowed for more development of the characters and a look at the backgrounds of the different main cast members (I personally would like to have seen the background story of Yong Suk (played by Kim Eui Sung) in this setting.
3) the fast pace of the events taking place; no one has time to do much except react to each individual situation that presents itself.
4) we see all three main couples, the high school couple, the couple expecting a baby, and the father /daughter duo, willing to sacrifice for the women in the film ...in different ways.
5) To a lesser extent, toe story of the two elderly sisters (Ye Soo Jung and Park Myung Shin), being a minor story, but as you will see, an important one for the final outcome of the survivors, is itself worth waiting for.
6) The music (which i am learning to pay more attention to as I watch more movies) is minimal; in my opinion, the ringing phones replace much of the music as being most important in this movie.
7) the survivors are almost eliminated at the end; only a grieving song saves their lives as they emerge to safety at the end of the movie.
What I dislikes was 1) the fear and apprehension of some of the survivors as a small group emerges from another car inhabited by the 'infected'; what is ironic, the small group are the only ones to come close to surviving: had they all co-operated, more would have lived to make it to safety. They acted as the villagers in the movie SEVEN SAMURAI (1954), helpless to do anything except the wrong thing!
2) the anti-hero Yong Suk (Kim Eui Sung) who is a well-known actor but I have never seen in any movie before...his greedy obsession with reaching Busan led to the deaths of many of the support and main cast members. I will be watching for him in other movies from now on!
3) some of the other survivors acted selfishly, causing the 'infection' of other survivors. All could have made it had they cooperated along the way!
By the way, I have never seen Gonge Yoo act before, but his best scene in this movie is his last one, without a doubt!
A "SPECIAL MENTION" should go to the captain of the bullet train (Jung Suk Yong), who made it possible for the last survivors to get a chance to escape to Busan, and the director for allowing him that privilege; he remained col and collected while others lost their ability to think clearly!
All in all, passing up this movie would be a grave mistake!
The cinematography was excellent, from the zombies (the mass support cast most of which are not listed individually) to the main cast members appear to portray their characters well; and work together toward making the movie seem realistic and such a blockbuster!
RE-WATCH VALUE: Definitely!
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