Tag Archives: Ma Dong-seok

Badland Hunters (2024) Review

Director: Heo Myung-haeng Cast: Ma Dong-seok, Lee Hee-Jun, Lee Jun-Young, Roh Jeong-Eui, Ahn Ji-Hye, Park Ji-Hoon, Jang Young-Namm, Park Sang-Hoon , Ahn Seong-Bong Running Time: 107 min. By Paul Bramhall Badland Hunters marks the latest entry in Korea’s burgeoning fascination with post-apocalyptic settings, a spin-off from director Eom Tae-hwa’s Concrete Utopia, which saw a group of survivors living in the last standing apartment block after an earthquake razed Seoul to … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

The Roundup: No Way Out (2023) Review

Director: Lee Sang-Yong Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Munetaka Aoki, Jun Kunimura, Lee Beom-Soo, Kim Min-jae, Jun Suk-ho, Ko Kyu-phil, Bae Noo-ri, Lee Ji-hoon Running Time: 105 min. By Paul Bramhall The expression “it’s the role he was born to play” may be a cliched one, but its hard to think of a more fitting one when it comes to Ma Dong-seok playing the witty, hammer fisted detective Ma Seok-do. Introduced in 2017’s … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Deep Trap (2015) Review

Director: Kwon Hyung-Jin Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Jo Han-Sun, Kim Min-Kyung, Ji An, Yoon Joo, Kwon Bum-Taek, Kim Dong-Hyun, Min Kyung-Jin, Jeong Gi-Seop, Kang Seung-Wan Running Time: 96 min. By Paul Bramhall In the Korean film industry the mid-budget genre piece has become increasingly rare in recent years, with the international success of 2019’s Parasite and the 2021 Netflix series Squid Game seemingly widening the gap when it comes to production … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Roundup, The | aka The Outlaws II (2022) Review

Director: Lee Sang-yong Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Son Suk-Ku, Choi Gwi-Hwa, Park Ji-Hwan, Heo Dong-Won, Ha-Joon Jeong, Jae-Kwang, Eum Moon-Suk, Nam Moon-Chul, Park Ji-Young Running Time: 106 min. By Paul Bramhall  Burly Korean actor Ma Dong-seok’s popularity skyrocketed after his supporting turn as a zombie bashing protective husband in 2016’s Train to Busan, leading to him featuring in a whopping 13 productions from 2017 – 2019, over half of which he … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Ashfall (2019) Review

Director: Lee Hae-Jun Co-director: Kim Byung-Seo Cast: Lee Byung-Hun, Ha Jung-Woo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jeon Hye-Jin, Bae Suzy, Lee Sang-Won Running Time: 130 min. By Paul Bramhall Korean cinema went for the disaster movie double in 2019, with the low-key Exit offering up a brisk comedic take on the genre, one that saw the residents of Seoul looking to escape a steadily rising cloud of poisonous gas. On the other hand, … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , |

Derailed (2016) Review

"Derailed" Theatrical Poster

Director: Lee Seong-Tae Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Minho, Kim Jae-Young, Jung Da-Eun, Lee You-Jin, Baek Soo-Min, Kim Won-Sik, Park Ho-San, Park Sung-Il, Han Soo-Hyun, Seo Ho-Chul Running Time: 91 min. By Paul Bramhall Derailed had a pretty bumpy road to the screen, as the story which takes place in the world of runaway teenagers was turned down by every investor it was pitched to, for reasons which become apparently clear once … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos, The (2019) Review

"The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Son Yong-ho Writer: Han Jeong-hoon Cast: Kim Sang-Joong, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim A-Joong, Jang Ki-Yong, Gang Ye-Won, Kim In-Woo Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall Feature length spin-offs of TV shows are a rarity in Korea, so it came as a surprise when the announcement was made that Bad Guys was going to be heading for the big screen. The concept of writer Han Jeong-hoon, Bad Guys aired as … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

One on One (2014) Review

Director: Kim Ki-Duk Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Young-Min, Lee Yi-Kyung, Cho Dong-In, Yoo Teo, Ahn Ji-Hye, Jo Jae-Ryong, Kim Joong-Ki, Kim Jae-Rok, Joo Hee-Joong, Choi Gwi-Hwa Running Time: 122 min. By Paul Bramhall Just like movies are a product of the time they’re made in, so the same can be said for reviews that are written of them. A review of The Matrix in 1999 described it as an innovative sci-fi … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Gangster, The Cop, The Devil, The (2019) Review

Director: Lee Won-Tae Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Moo-Yul, Kim Sung-Kyu, Kim Yoon-Sung, Oh Hee-Joon, Choi Min-Chul, Ahn Sung-Bong, Yoo Seung-Mok, Heo Dong-Won Running Time: 110 min. By Z Ravas If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, chances are writer/director Park Hoon-jung is somewhere in Korea blushing a bright shade of crimson right about now. In fact, the biggest surprise about this year’s The Gangster, the Cop, the Devil is … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , |

Unstoppable (2018) Review

Unstoppable | Blu-ray (Well Go USA(

Direcor: Kim Min-ho Writer: Kim Min-Ho Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Song Ji-Hyo, Kim Sung-Oh, Kim Min-Jae, Ji-Hwan, Lee Sung-Woo, Bae Noo-Ri, Park Ji-Hoon, Park Kwang-Jae, Lim Hyung-Joon Running Time: 115 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s fair to say that if The Man from Nowhere was Korea’s Taken, then Unstoppable is Korea’s Taken 2. One had Won Bin tracking down the traffickers who kidnapped his neighbour’s child, while the other has Ma … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days (2018) Review

"Along with the Gods: The Last 49 Days" Teaser Poster

Director: Kim Yong-Hwa Writer: Kim Yong-Hwa Cast: Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-Gi, Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Dong-Wook, Lee Jung-Jae, Jo Han-Chul, Kim Myung-Gon, Il-woo Nam Running Time: 141 min. By Paul Bramhall It’s been less than a year since Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds hit cinema screens, and already the second part of the consecutively filmed pair is upon us with Along With the Gods: The Last 49 … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |

Champion (2018) Review

Director: Kim Yong-Wan Producer: Han Dong-Hwan Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Kwon Yool, Han Ye-Ri, Choi Seung-Hoon, Ok Ye-Rin, Yang Hyun-Min, Kang Shin-Hyo, Lee Kyoo-Ho, Bae Myung-Ho, Kim Dong-Hyun Running Time: 108 min. By Paul Bramhall In 1987 Sylvester Stallone famously headlined the arm wrestling movie Over the Top, having agreed to star in it believing that, in all likelihood, nobody would watch it. He was wrong, of course, as despite its … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Outlaws, The (2017) Review

"The Outlaws" Korean Theatrical Poster

Director: Kang Yoon-Sung Cast: Ma Dong-Seok, Yoon Kye-Sang, Jo Jae-Yun, Choi Gwi-Hwa, rk Ji-Hwan, Hong Ki-Joon Running Time: 121 min. By Z Ravas I walked away from 2016’s smash hit Train to Busan with a distinct impression that supporting actor Ma Dong-seok had stolen the movie – no small feat in a film about a train full of rabid zombies! Although I’d caught the actor in plenty of parts before, including Kundo: Age of … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged |

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds (2017) Review

Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds | Blu-ray & DVD (Well Go USA)

Director: Kim Yong-Hwa Cast: Cha Tae-hyun, Ha Jung-Woo, Ju Ji-Hoon, Kim Hyang-Gi, Kim Dong-Wook, Do Kyung-Soo, Lee Joon-Hyuk, Lee Jung-Jae, Ma Dong-Seok, Jung Hae-Kyun Running Time: 139 min.  By Paul Bramhall It’s been a while since Korea delivered a full-blown fantasy spectacle, with perhaps the last time being Jo Dong-oh’s The Restless, way back in 2006. However with the current trend of webtoon (online comic) adaptations that are dominating both Korean … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , |

New World (2013) Review

Director: Park Hoon-jung Writer: Park Hoon-jung Cast: Lee Jung-jae, Choi Min-sik, Hwang Jung-min, Song Ji-hyo, Park Sung-woong, Kim Yoon-seong, Na Kwang-hoon, Park Seo-yeon, Choi Il-hwa Running Time: 134 min.  By Martin Sandison Filmmaker Park Hoon-jung has a limited filmography, but as the credited screenwriter on the all-time masterpiece I Saw the Devil, he started off his career very strongly. His 2nd film as director – following 2011’s The Showdown – is New World, an off-the-wall mix of gangster … Continue reading

Posted in All, Korean, News, Reviews | Tagged , , , , |