On May 2, 2017, Funimation will be releasing the Blu-ray & DVD for Black Butler, an 2014 action fantasy film by directors Kentaro Otani (Go, Masao!) and Keiichi Sato (Asura).
Inspired by the hit anime series Black Butler, this live-action adaptation brings an all-new story featuring a familiar demon butler doing what butlers do best: helping their masters seek revenge. The Black Butler is back—and there’s an all-new mystery to be solved. It’ll take one hell of a butler to figure it out!
Black Butler stars Hiro Mizushima (Beck), Ayame Gouriki (Gatchaman), Mizuki Yamamoto (Sadako vs Kayako), Yuka (Reincarnation) and Takuro Ohno (Liar Game: Reborn).
When there’s no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth. With Hong Kong island under quarantine and the walking dead roaming the streets, small pockets of survivors struggle to stay alive. But when the authorities learn of a potential cure located somewhere within the city, a lone warrior must battle the undead with the fate of mankind in his hands…
That’s the plot for Noriko: The Hong Kong Dead, an upcoming zombie action thriller produced by Mike Leeder (Ultimate Justice, Helios), Spencer Douglas (CFK) and Arne Venema (Neon Grindhouse: Hong Kong), who is directing the movie under the guidance of Vincent Dawn and Dan Findlay. The film stars Hong Kong-based indie actor Joe Fiorello (Love Stalk) and features visual effects by Matthew Blaize.
“Noriko is very much a Hong Kong Grindhouse project, it’s a zombie movie that wears its influences very heavily on its blood stained sleeves; we’re trying to capture that George Romero meets early 80s John Carpenter-feel for the movie, run through a very Hong Kong tilted filter,” says Leeder. “Watch out for some very familiar faces glimpsed amongst the Zombie hordes,” he adds.
Vincent Dawn admits: “I want to make a film about a man on a mission in a city of the undead where the living post as much of a threat as those who should be in the ground… and my zombies don’t f##king run!”
Watch the film’s Teaser Trailer below:
For the latest on the project, visit the film’s official Facebook page.
“Return of Kung Fu Trailers of Fury” Blu-ray Cover
Cityonfire.com and Severin Films are giving away 3 Blu-ray copies of Return of Kung Fu: Trailers of Fury to three lucky Cityonfire visitors. To enter, simply add a comment to this post and describe, in your own words, comment on the video below:
We will be selecting a winner at random. Be sure to include your email address in the appropriate field so we can contact you for your home address. Additionally, you must ‘Like Us‘ on cityonfire.com’s Facebook by clicking here.
The Blu-ray & DVD for Return of Kung Fu: Trailers of Fury will be officially released on March 14, 2017. We will announce the 3 winners on that day.
CONTEST DISCLAIMER: You must enter by March 14, 2017 to qualify. U.S. residents only please. We sincerely apologize to our non-U.S. visitors. Winners must respond with their mailing address within 48 hours, otherwise you will automatically be disqualified. No exceptions. Contest is subject to change without notice.
AKA: Secret Agent Director: Kim Ji-woon Cast: Goo Uoo, Song Kang-Ho, Han Ji-Min, Um Tae-Goo, Shin Sung-Rok, Seo Young-Joo, Lee Byung-Hun, Shingo Tsurumi, Kim Dong-Young, Park Hee-Soon Running Time: 140 min.
By Martin Sandison
I remember going to see Kim Ji-woon’s A Bittersweet Life back when it came out, and thinking: This is something special. An artistic aesthetic, but with populist entertainment at its heart. I then saw The Good, the Bad and the Weird, and here was the apotheosis of his approach. Finally, his masterpiece, I Saw The Devil, veered into a dark, but ultimately rewarding territory. Unfortunately, his American effort, The Last Stand, sanitised much of what had gone before, despite the fact it was a fun watch. Now, Kim is back in South Korea with his most lavish production to date, one that carries on his vision, but also falls short in some areas.
Screening in the Glasgow Film Festival, Age of Shadows benefits from a big screen viewing, not least because of the riveting action scenes. Also the movie features some of the best male Korean acting talent with Song Kang Ho, Gong Yoo and Lee Byung Hun (in a cameo appearance) all sharing the screen.
Song plays Lee Jung-chool, a high ranking officer who has defected from the Korean resistance and takes his orders from Japanese overlords. Song finds himself being pulled back in to the resistance thanks to circumstance, his conscience and resistance fighters Che-san (Lee Byung Hun) and Kim Woo-jin (Gong Yoo). They both manipulate him into helping them, and thus sets in motion a plot with plenty of twists and turns.
With the bravura opening scene, Kim sets out his stall; action choreographed with the eye of a genius and complex character design conveyed through this activity. The show-stopping set pieces on show some of the most intricately designed in recent history, and make a case for Kim being THE action filmmaker of our time. What makes them special is the combination of tension, technique and character depth within each sequence. The centrepiece scene is on a train, and it is so crammed with the above, it bursts at the seams.
Gong Yoo shows much more acting chops than a pretty one-note performance in Train to Busan, with more noteworthy scenes, especially towards the end. Song Kang Ho proves yet again he is one of the best leading actors in the business, and tackles the development of his character with aplomb. Despite being a glorified cameo, Lee Byung Hun’s role is a pivotal one with his charisma intact. A mid-film scene, featuring all three is glorious, as they drink from a seemingly neverending barrel of wine – in the hands of a lesser filmmaker, this could have been the best thing about the movie; Kim handles each character and situation with such mastery that there are numerous stand out scenes. Special mention goes to Um Tae-Goo as Hashimoto, in a seriously creepy and physical performance as one of the Japanese officers. However, there are a couple of Western actors in small roles who come close to Hong Kong movie levels of terrible acting.
The gloss of the film can be a bit stifling at times (it’s the first Korean Warner Brothers co-production), with little edge compared to Kim’s greatest work, I Saw The Devil. Also, the opening half hour is pretty hard to follow, with multiple characters introduced and plot strands piling up.
The Age of Shadows certainly is an exhilarating ride, and has some thematic and historical depth. This approach is one reason why South Korea is making some of the best movies at the moment, and long may it continue.
Famed Hong Kong star Lau Ching Wan (Call of Heroes) looks to be getting back to the gritty, grimy world of gangsterism in Drug Warn (previously known as The Fixer), an upcoming film from director Lawrence Lau (My Name is Fame).
AFS describes the Drug Warn as a true-crime drama about a Hong Kong gangster gone good. We cannot help but think of Lau’s Too Many Ways to Be Number One,or any of his other Milkyway titles made in the era were Lau was at his best.
On March 7th, Thomas J. Churchill’s all-star actioner, Check Point, will be unleashed on practically all streaming platforms, as well as DVD at major retail outlets, including Walmart, Best Buy, Amazon.com, Netflix, Redbox and Military Base shops.
Check Point is about a sleeper cell terrorist plot that is discovered in a small town where everyone knows one another, or so they thought they did. As justice seems lost, when an insurgent attack threatens to escalate into a full-blown invasion of the US, a team of unlikely heroes must rise up to fight the enemy and protect their beloved country.
Check Point features an ensemble cast consisting of WWE Universal Champion Bill Goldberg (Universal Soldier: The Return), William Forsythe (Out for Justice), Mel Novak (Game of Death), Kane Hodder (Jason Voorhees from Friday the 13th films), Tyler Mane (Michael Myers in Rob Zombie’s Halloween), Fred “The Hammer” Williamson (Fist of Fear, Touch of Death), Former UFC Champion John Lewis (Sons of Anarchy), Krista Grotte (The Rack Pack), Kenny Johnson (The Shield) and the late Ricky Harris (Heat).
Don’t miss the film’s Trailer below and witness low budgetness at its finest:
“The Devotion of Suspect X” Chinese Theatrical Poster
China Lion Film Distribution has announced the release Alec Su’s (The Left Ear) The Devotion of Suspect X in the U.S. on March 31st. The feature is based on Keigo Higashino’s award-winning novel.
The Devotion of Suspect X follows a professor (Wang Kai of Railroad Tigers) assisting in a murder investigation, only to find that a longtime rival and friend (Zhang Luyi of The Chef, the Actor, the Scoundrel) from his early university days may be involved. The film also stars Ruby Lin, Hou Minghao, Yan Xujia and Ren Xiqing.
The novel was previously made into a Japanese feature of the same name, directed by Hiroshi Nishitani, and a Korean feature entitled Perfect Number, directed by Bang Eun-jin.
Watch the Trailer for The Devotion of Suspect X below:
Director: Longman Leung Co-director: Sunny Luk Cast: Aaron Kwok, Tony Leung Ka Fai, Chow Yun-Fat, Charlie Young, Janice Man Wing-San, Eddie Peng, Aarif Rahman, Tony Yang, Chang Kuo-chu, Wu Yue Running Time: 110 min.
By Kelly Warner
The 2012 Hong Kong crime film Cold War created a lot of buzz before its release and, at least in the West, did not seem to maintain that buzz once it reached audiences. It’s a good looking film, headlined by some of Hong Kong’s finest actors, and being a crime movie full of betrayal, it’s exactly the sort of thing that Hong Kong usually does so well. Personally, I found it to be an overstuffed, poorly paced thriller that lacked character development but had enough plot for two movies. Still, I was not totally against the idea of the sequel promised at the end of the first film. And when superstar Chow Yun-Fat was added to the sequel’s cast, I was like yep, consider me interested.
In the original, a bombing was used as a distraction to steal a police van and abduct five police officers. With Michael Wong’s police commissioner out of the country, the task of bringing the criminals to justice fell to rival cops Sean Lau (Aaron Kwok) and M.B. Lee (Tony Leung Ka Fai). Lau and Lee battled each other almost as much as the criminals, while also dealing with suspicions about a mole in the police force.
Cold War 2 picks up not long after the original, with Sean Lau now the police commissioner, M.B. Lee recently retired from his post, and the police van still missing. When one of the surviving villains from the first film abducts Lau’s wife and demands the release of an incarcerated ally, Lau has a difficult choice of whether to put family before public safety. Ultimately, Lau decides to do all that he can to save his wife, but the operation ends with the bad guys getting away and structural damage to a public place. The sharks smell blood in the water when Lau is put on trial for misusing his office’s powers.
Unlike most cop dramas, the Cold War films focus primarily on the high-ranking men and women in suits as opposed to the officers on the streets. Most of the action takes place in sleek, ultra-modern interiors as well-dressed A-list actors shout at one another and plot political maneuvers to unseat their rivals from power. And when Lau’s position is made vulnerable, the elites in Hong Kong set about removing him from power and installing a man of their own: M.B. Lee.
In a cast that included Aaron Kwok, Andy Lau, Eddie Peng, and Charlie Yeung, it was Tony Leung Ka Fai (League of Gods) that stole the show in Cold War. M.B. Lee was the most interesting character in the first film, thanks to Leung’s performance, his interesting look, and a script that allowed the character to operate in a gray zone between hero and villain. Lee begins Cold War 2 as a more reasonable man, but when he sees the opportunity to throw Lau from his throne Lee becomes a less interesting, more undeniably villainous character.
Power plays and secret meetings between Lee and Hong Kong’s secret elite push Cold War 2 into less believable territory than its predecessor. But I won’t complain about that because overall I found it to be a more focused, more entertaining storyline than the first film. Lau wants to defend his position at the top, Lee wants to see Lau disgraced, and both have loyalists within the police force who want to see either side succeed. Then the courts get involved and the intense legislator Mr. Kan (Chow Yun-Fat) starts investigating both parties, complicating matters for everyone involved.
Because I thought that Leung’s M.B. Lee took a step back in the sequel and that Aaron Kwok’s Lau was never particularly interesting, Chow Yun-Fat’s Kan makes for a very welcome addition, here playing the character with the most depth and humanity. The cast, in general, ably plays their parts in a film where plot came well before character, but Kan is actually fleshed out. And though it might’ve been cool to see Chow involved the action sequences, he’s quite likable as the smart law man.
Chin Kar Lok serves as the film’s action director and Cold War 2’s three major sequences are all quite good. The shootout in the tunnel motorway is especially thrilling. Cold War 2 is not the non-stop thrill ride that Hong Kong action junkies may be looking for. But thanks to Chin Kar Lok and a willing cast, the action we do get is full of surprises and crazy close calls.
I liked Cold War 2 more than the original. Unlike the first film, the sequel isn’t trying to do everything at once. It’s not a perfect film, though, and I wish that the screenplay had been given another pass. Some characters could be deleted, others expanded on. And because many characters are introduced with a name and title graphic that’s competing with dialogue subtitles, I found myself pausing the movie a few times so that I could best keep track. (A personal beef of mine is when a film thinks offering a character name and job title is enough to make that character memorable to an audience.)
Overall though, it’s an enjoyable crime thriller with a slick look and a cool cast of Hong Kong favorites. A potential Cold War 3 is hinted at in the finale, and though I’m willing to offer a lukewarm recommendation for the second film to curious film buffs, I can’t help but hope that perhaps the third time’s the charm.
The release of Rupert Sanders (White and the Huntsman) live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, based on Masamune Shirow’s manga/and anime by Mamoru Oshii of the same name, is right around the corner.
The film follows the exploits a female cyborg cop who hunts a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.
Ghost in the Shell stars Scarlett Johansson (Lucy), Michael Pitt (Funny Games), Pilou Asbæk (A Hijacking), Sam Riley (On the Road), Takeshi Kitano (Beyond Outrage), Juliette Binoche (Chocolat), Kaori Momoi (Sukiyaki Western Django) and Rila Fukushima (The Wolverine).
Ghost in the Shell hits theaters on March 31, 2017.
009-1: The End of the Beginning | Blu-ray (Tokyo Shock)
RELEASE DATE: May 2, 2017
Tokyo Shock presents the Blu-ray for 009-1: The End of the Beginning, directed by Koichi Sakamoto (Kamen Rider Fourze the Movie: Everyone, Space Is Here!).
This 2013 film is based on Shotaro Ishinomori’s classic spy heroine manga, 009-1. Meet Mylene, a sexy, sleek cyborg spy. She’s dressed to kill, fully-loaded with an anatomically concealed arsenal of high-tech weaponry and programmed with the most lethal fighting skills.
009-1: The End of the Beginning stars Mayuko Iwasa, Minehiro Kinomoto, Nao Nagasawa, Mao Ichimichi, Shizuka Midorikawa, Naoto Takenaka and Aya Sugimoto.
Kim Seong-Hun, the filmmaker behind A Hard Day and Tunnel, is making an eight-episode Korean zombie series for Netflix from a script by Kim Eun-hee (Signal).
According to Deadline, Kingdom is set in Korea’s medieval Joseon period where a crown prince is sent on a suicide mission to investigate a mysterious outbreak that leads him to a brutal truth that threatens the kingdom.
“I wanted to write a story that reflects the fears and anxiety of modern times but explored through the lens of a romantic fascination of the historical Joseon period,” said Kim Eun-hee.
We’ll keep you updated on Kingdom as more news arrives. Until then, Kim Seong-Hun’s DVD for Tunnel (read our review) hits retail outlets on May 2, 2017
Firestorm is a high-octane action/thriller set in modern day Hong Kong. It follows Lau as a senior police inspector out to bring a vicious gang of thieves to justice.
Firestorm (read our review) arrives from screenwriter-turned-director Alan Yuen, whose previous script credits include such titles as New Police Story and Shaolin.
AKA: Logan: The Wolverine
Director: James Mangold Cast: Hugh Jackman, Patrick Stewart, Richard E. Grant, Stephen Merchant, Boyd Holbrook, Dafne Keen, Elizabeth Rodriguez, Eriq La Salle, Elise Nea, Daniel Bernhardt Running Time: 137 min.
By Zach Nix
James Mangold’s Logan is such an eventful film to someone as myself that I struggle to come up with an opening statement about it, as it marks the end of an unforgettable era in blockbuster and comic book superhero cinema that we should never forget, and it’s all thanks to one Hugh Jackman. Jackman has been playing the iconic X-Men character, Wolverine, for a whopping seventeen years now and across nine films. In Jackman’s lifetime as the character, we have been witness to two Batman’s, two Superman’s, two Fantastic Four teams, three Punisher’s, and three Spider-Man’s. And yet, Jackman has been that constant that we’ve all taken for granted, always appearing as the exact same character across a franchise that has recast other roles around him. Even though the X-Men franchise has seen its ups and downs, Wolverine has always been consistently great across all of them, even though the films that he occupied varied.
With Logan, Jackman finally bids his iconic character farewell and in a way that he has never been able to fully do before, through a hard R-rated and violent standalone adventure that doesn’t set up future films or sacrifice good storytelling for unnecessary universe building. It somewhat plays off the previous events of past X-Men films, but more so as if they were once told legends of a great hero, making Wolverine very much so a Clint Eastwood archetype along the lines of The Outlaw Josey Wales or Unforgiven, an aged gun blade-slinger with one last mission to complete. It also jumps far ahead into the damaged and nearly pre-apocalyptic future of 2029, very much so separating it from all preceding events of previous X-Men films. In today’s day and age of universe connecting/post-credits teasing/PG-13 comic book superhero films that all start to blend at one point or another, Logan is a unique breath of fresh air that reminds us of the old days when adult comic book adaptations like The Crow, Blade, The Punisher, and Watchmen treated audiences like adults and gave them stand alone stories that were films first and foremost, not products.
In this semi-standalone future, Wolverine/Logan (Hugh Jackman) is a wounded and beat down man who drives a limo around to make money and takes care of Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart) on a secluded property on the border of Mexico. One day on the job, Logan is confronted by Donald Pierce (Boyd Holbrook), a cyborg-like mercenary working for Transgien, a heavily financed research group in search of specific mutants. Pierce warns Logan that a woman in search of him is harboring a young girl, Lara (Dafne Keen), and that she possesses something of his. When Logan eventually comes into contact with Lara, he finds himself wrapped up in Transgien’s hunt for her and is forced into a situation where he must protect her and Xavier whilst throwing his own desires to the curb.
While I personally believe that every X-Men film has done a commendable job at portraying Wolverine whilst fleshing him out more and more with each installment, Logan is the definitive Wolverine film that fans have been clamoring for. Here, Logan is portrayed as a pessimistic and harsh superhuman who has let the cruel world around him finally get to him. While Logan has always been an easily agitated guy, the anti-mutant and unrelenting world of Logan shows his patience at a particularly low level, and to a somewhat comedic effect. He’s a frustrated guy who simply wants to look out for himself, but his penchant for helping the innocent forces him to do the morally righteous thing and sacrifice his own well-being for others. While I don’t want to dive into spoilers, I’ll leave it at kudos to Mangold for giving Logan a final arc to complete his character.
Logan is also next level in that it fully unleashes Wolverine as never seen before, slashing and dashing his way through enemies and foes in gory delight. Jackman has always showcased a full sense of dedication to the character, but he’s now more unhinged than ever before thanks to the R rating. Logan easily racks up his highest kill count to date, with the entire film rounding out as the most violent and death filled X-Men venture to date. Mangold sets the tone and level of violence in the picture with an opening scene where some hard looking Mexicans try to steal from Logan, resulting in a limb dismembering tussle. Another unique scene of action includes an incident in which Xavier’s powers freeze everyone in time whilst shaking the entire world around them, with only Logan able to work his way through the powerful mind attack, stabbing frozen henchmen along the way. And finally, a finale set in the woods goes all out, with Logan running towards mercenaries and gutting them left and right. In other words, this is the Wolverine rage mode that fans have been begging for, and Mangold delivers it in spades.
Much as Mangold did in The Wolverine, Logan draws heavily upon Western iconography, as well as other memorable genre efforts, for the character and look of the film. Besides the previously mentioned Eastwood similarities, the most obvious is Shane, as Mangold even shows the Western within the film, comparing Logan to the drifter himself. The film also draws from Mad Max, but not simply for its apocalyptic imagery, but also for its reluctant hero whom gets wrapped up in other people’s business because he’s morally righteous at heart, just like Max Rockatansky. There’s also a strong Sam Peckinpah influence on the picture with it’s over the top violence and Mexican border setting. Even flourishes of Sergio Leone seep into the picture, with groups of gunmen surrounding Logan before a burst of violence sets into effect. One can’t also help but notice the similarities between the Lone Wolf and Cub series and Logan’s road trip to protect the young Laura whom he acts as a surrogate father too. Plus, the guy uses blades, miniature swords essentially, as his signature weapon. What’s truly fantastic about all of these filmic influences is that Logan never feels like a rip-off of any of them, but more so a cinematic blender that ingests their influences and subtlely homages them along the way, proving itself to be a unique neo-western for the comic book superhero genre.
Supporting performances are also to be commended, although the film is mostly the Hugh Jackman show, and deservedly so. Patrick Stewart returns as his supposed final time as Charles Xavier, and gives a truly emotional and gut wrenching performance as a weakened Xavier, who like Logan, has seen better days. Newcomer Dafne Keen is absolutely fantastic as the young Laura, a.k.a. X-23, and gives one of the best child performances I have seen in a long time. She practically steals the show like Kick-Ass’s Hit Girl character, not only because she kicks a lot of ass, but also because she showcases immense vulnerability and pathos as a young kid conditioned by her violent surroundings. Comedian Stephen Merchant also does great work as a mutant detecting mutant whom is dragged along for the adventure as well. On the villain front, Holbrook is delightfully cheesy yet menacing as the film’s main villain, whom the audience will be begging to see die by the film’s end. The biggest surprise of all, especially for martial arts and COF fans, is an appearance by none other than Daniel Bernhardt (Bloodsport II, John Wick) as one of Holbrook’s mercenaries. He’s not in the film long, but a minor appearance by Bernhardt always makes any movie better.
As much as I enjoyed Logan, the film does succumb to a few minor flaws that prevent it from outright being the masterful Wolverine film it could have been, although it is very close. Although I enjoyed the increased level of violence from previous Wolverine films, Mangold sometimes goes overboard and creates a sense of exhaustion during some of the action sequences, pushing the violence to extremes in parts that I felt were a tad inappropriate. Also, there’s a midpoint twist where a new villain is introduced, and it really took me a back and instantly hurt the entire film as a whole in my opinion. I don’t want to spoil this twist for others, but I will simply state that it was an unnecessary and silly science fiction addition to an otherwise grounded and practical film that did not need it. Also, the death of some notable characters throughout felt poorly handled and quite rushed, from both an emotional stand point regarding characters you love and a satisfying standpoint regarding characters you love to hate. Overall, Logan is great stuff, but a few minor flaws hold it back from being the perfect film it could’ve been, although readers may disagree with my opinion regarding these minor points I made, as they are very subjective.
After 2009’s disappointing X-Men Origins: Wolverine and 2013’s ‘so-close but no cigar’ The Wolverine, Mangold and Jackman have finally given us the definitive Wolverine film with Logan, the ultimate farewell to the character. This blend of neo-western and post-apocalyptic sentiments results in the ultimate genre film that action fans will be talking about for years to come. I know it’s premature to call it, but I highly doubt that any comic book superhero film for the rest of the year, let alone the next few years, will be able to match the pure visceral thrills and emotional ride of Mangold’s latest, as its cinema at its purest. While a tad overlong, the film clocks in a little over two hours, Logan is otherwise a brisk and dramatic adventure that slashes its way through the rest of the comic book superhero competition to rousing effect. Here’s to hoping that Logan reminds all of the other studios out there that not every comic book superhero film has to be connected to others or set up further sequels, as a passionate and daring standalone, especially one for adults, can prove to be infinitely more satisfying than five safe and stale efforts combined. As for Jackman, let’s all pour one out for the entertainer, as he, much like Wolverine, deserves a long rest and retirement for all of the years that he has given too us.
The film was loosely based on a classic short story by Pu Songling, a writer of supernatural tales during the Qing Dynasty. The same story also served as the inspiration for a 1992 Painted Skin starring Sammo Hung (The Bodyguard).
Now news comes from AFS that a 2019 prequel is in the works by The Huayi Brothers (see the film’s teaser poster). Details are practically non-existent at the moment, but being a prequel, we can only wonder who’ll be back for the action? Someone from Jedha City perhaps? Stay tuned.
Director: Jo Eui-seok Cast: Lee Byung-hun, Gang Dong-won, Kim Woo-bin, Uhm Ji-won, Oh Dal-su, Jin Kyung, Monsour Del Rosario, Jung Won-jung, Yoo Yeon-soo, Jo Hyun-chul Running Time: 143 min.
By Paul Bramhall
The Korean film industry rounded out 2016 with yet another thriller concerning those in positions of authority abusing their power. This time based on the true story of a CEO who defrauded his sales staff in order to line his own pockets, it’s a story that plugs directly into the sentiments that many Koreans are feeling towards those in authority during recent times. While some viewers are likely starting to feel fatigued at the recurring theme that’s been present throughout the year, these productions are arguably more entertaining than the overly patriotic epics like The Admiral: Roaring Currents and Northern Limit Line from a couple of years prior.
On the surface, Master bears a striking resemblance to a production which was released just a year earlier, in the form of Woo Min-ho’s Inside Men. Both focus on a trio of male characters and their allegiances with each other, and both feature Lee Byung-hun as one of the characters in question. Byung-hun has had a busy 2016, with roles both in Hollywood productions Misconduct and The Magnificent Seven, as well as on local soil with Master, and Kim Ji-woon’s return to Korean filmmaking in Age of Shadows. Here Byung-hun plays the CEO in question, the leader of a pyramid scheme company called One Network. Replacing Jo Seung-woo and Baek Yoon-sik as his co-stars are Gang Dong-won and Kim Woo-bin.
Dong-won has had almost as busy a year as Byung-hun, with major roles in the horror movie The Priests and crime caper A Violent Prosecutor. For Master he purposefully beefed up for the role, with his broad shouldered appearance reflecting a marked difference from his usual slight frame. Playing a committed anti-corruption investigator, to draw a comparison to The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly, Dong-won is the good to Byung-hun’s the bad. That leaves the ugly, which has Woo-bin playing a young IT expert who’s been helping Byung-hun to launder the money, while also planning to skim off the top. Woo-bin has made a steady transition from predominantly starring in TV dramas, to featuring more on the big screen. Cutting his teeth as the main character in Friend 2, which was followed up with a role in the breezy crime caper The Con Artists, Master is definitely his meatiest role to date.
At the helm is director Jo Eui-seok, also responsible for the script, who was last seen directing the Korean remake of the Hong Kong movie Eye in the Sky, with 2013’s Cold Eyes. What’s perhaps most interesting about Master is that, despite Byung-hun and Dong-won clocking in the most years of experience, it’s Woo-bin’s compromised IT expert that proves to be the most interesting focal point of the movie. His expertise in staying off the radar clearly not matching that of his IT skills, he’s pulled in by Dong-won’s investigator, and strikes a deal to help them take down Byung-hun in order to avoid jail time. Forced to be a mole within Byung-hun’s organization, his constantly shifting allegiances, and willingness to do anything to save his own skin, come together to make him the most conflicted character of the trio.
This is however, also most likely due to Byung-hun and Dong-won’s characters being somewhat underwritten. Byung-hun fares the best, his natural charisma able to make roles even in misfires like Memories of the Sword at least watchable. As the CEO he portrays the role almost like that of a cult leader, addressing his thousands of employees in flashy seminar halls and shedding fake tears of gratitude, he’s blindly followed based largely on the cult of personality which he’s built around himself. Dong-won’s unwavering investigator is the dullest of the trio, given little personality beyond his desire to take down Byung-hun, and despite being dedicated to the role, the fact he has little to work with in terms of the script is at times a little too apparent.
Master essentially feels like two movies in one. The first half is set in Korea, and involves plenty of setup and plot development as proceedings build to a raid on Byung-hun’s home, with the intention of seizing a ledger containing the names of those in power who he’s been paying off. However he ultimately gets away, escaping with both the ledger and $3 billion, and sets sail for Manila in the Philippines. After a climatic car chase and fight between Dong-won and a masked assailant in a tunnel, he’s ultimately left high and dry with no more evidence than what he began with, while Woo-bin is marked as both a traitor to One Network and ends up on the receiving end of a blade.
It’s only when the pair get wind of Byung-hun’s whereabouts that they decide to team up in order to redeem themselves, and get the bad guy once and for all. This basically sees proceedings hit reset, as everyone packs up and heads to Manila for a second crack at taking down Byung-hun and his cohorts, and the remainder of the movie is set for the most part in the Filipino capital. While most other reviews for Master will skim past this point, it’s worth noting that the Filipino senator that Byung-hun’s CEO attempts to woo while in Manila, is played by none other than Monsour Del Rosario. Yes, the same Monsour Del Rosario from such 90’s action movies as Ultracop 2000, Techno Warriors, and Bloodfist 2. Since those days of appearing in action cheapies, Del Rosario has become (at the time of writing) the congressman for a district of Manila, so can kind of be viewed as playing himself.
The change in locale certainly plays a big part in keeping things from appearing too repetitive, with the slums of Manila acting as a sharp contrast to the extravagant life Byung-hun was living in Seoul. His pitch perfect Filipino accented English is also a plus, which he learnt specifically for the role, and makes his attempts to swindle Del Rosario into coughing up billions of dollars for a proposed eco-city, which he has no plans to ever build, all the more entertaining. It’s a credit to both the script, and Byung-hun’s acting, that the switch to English never glaringly stands out as it did in similar efforts such as The Berlin File, with some lines even being quote worthy. At one point Byung-hun quips “Senator, let the children play on the grass, and not in the trash.” A line which delivers the intended comedic effect.
It’s perhaps indicative of the script as a whole that we get to spend the most time with the villain, and indeed at times even feel endeared to him. However Master can’t quite escape from the fact that it’s very much a talk-heavy movie, while seeming to strive to be something more action orientated. The action quota is in fact minimal, and while the initial Seoul based climax in the tunnel is a brief but suitably tense confrontation, a final shoot out on the streets of Manila almost feels shoe horned in, and doesn’t feel natural for the characters to be partaking in. The same criticism can be applied to the final scene as a whole, as Eui-seok seems determined to allow proceedings to end with a bang, despite the majority of what’s come before not really being indicative of such a tone.
Indeed the epic runtime of 143 minutes doesn’t seem entirely justified. But thankfully Master coasts along on the stellar performances from its trio of leading men and supporting cast, which includes Jin Kyeong (who also featured in Eui-seok’s previous movie Cold Eyes) as Byung-hun’s business associate, Eom Ji-won as Dong-won’s partner, and the ever-present Oh Dal-soo. However with some additional trimming and the inclusion of a couple more action scenes, it’s easy to feel that underneath all of the talking and scenes of planning, there’s a much leaner movie that could have come to fruition. As it is, Master stands its ground as a middle-of-the-road thriller, bolstered by a high budget and A-grade actors who make it appear to be more. It’s a sleight of hand that Byung-hun’s character would be proud of.
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