Jjakpae (2006) Reviews

• Nothing original, but plenty of fun

  odom032007-01-23

  I didn't expect much from this....just an action flick to keep me busy for 90 minutes. I did get that, but I got even more. I won't oversell it. The story is about as original as buttered toast. The actors however, played it with as much heart as they could (while trying to look tough). I'm not saying that there are Oscar-worthy performances here, but they didn't sleep walk through it, either. There's a group of high school guys. They were friends, once upon a time. They grew up, and they drifted apart. One of them moved to Seoul and became a police officer. One day he gets a call summoning him home; it seems one of his boyhood friends has been killed. He goes home for the funeral, then with another boyhood chum, decides to investigate...because something just doesn't feel right. Tragedy and betrayal...and of course *violence* ensues. The action scenes were certainly effective, with plenty of stylized Tae Kwon Do all over the place. Only one gun in the movie (in a police station)! There are some people on the site saying the action is under-choreographed and infrequent. I felt like the movie had a good deal of action: Plenty of short action scenes to keep it interesting, and two long b*lls-to-the-wall scenes, the second of which is something like "Kill Bill" meets "Lethal Weapon." A buddy martial arts flick, there just aren't enough of those! Oh, and people talk about the homage to "Kill Bill"....check out the homage to "The Warriors." What can I say....I laughed. The bottom line is, this film is nothing groundbreaking. The drama won't make you cry. The action won't make you cheer out loud. The story won't make you think too much. In spite of this, it is a heck of a lot of fun. In the end, that's what entertainment is supposed to be...."fun." It's mindless action with a bit of soul....and I would recommend it to everyone....just set it aside for a night where you want a fun fix, and you don't want to think too much. And hey, we all have those some time.

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• Kicks arse!

  grandmastersik2007-03-06

  As with most action films: forget about the plot - this one holds very little surprises and the villain is obvious from his very first scene, thus eliminating any suspense from the first 45 minutes. But again: this is an action film, so who cares? Actually, this is a very stylish action film, bringing some pretty neat photography and music along to boot. It's also a rare tae kwon do mayhem-fest, so sit back and watch all those fighters leap into the air, pulling off unbelievable moves for your entertainment. Overall: cool fights and a finale almost (repeat: ALMOST) on a par with the legendary finale of A Better Tomorrow 2. Watch this film and - if you like martial arts action - you'll enjoy this immensely.

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• Great Korean flick that should not be missed

  wolfclaws222006-11-24

  As of 12:02am I finally saw this movie and i must say...it was a fantastic movie. The Cinematography was well done to a point it reminded me of Running Scared yet kept its own originality. The overhead views were nicely done and there was no shortage of action. I loved the editing on the movie and wasn't bored at all reading the subs as it was a fantastic story of loyalty an broken friendships. The action in its own right was brutal an fun as i craved to see what technique our heroes would use to take down there opponents. The ending was well played as the payoff was great and the final showdown was intense in action and drama. I don't have any real complaints about this movie as everything gelled together real well right down to the soundtrack (intresting they played western themes at the end when in the beginning Columbo was mention) its a great movie that should not be missed, it really shows how well Korea is coming along with its movies

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• Two movies for the price of one...

  poe4262007-09-18

  Two films for the price of one, THE CITY OF VIOLENCE: STAND BY ME by way of DUEL OF THE IRON FIST. The director's cinemanship (my term for "cinematic craftsmanship") is topnotch: he does the "gutwork" (laying the emotional groundwork that any movie worth its salt must evince) and delivers, in the end, a side-by-side/back-to-back toe-to-toe throwdown the likes of which we've rarely seen (and, like a John Woo "gun fu" classic at its best, THE CITY OF VIOLENCE does indeed deliver). The matter-of-fact murderer delivers the best line: "Your sense of right... was all wrong." If you like all-out action when it comes to on screen fight scenes, you'll love THE CITY OF VIOLENCE.

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• A fun ride

  chrichtonsworld2007-04-24

  City of violence is an action movie. And when it comes to action movies the plot isn't that important. At least as long as it never forgets to be in function of the action and not the other way around. But I was surprised to see that, (although not very original) the plot was quite interesting. The actors also did a great job in carrying this plot. They were believable as childhood friends who reunite after the death of one them. Doo-hong Jung (Arahan) who has the lead as the friend who is a cop also is the martial arts director for this movie. And it shows. He choreographed some excellent fighting scenes. Especially at the ending you will be in for a treat. One of the highlights of the movie is one big action scene in he middle of the city where Doo-hong Jung has to fight several gangs of kids on his own. He does gets assistance of a friend, Seok-hwan played Seung-wan Ryoo who is the director of this film. Not to be confused with his brother (actor Seung-beom Ryu from Arahan) who looks very similar to him! When these two get together the fun really begins. I don't know if it was meant as a parody or tribute to The Warriors, but it was sure a spectacular sight to see the Korean hoodlums dressed as the gangs from that movie. They were just as dangerous and menacing. The good mix of comedy, drama and action makes this a movie that has to be seen. It's one big and fun ride!

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