Korean Job Discussion Forums

[seoulsucker]

Haeundae, a film about a "mega-tsunami" that strikes South Korea's most popular beach at peak season was released this month and the GF and I decided to check it out (with English subs) on Sunday.

It's impossible to view many high profile/high budget Korean films without comparing them to their American/Japanese counterparts, and vice versa as Chungmuro, Hollywood, and whatever they call it in Japan officially ran out of original ideas years ago.

However when it comes to big budget disaster films that don't involve nuclear lizards, American films pretty much set the bar. Two that come to mind are The Day After Tomorrow and Armageddon, and it really hurts to say that a Michael Bay film in some ways outdoes this one.

Haeundae starts off by reminding everyone what occurred in the Indian Ocean in 2004, and follows up with a somewhat neurotic scientist explaining the possibilities of this happening to Korea to a room full of skeptics who laugh it off. His theory is that if a large chunk of a Japanese (didn't see that one coming, did you?) island crumbles off during one of their many earthquakes, it will trigger a mega-tsunami that will obliterate the Korean coast.

The next hour and a half of the movie is spent developing a group of quirky and very likable characters. There's the lovable drunkard with a heart of gold who has a bittersweet crush on his dead boss' daughter, the doe-eyed lifeguard who rescues the drama queen from Seoul and wins her over with his simple charms, the patriarch of the old fishing village who has dreams of opening a massive shopping mall on the beachfront, and other token characters who add laughs and groans throughout the meat of the film. As these characters interact, we're reminded of the impending wave that crashed through the previews and was so dominantly portrayed in the signage for the film.

Here is where the problem lies. With the exception of the scientist and his ex-wife, the characters have no connection whatsoever to the impending danger of what is about to happen to all of them. Despite all of the time spent on making us like or dislike the main ensemble, the anticipation of disaster and the drama building between the characters fail to intersect until the wave actually hits.

The short episodes with the scientist pleading for action don't really build any sense of urgency. They seem to be there to remind the audience, "Hey, there's a wave coming soon." It's as if two separate films are running parallel to each other for 100 minutes and then all of a sudden they collide for 20 minutes of chaos.

Visually, there are some stunning and captivating moments once the action kicks in. The CGI isn't exactly state-of-the-art, but it works well and provides some really dynamic action. Massive explosions, familiar buildings being torn to shreds, hundreds of bodies being tossed around, and the predicament with the freight ship on the Gwangan bridge are worth the price of admission and should be seen on the big screen. True to Korean filmmaker's form, the disaster is followed by over dramatic mourning that would serve well in another film but just doesn't work here.

Back to Armagaddon, TDAT, and what the hell, let's bring in another, Jaws. During all three films the protagonists are actively involved in either finding a way to stop the disaster or trying to figure out ways to survive it. The supporting cast of characters have small but important roles to play and the drama and relationships built between them are based on their impending peril. In Haeundae the lack of connection really takes away from the anticipation and anxiety.

Here's how I would have played this out. In Haeundae, why not have the scientist laughed out of the room, placed on leave and given no access to a boat to do deploy the early warning system? That way he has to pay a local fisherman (the lovable drunk and his motley crew) to ferry him out. While on the ocean a minor tremor causes a huge wave that wipes out the boat and they have to be rescued by the doe-eyed coastguard kid. Their eyes are opened to what could be coming at any moment. They get back and warn the patriarch about the coming danger, everyone is making preparations, running from shop to shop telling everyone what is about to happen, etc. You see where this is going. A few minor plot changes could have turned a good movie into a great summer blockbuster worthy of international attention and praise.

I'm going to give it a 2.5 out of 5 stars. The comedy, romance, and character development work well, but with no attachment to the premise of the film they seem to fall flat. Add in a serious lack of action beats and some over-the-top melodrama that even made my Korean girlfriend roll her eyes and you see why it doesn't score higher. Overall the payout for the movie is solid, but if you're expecting a disaster film you'll just have to wait 100 minutes to see ANYTHING of interest.
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[The evil penguin]

Just out of interest, does the movie show any drunken foreigners behaving badly or touching young ladies inappropriately on the subway?

Haven't seen it (kind of sick of the whole 'disaster' genre) but i am assuming that there is are particularly gratuitous close-ups of dying japanese as their island or whatever collapses.

Oh, does dok-do survive?

[Surfer Rosa]

Yes it does.

I was cast as "Rampant, drunken English Teacher #3" while on vacation down there. I did a few scenes where I try and force a young, nubile K-girl back to the love motel with me. She puts up a protest but after begging she finally consents.

It should be great for our community's image.

[seoulsucker]

[crossmr]

So you're saying make it like an american formulaic disaster movie and it'd be good?

[koreajim]

At least with action and disaster flicks you do not really need to understand the dialogue. Nothing like watching a Korean drama on a Sunday afternoon.

Does anybody know where I can download the movie?

Korea Movie Show Times in English: http://koreamovietimes.com

[seoulsucker]

[The evil penguin]

[crossmr]

[seoulsucker]

[DWAEJIMORIGUKBAP]

I saw 'Duplicity' the other night and I'd still do Julia Roberts event to his day. Phwoar....

[The evil penguin]

[OnTheOtherSide]

I hope the tsunami didn't hit Haeundae 609. That place is awesome.

[Sector7G]

[Surfer Rosa]