Arahan (2004) - A Review

 

This Korean comedy kicks butt!

Arahan is a martial arts/fantasy/comedy movie released in South Korea in 2004 and stars Ryoo Seung-bum, Yoon So-yi, Ahn Sung-ki, Jung Doo-hong, Yoon Joo-sang, Kim Ji-young, and Ahn Gil-kang. Arahan was directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, with fight choreography by Jung Doo-hong.

Ryoo Seung-bum as Sang-hwan (in the middle). He is such a dork in this!

In Arahan, Ryoo Seung-bum plays Sang-hwan, a dorky, less than graceful rookie police officer who wants to do the right thing in his job. One day, he chases after a robber escaping on a motorcycle, but gets injured by Wi-jin (played by Yoon So-yi), a skilled martial artist, after she throws an errant Palm Blast at him. She takes Sang-hwan to her house, where her father Ja-woon (played by Ahn Sung-ki), a Tao master and the other masters use acupuncture needles to revive him and release his chi. After he recovers, he immediately shows signs that he could be the person the Tao masters are looking for to be the inspiration for martial artists around the world and become the Maruchi. The Tao masters and Wi-jin begin training him in martial arts.

Meanwhile, an old man is found meditating behind a subway wall. He escapes, and starts taking out the Tao masters who are helping Sang-hwan. This old master, Heug-woon (played by Jung Doo-hong), is looking for the key, which he suspects the Tao masters are hiding. He wants the key to restore order in the world. Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only ones who can stand up to him, but they are not on the same page, and Sang-hwan may not even be emotionally or mentally ready for this battle...

Yoon So-yi as Wi-jin (left) and Sang-hwan.They have great, awkward chemistry together.

Arahan is another movie I heard about in the early 2000s, and I always looked for it in my local video store but could never find it. I forgot about it eventually, but I found it on a streaming site recently, and the name came back to me. So, did Arahan live up to the hype? I would say, definitely! This movie is very enjoyable with awesome action. It is mainly a comedy, very similar to Stephen Chow's Shaolin Soccer or Kung Fu Hustle. It also reminded me of the classic 80s Hong Kong martial arts comedies. As you can imagine, I enjoyed the comedy very much (though, comedy is subjective, so you may not find it funny). The comedy is very silly, and I appreciated the references to Power Rangers, My Lucky Stars, and Dragon Ball. Was not expecting those getting shout outs! Though there is a lot of comedy in Arahan, it does get serious towards the end, when our heroes face their biggest challenge. The back story is very interesting and gives a reason for the conflict.

Ryoo Seung-bum is hilarious as Sang-hwan. He plays the well-meaning dork so effectively. Even though he seems weak and useless, he is a good guy. He gets beat up and humiliated for doing his job dealing with a gang. He goes through some harsh training, which he does not seem to be benefiting from (until he does). Sang-hwan is very easy to root for. Yoon So-yi as Wi-jin is great as well. She is a very strong and determined young woman woman, and she is very skilled in the martial arts. She has no time for Sang-hwan's foolishness. She understands the danger the world is in when Heug-woon returns, and is hard on Sang-hwan for not taking it seriously. Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are great in their scenes together. Finally, Jung Doo-hong as Heug-woon is one menacing villain. He doesn't say much, but he doesn't have to when he's defeating the Tao masters like they're nothing. You may feel a little sympathy for his character...but not much.

The action in Arahan is really good!

There are two main fight scenes in Arahan, and they are really good! The first fight scene is when we finally see how good Sang-hwan has become. The fight is fast and hard-hitting. It is very much influenced by the Hong Kong fight scenes of the 80s. Ryoo Seung-bum seems to be an actual martial artist, and he really gets to show his stuff in that fight scene. The end fight is more of an epic battle, with a lot of wire-work and special effects. It's a hard-hitting fight that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Jung Doo-hong is unstoppable in this fight! The other action in this movie are in short little bursts, and in the training sequences. Though there are only two fights, they are worth waiting for.

When I watched Arahan, I did not know what to expect. What I ended up watching was a hilarious martial arts action movie that I recommend to anyone that loves comedy, martial arts, or Asian cinema. Though this movie was released in 2004, it seems very modern. The CGI is actually pretty good, too. The plot is interesting, the comedy is funny, and the action is fun. What's not to like? Check out Arahan, it's a jolly good time!

Reviewed by David Williams

Dog of Flanders A.K.A. Barking Dogs Never Bite (2000) - A Review

 

Dog Of Flanders is a very dark comedy. It's brilliant, actually!

Dog Of Flanders, also known as Barking Dogs Never Bite and A Higher Animal, is an independent dark comedy movie released in South Korea in 2000. The movie stars Lee Sung-jae, Bae Doona, Kim Ho-jung, Go Soo-hee, Byun Hee-bong, Kim Jin-goo, and Kim Roi-ha. The movie was written (along with Song Ji-ho and Derek Son Tae-woong) and directed by Bong Joon-ho in his directorial debut.

Lee Sung-jae as Kon Yun-ju is a very flawed protagonist.

In Dog Of Flanders, Lee Sung-jae plays Ko Yun-ju, a struggling academic who does menial jobs with dreams of becoming a university professor. He lives in an apartment with his wife, Eun-sil (played by Kim Ho-jung) who is pregnant, makes the majority of the money between them, and treats Yun-ju terribly. She gives him no affection, belittles him, and makes him do menial tasks for her at home. As you can imagine, Ko Yun-ju is frustrated with life, and he is especially frustrated with the constantly barking dogs in the apartment complex. So frustrated, that he decides to take matters into his own hands to stop the barking...

Bae Doon as Park Hyun-nam is the underdog you can totally root for. She's excellent in this.

Park Hyun-nam (played by Bae Doona) is a book keeper and maintenance worker at the apartment complex who notices that people in the complex are coming in to get their 'Missing Dog' posters stamped. Hyun-nam wants to become famous after seeing a female bank teller fight off a robber on the news. One day, Hyun-nam and her friend Yoon Jang-mi (played by Go Soo-hee) are on the roof of a building across the apartment complex when Hyun-nam sees a man throw a dog off the roof to the ground below! Inspired by the bank teller (and fame), she chases after the man! Unfortunately for her, she never sees his face, and is unable to catch him.

Empathy and fame make you do crazy things.

Ko Yun-ju's and Park Hyun-nam's paths cross when Yun-ju comes in to get his 'Missing Dog' posters stamped. His wife bought a dog (who she treats with love and affection), who he then lost while taking it out for a walk. Hyun-nam even helps Yun-ju put the posters up. Things get complicated when Yun-ju finds out the reason his wife bought the dog, and he becomes desperate to find it. Hyun-nam is still in search of the dog killer, and things intertwine from there...

I'm not going to lie, Dog Of Flanders is a somewhat disturbing movie. It has a disclaimer at the beginning claiming that 'No Animals Were Harmed In The Making Of This Movie'. From what is shown in the movie, they must've had state of the art special effects done, because the dog abuse looks way too real! So, there's a warning for those that are sensitive to that sort of thing.

Besides that, this movie is quite funny! It is very dark humor, but it is really good. The things that happen to Ko Yun-ju and Park Hyun-nam are just too cruel. Lee Sung-jae plays a very flawed underdog, who does some incredibly messed up things, but you still somewhat root for him. Bae Doon is also an underdog in this, but you relate to her much more. She is very empathetic and caring, even if she is a little naive. She actually reminds me of my cute friend in college (I miss her a lot). Bae Doon is just amazing in this movie!  There are a lot of other eccentric characters in this that get their time to shine as well.

I highly recommend Dog Of Flanders! It is a must-see from Bong Joon-ho. It contains elements of dark comedy, drama, and horror that make up a movie where you don't know what it's leading to. It also has a deeper theme under the surface. It really makes you think. What can I say? I loved it!

Reviewed by David Williams