I’m a huge fan of South Korean movies, even more so when it comes to S. Korean revenge flicks. They really take seeking revenge to the next level, making almost anything in the states look pale in comparison. The revenge plot in the Saw movies? Nope. It might as well be Home Alone movies where Kevin McCallister is grown up and takes the name of Jigsaw, switching out his paint can pendulums and Micro Machine covered floors for bear traps and razor wire. Punisher dishing out vigilante justice? Nah. His vengeance would be viewed as merciful in the S. Korean genre, albeit that he is getting pretty close to their standard of vengeance.
That being said, out of all the movies in the S. Korean Revenge genre (and there are many), the most iconic would probably have to be “Oldboy” directed by Chan-wook Park. An incredible story about a man held captive for 15 years for reasons unknown to him at first and then, for no apparent reason, is released. The rest of the story is him finding who locked him up and why. There a lot of twists and turns, hyper-violent fight scenes, and eating of a live octopus, just to give you an idea what this S. Korean movie is like. Which is undoubtedly why Spike Lee decided to adapt it for American audiences starring Josh Brolin. (Release date has not been set since they pushed it back from its original October 2013 release date.)
The Red Band Trailer is below and may not be suitable for all ages or safe for viewing at work. But hey, I watched it work and didn’t get in any trouble. I’m kind of a rebel though. I will say I’m a little concerned about this Asian movie being adapted for American audiences, since I think they are rarely successful in the translation. But this trailer does make it look promising. Your thoughts?
