Battle of Jangsari is the second part in a loose trilogy about the Korean War that started with the brilliant Operation Chromite three years before this film. It tells the story of a group of students who only had a few days of military training that must participate in a diversionary manoeuvre on the West Coast of the Korean peninsula. The movie follows different characters such as a native North Korean who has to confront his own cousin, a protective brother and his disguised sister who participates in the battle under a false identity and an ambitious soldier who is seen as the family's black sheep and wants to make them proud. The young soldiers successfully manage to storm the beach under difficult circumstances and surprise the North Korean Army but the enemy is soon sending massive reinforcements while the South Korean soldiers don't get their expected support and realize that they are on a suicide mission.
This movie convinces on almost all levels. The story is tense and gripping from start to finish, analyzes a historical battle appropriately and criticizes some actions by the South Korean and American commanders. The characters are intriguing, diversified and authentic as viewers will care about their fates. The fight scenes are realistic, intense and brutal as they bring the horrors of war to life. The locations look splendid from stormy oceans over poor villages to heavily fortified outposts. The outcome of the different characters' fates remains unpredictable and will keep your eyes glued to the screen until the heartbreaking conclusion.
The only element that was unnecessary were the few scenes involving Megan Fox as war correspondent and George Eads as tough general. The two characters have a handful of conversations that always sound exactly the same. Megan Fox's character cares about the lives of the teenage soldiers while George Eads' character claims that there is nothing that can be done to save them. It seems that these two American actors are only in the film to attract international viewers but they are by far the worst actors and characters in the entire movie. The film should have either cut this entire story line or worked out a more detailed side story with more dedicated actors.
Despite that one major letdown, the rest of the movie is excellent. This action-drama is intense from start to finish and tells a story few people have heard about. Paying tribute to these inexperienced teenage soldiers is essential. Battle of Jangsari isn't as intense as Operation Chromite but comes quite close and can be considered the best war movie of the year along with critically acclaimed 1917. The third and final part of this already outstanding trilogy can't come soon enough.
