Emergency Declaration

A typical stab at a disaster movie from Korea, fairly good and watchable but instantly forgettable at the same time. My favourite Korean movies are their thrillers with harder bloody edges while this one lapses into shameless melodrama towards the climax. The first half, a tight thriller set on an aeroplane with a documentary feel, is certainly the best and keeps you watching thanks to strong direction and assured performances from Lee Byung-hun and Song Kang-ho among others. The second half is totally different, a wider-scale traditional disaster flick like one of those old AIRPORT movies of the 1970s. Not bad, but I wanted more.

A bit lengthy with some overheated exchanges and too many issues at same time, Han Jae-rim managed to present a gripping disaster movie from start to finish. Despite being underutilized, Song & Lee showed great fortitude to lead high-quality cast.

The South Korean movie, EMERGENCY DECLARATION, is an on-the-edge-of-the-seat thriller. While investigating a terrorist threat that goes viral online, Korean authorities discover that a suspect has recently boarded an international flight bound for the United States. When a healthy passenger on the same flight suddenly dies a gruesome death of unknown cause, panic erupts both in-flight and on the ground. With steadily decreasing fuel and international refusals to offer aid, the captain and crew will be forced to take unprecedented emergency measures to save the lives of their passengers.

This is a non-stop action-packed film with excellent acting by the entire cast. The tension mounts with each passing minute as the authorities race against time to find the source of the deadly virus before it claims any more victims. The special effects are top-notch, and the film's ending is sure to leave audiences breathless.

The cinematography must have been incredibly challenging. The interior of the aircraft is shot so that we feel we are right there with the characters. This adds to the suspense and makes for a truly harrowing experience. And the fear and anxiety we have all experienced about dangerous viruses as we have lived through the pandemic intensified the impact of this film for me. (Note: The movie doesn't exploit the pandemic -- it was conceived before the pandemic had begun).

EMERGENCY DECLARATION is a well-crafted, edge-of-your-seat thriller that is sure to keep audiences entertained from beginning to end. It is a must-see for fans of the genre.

Ok so, the first half of this movie was amazing. The thrill was there, performances were solid, everything was set up for a brilliant fast paced film, but then it just kind of wandered off a bit and turned into something completely different. A lot of unrealistic moments towards the end which knocks some points off but there's also a tearjerker moment that adds some back. Main awards go to si wan as the villain who did exceptionally good, and then of course the rest of the cast did well to match. Overall i'd say watch, you're not going to be disappointed but you will feel some things just didnt need to happen.

So locally, the movie was pretty good. I think (almost) every scene was well shot, well acted, and even every plot point was a good choice and moved the movie forward. My only issue with this movie was that if failed to create tension properly. Once the 'problem' begins you kinda feel the same level of stress. There aren't many local periods of anxiety or triumph. Even when some story critical sub plots work out, it just doesn't feel like anything was gain because at the same time nothing was risked. A good movie, just needs to vary tension, and pacing to achieve that goal.