Emergency Declaration

When I stumbled upon the 2021 South Korean thriller "Bisang Seoneon" (aka "Emergency Declaration") here late in 2022, of course I opted to sit down and watch it immediately. I am an avid fan of Asian cinema, and usually there is a lot of good movies coming from the South Korean cinema. Sure, I had not heard about "Bisang Seoneon" prior to sitting down to watch it, but that hardly mattered.

Writer and director Han Jae-Rim put together a very enjoyable and entertaining script and storyline for the movie, and it was quite a thrill ride. If you enjoyed the classic movie "Outbreak", then you will definitely also enjoy "Bisang Seoneon".

They had a great cast ensemble put together for the movie, and the actresses and actors put on good performances to bring the movie to life on the screen. I was initially thrilled when I saw that the movie had Lee Byung-Hun on the cast list.

And with the recent pandemic situation the world has been through, the storyline in "Bisang Seoneon" just packs a bit more of a punch that lands closer to home, doesn't it?

While "Bisang Seoneon" is a rather enjoyable movie, it could have benefitted from a more round-handed trimming in the editing room. Running at 141 minutes, this is quite an ordeal to sit through. Yeah, it was entertaining, but it was just a tad too long.

My rating of "Bisang Seoneon" lands on a six out of ten stars.

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.

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.

For those unfamiliar with the aviation term 'Emergency Declaration' (as I was), the film explains this in the beginning: If an aircraft cannot fly safely due to lack of fuel or other problems the pilot makes a declaration to the Authorities. This plane then has first priority to land.

As we discover in the film, though, although the pilot declared an emergency declaration, airports did not want the plane to land due to circumstances. So, lets start at the beginning and find out why. Jin-seok, a biochemist, uploaded a video to the Internet saying he is going to attack a plane. When Sergeant In-Ho sees the video, he decides to look into the matter despite his colleagues viewing it as a prank. Arriving at Jin-seok's apartment, though, they make a gruesome discovery.

Meantime ex-pilot Jae-hyuk and his young daughter Soo-min prepares to board a plane to Hawaii. When Soo-min accidentally notices Jae-hyuk hiding something under his skin, he starts following them and then takes the same plane.

On the plane, suicidal maniac Jae-hyuk releases a virus. With passengers starting getting infected - and dying - the film becomes a race against time to land and find help. However, this is easier said than done as we discover. The film takes so many turns and it is thrilling, exciting and nerve-wrecking.

'Emergency Declaration' is a very well made film with convincing performances from a seasoned cast, and a good score. It provides excitement for the entire 142 minutes runtime, and there honestly never was a dull moment. The film grabbed me from the beginning, and kept me glued to the screen and on the edge of my seat until that nail-biting finale. This is another fantastic Korean production.

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.