Seobok

There are many philosophical questions here ... what makes us who we are ... what keeps us sane ... the power of "immortality" (you can still die, but in theory you could also live forever) ... there are so many things that are being asked. Is death really the one thing that keeps us sane? How can we know for sure? Of course same can be said about the live forever theme ... as Queen asked in their song too ... though I reckon the first instinct always is to say yes. Survival instinct and all that.

Having said that, while this is about quite the philosophical themes ... it also has quite a lot of action in it. I personally like a lot of Korean movies and while I am not completely enamoured by this one, I still think it is more than a nice effort. The melodrama is a bit much ... and there is a lot of things that remain unanswered ... but of course they are ... how would the movie be able to answer things we do not know? See above ... still a neat Science Fiction action brain teaser to say the least.

I love both leads who worked hard to overcome a mediocre script. The film began okay, quickly became muddled, developed large holes, and then fell apart. But I did think the ending worked okay.

Entertaining big-budget sci-fi thriller. I have to say I mostly got what I wanted out of it, and that's a mix of pathos, road film and some action for good measure. It does have its shortcomings that keep it from being great, though.

Imagine having a male Asian version of Eleven from Stranger Things. Then give him a Frankenstein-type backstory and pair him with a skilled secret agent who has his own brand of unsavory past. They're the centerpiece of the film and their gradual bonding is at the heart of the story. This is the kind of thriller that takes cues from modern Hollywood cinema, but keeps that Korean flair in trying to wring out real emotions from its characters while putting them in some tough spots. It even goes overboard in that regard, with some slightly predictable, almost underwhelming scenes in the second half. The film's focus switches from an entertaining, sometimes touching road trip to borderline-corny melodrama with occasional SFX-heavy sequences. Still, even then the film has its moments; there's a particularly effective beach scene that manages to find a sense of melancholy amid all the obvious sugarcoating.

Overall, this is a polished, mostly fun and exciting ride that's worth a watch if you're into Korean genre fare and don't mind formulaic plotting. It won't blow you away, but it's got just enough going for it.

Although there are some action scenes and the story is based on human cloning, the film is philosophical.

It has a deep core and asks deep questions.. Why do we fear death? Why we want to live forever?

Is "how long we live" more important than "how we live"?

Are we living well?

Is there a purpose for our life?

The moment our death approaches, will we say that we regret or that we are proud of how we lived?

What would the world look like if humans could choose to live forever?

The film indirectly answers all these questions. And in the end Ki Heon answers the most important question.... Do you know now how the world gonna be if humans could find a way to immortality? And he answers, "Yes, I know." Ki heon represents a normal human who fears death and wishes to live longer and Seobok is immortality sought by everyone.

If you are expecting an action movie, the movie will be disappointing. It is a philosophical movie about human nature, death and life. And how humans might destroy each other if they could control who lives and who dies.

The two main characters have good acting skills, but the storyline is boring.