I'd been circling around this movie for a while, unsure whether to give it a chance, but eventually decided to go for it because of the strong cast.
I never thought I'd be writing something negative about Korean cinema, but this film is truly awful.
Who would have thought two such factors would coincide:
South Korea. I didn't expect Koreans could make such a terrible movie.
'The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift'. Or rather, its pale and talentless reshoot, transplanted into 1980s Korea. There's also some similarity to 'Baby Driver,' but only in a couple of minor scenes.
The creators had the fully written original script, audience feedback, and a huge database of information from almost 20 years. They could have relied on all that, but instead, they made an outright disaster.
Some might say you can't compare them due to the different budgets ($76 million vs. $15 million). But no one asked them to remake an already excellent film, and $15 million is not a small amount of money even today. The Koreans acted "smartly": they moved the events to 1988, eliminating the need for expensive cars, expensive tuning, and especially expensive special effects.
I admit, as someone who has rewatched 'Tokyo Drift' multiple times, I didn't immediately realize this was its remake. At first, I thought it was an imitation. At worst, a borrowing. But the further it went, the more I became convinced: this is a shot-for-shot remake, only worse and poorer. However, they did change and add some things of their own, since direct copying would have looked even worse. So at least they brought something good to the table.
About the actors:
Yoo Ah-in looks good on screen but appears stiff. Yes, his character is supposed to be that way, but I'm talking about the acting itself, which at times seems unconvincing and flat.
Park Ju-hyun is perhaps the brightest and most memorable thing in this film (almost like in the original. Only in the original, the most memorable thing is the cars). It's a pity she was given so little screen time and her character was completely underdeveloped. Her storyline and backstory here are completely different, and she looks better on camera than anyone else.
Graphics and sound: Everything was done on a green screen, and it's terribly obvious. The cheap special effects look like stock footage downloaded from the internet and inserted without any processing. The sound effects are equally generic and reminiscent of cheap sound libraries from old games. No cinematic depth or power.
If you've seen the original, describing the plot is pointless. The main beats are repeated here. The film's description explains everything briefly and without spoilers.
By the way, the "action" genre tag is completely irrelevant here. There is none. "Crime" - yes, but also superficial. This is not the kind of movie you might think it is or are used to watching. It's more like a parody comedy.
If we're talking about the most obvious quoting of the original, it's undoubtedly the ending. It's practically shot-for-shot, but due to the pathetic graphics and different context, it evokes not nostalgia but only a bitter smirk.
What's the main problem? The film is sharply divided into two parts. The first part is tolerable, even with a couple of nice shots. The second part is unbearable, leaving a feeling of vile disgust, as if you've watched a cheap Chinese knock-off.
Verdict: You're better off rewatching the original 'Tokyo Drift' or 'Baby Driver' twenty times. 'Seoul Drive' is a textbook example of how not to make remakes. It can only be watched out of curiosity for oddities, but be prepared to turn it off halfway through. Spare your time and nerves.
