User reviews

Better if watched before the new 'Kingdom' 2018 series, shows this movie could have been made better too, but the new series is so good that this movie paled in comparison. I don't know which one came first, but the series ended up the better of the two, by far. Still, it's worth the watch for any zombie enthusiast....and korean zombies even better. So if only have 2hrs to watch then this novie very good choice, but if you have 8hrs then go for the new series, 'kingdom', also korean language with subtitles plus season 2 just about ready I think...close maybe and S03+ not far fetched.

Train to Busan and Kingdom are better. So only watch this if you want to see Hyun Bin in a zombie movie. It's quite grandly produced but the story isn't that good and it's not as exciting. Perhaps it's because I watched Kingdom first and that is better. It's not fair to compare a series with a movie but this movie felt like it lacked cohesion.

Sadly, the best zombie movie of all time, Train to Busan, and series, Kingdom, are both Korean, so I had high expectations. They were not met.

This is a poor man's version of Kingdom. Inconsistent zombies and half cocked plot.

Still, better than the dross that comes out of Hollywood.

Let's face it - zombie movies nowadays are a dime a dozen. A lot of them look like they were only budgeted a dime! But this one obvious had a decent budget, which is a good start. But the most novel thing about this zombie movie is that it's not only Korean, but it's set in medieval times. That certainly gives this effort a novel air around it, and it helps to get though some of the problems to be found. The movie seems to assume its audience knows about Korean history and culture, but I can't really blame the movie for being murky in those areas. , since the movie was aimed at a Korean audience. The core storyline does have a few minor confusing plot points, but the biggest problem with the movie is that the first half moves really slowly, with endless dialogue and precious little zombie action. However, things do improve with the second half of the movie, where the zombie action suddenly bursts forth and runs... well... rampant until the very end. All of this rampant zombie action is pretty well done, and it makes it worth sticking through the movie's very slow first half. Obviously with the problems that I mentioned, this isn't among the very best efforts of the whole zombie genre, but zombie fans should find it all the same worth a look.

Koreans know how to make movies. They definitely have their own style, especially for Asian movies. Not much overacting like Asians tend to do. Chang-Gwol (Rampant) is worth a watch if you like zombie movies. It's not the best Korean zombie movie that I ever watched (that would be Busanhaeng (Train To Busan)) but for this genre it has it's place. The major problem to me is that it was a bit too long. I think with a shorter story it would be more effective. Nonetheless the zombies were pretty creepy, not perfect as their speed varied from super fast to slow when needed in the story. To me those are details but they have to be perfect. In Busanhaeng the zombies have a constant speedy chase what makes it look all more realistic and it adds to the thrills. Nevertheless Chang-Gwol is worth a watch.

I love zombie movies and this is definitely one of my top favorites. It has all the scare and excitment you need without all the constant jump. Everything is quite predictable, which is absolutely refreshing to not have to overthink things. Action packed and comical at times, it is definitely worth the watch. For those of you who dislike subtitles, please give it a shot. The subtitles are short and to the point. It wont leave you missing out on any part of this zombie filled adventure.

If you've seen the Korean tv show, Kingdom on Netflix, this almost feels like the pilot. There's many similarities including the zombies hating the sun. That being said, its entertaining enough, the lead actor is heroic and handsome and the zombies are really creepy. As well the Crown Prince returns to also find evil afoot with the humans in his kingdom as well - a corrupt government if you can imagine. Nothing outstanding but I didn't hate it.

I love Korean films n Train to Busan is my fav zombie film. Well, this is not as good as Train to Busan but nonetheless it is better than most zombie films produced left right n centre in Hollywood.

A prince returns home upon hearing that his elder brother has taken his own life. While the king is busy with his concubines n the minister of military plotting to overthrow the dynasty, our prince has to face assassins, rebels, cries of poor peasants n hordes of demons (hybrid between zombies n vampires). The demons r fast, terrifying n downright creepy. The cinematography is top notch n the action scenes involving the sword fights r awesome. There is tons of decapitations, slicing of arms, legs, etc. but the gore is restrained. The prison escape scene with the demons behind is pretty tensed n frightening.

A Korean zombie movie. A city was overrun by zombies. Lots of flying heads, arms, spurting blood, with kungfu and sword-fighting throw-in. Plot is rudimentary. Prince come back to reclaim throne. City has loads of zombies roaming about. That is what fighting is about. Entertaining but forgettable movie.

Having watched Korean horror, I thought the concept of setting a zombie apocalypse in the era of swords would be cool and badass, however I was disappointed. Rampant combines zombie apocalypse with political intrigue but fails to deliver on anything. The story is predictable, and the leads are annoying. The good parts of the movie are the zombie attack scenes, and the fight scenes. However, there is barely enough of that to save the movie. Unlike Train to Busan, the scares, and emotion do not work. There is no emotional stakes at all. But if you want a brainless zombie fun, this may help a little. Just make sure you have lots of time to spare.

Two years after the outstanding zombie movie Train to Busan, South Korea comes around with yet another extremely memorable zombie film entitled Rampant. Instead of copying the concept of yore, Rampant walks off the beaten path and mixes gripping horror movie elements with historical fiction and political intrigues. The story takes place during an era when the kingdom of Joseon was controlled by the Qing Dynasty. The heir apparent organizes a revolt against his own father who is manipulated by the minister of military. When his treason is uncovered, his allies and himself decide to commit suicide, leaving his pregnant wife behind. His last wish is that his pregnant wife is brought to safety in China and his estranged brother travels from China to Joseon to look after her. Upon arriving, the estranged brother realizes that a strange plague that originated from a foreign merchant ship is haunting the country and spreading like wildfire. He has the challenging tasks to survive the attacks of the immortals, save his dead brother's pregnant wife and defy the minister of military who wants to overthrow the dynasty and seize power. At the same time, he has to annihilate the hordes of zombies, be a leader for the suffering villagers and ultimately find his own identity.

There are numerous elements that make this excellent movie entertaining from start to finish despite a surprisingly long running time of one hundred twenty-nine minutes. The historical context is authentic, complex and fascinating. The settings look at times gloomy or majestic. The special effects are gripping and stunning. The sound effects are even more haunting and best enjoyed at your local movie theatre. The characters have depth and development. The acting performances are diversified and outstanding. The story has numerous twists and turns without ever losing itself in unnecessary subplots. The horror elements are bloody, dynamic and haunting which makes for an excellent mixture. The action scenes includes martial arts sequences, gun fights as well as epic confrontations with archers. The dramatic elements in the film are fleshed out and give this horror movie some unusual emotional and intellectual depth.

There is no doubt that Rampant is the best horror movie of the year and follows the contemporary trend of outstanding South Korean horror movies such as the creepy, mysterious and surreal The Wailing. If you don't have the chance to watch this movie in your local cinema that blindly supports vapid Hollywood productions, buy a physical copy of this masterpiece to support everyone involved in this epic project to make sure we can witness movies of similar quality in the future. Even if you don't like horror movies in general or might find zombie films superficial in particular, open your mind and enjoy this film to the fullest and forget endless, predictable and repetitive American series like The Walking Dead that can't compete with this masterpiece.

Korean movies normally have a common trait, and that is dramatisation. There usually is drama even when the genre is supposed to be horror or comedy, and the sound really helps a lot.

Rampant is very good in the graphics area, where there are many good landscape scenes, action and acting (at one part I wonder if I was watching Ruroni Kenshin instead).

Unfortunately, the plot is shallow and weak. Even the other usual korean element is missing, which is emotional scenes. There are a few which seem a bit forcibly slotted in, since the main character and side characters do not seem to have much encounters with heart -rending separations, compared with a few other korean movies out there (Train to Busan or otherwise).

Plot is weak due to several unexplained areas and plot holes. There are several times when things just happen without any explanation and viewers are left to just accept that "This just happens". Plus given the number of characters, it is interesting how many of them are not distinguished, to the point that their roles seem to be unclear.

Lastly, the execution and pace of the movie seems a bit dragged out, yes this involves palace politics but some parts are just too dragged out, or just boring in general. The quality fluctuates throughout the movie.

It's just another zombie movie. The plot is very much predictable. Acting and the cgi; both were good.

So yes the movie or the companies releasing the movie brag about this being from the makers of Train to Busan. And yes as one would expect there are zombies here too. Just in an old setting. Eastern meets the undead. And while this is not an entirely new concepts (chinese Ghost story comes to mind), the scope of everything is way bigger here.

And the use of CG effects too. I did catch myself thinking, WWSBD? SB standing for Shaw Brothers and their low budget effects, that were still quite something. If you don't mind some obvious CGI (not everything is smooth and can be spotted quite easily), and like action packed horror movies with a little bit of eastern flair .. well, you are on the money here. Characters could have been a little bit more enganging and the story is quite simple ... but again, this is about having fun (if you don't mind the gore of course)

Silly plot (obviously, in a zombie film:) but fun and entertaining zombie swordfight splatter. cool action scenes, decent acting, just rather pathetic dialogues and film takes itself too seriously in some instances (can't decide its overall mood - serious or popcorn cinema?)

Attempted to blend historical drama with zombie horror, resulting in an average cinematic experience, in my view.

The movie's premise of incorporating zombies into a historical setting was an interesting twist, offering a unique take on both genres. However, the execution didn't fully live up to the potential, and the film struggled to strike a perfect balance between historical elements and horror.

While the characters were serviceable, they lacked the depth needed to truly engage the audience. This made it challenging to feel a strong emotional connection with their struggles, despite the dire situation they found themselves in.

The action sequences were visually appealing, showcasing well-choreographed fights and intense moments. However, they sometimes overshadowed character development and plot progression, leaving certain aspects of the story feeling underdeveloped.

Rampant managed to deliver some thrilling moments and a few scares, but overall, it fell short of delivering a truly outstanding cinematic experience. The fusion of historical drama and horror had potential, but the movie ultimately struck a middle ground, resulting in an average watch that might not leave a lasting impression.

Train To Busan is the biggest surprise from South Korea to the zombie genre and horror fan all over the world when it not only got the survive horror element on point but also very emotion and gut wrenching to the point that it makes me literally cry in the end so after 2 years South Korea finally make another zombie flick called Rampant in hack/slash style and let's just say because Train To Busan already set the bar too high so Rampant definitely look pale in comparison but please go and see it cause until the release of Train To Busan 2 the best decision right now is Rampant and nothing else

I love South Korean films (and a lot of other Asian countries films) and I am a fanatical Film Buff in general; but I am not a critic. With that said, nobody needs to be a self imposed critic of this mass Zombie rampage film!

Set in the medeival times of a Josean Korean royal palace/city RAMPANT is a Sword & Horde zombie slasher. It reminded me of the 1974 film, 'Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires', that starred Peter Cushing, David Chiang and Julie Ege; except that dealt with vampires. The film concept is a good idea and what we get to see is a totally enjoyable film that, delivers everything you/me/we expect in Zombie slasher films. Of course its nowhere near as good as 'Train To Busan' (let us be truthful here...will any Korean Zombie film ever surpass that masterpiece?) but, its presenting the Zombie story from a totally different look. There are no oscar winning performances, just good solid acting with bits of humour and lots of frights & bites action. You know how it will end because...well...you just do! The fun is in the watching of everything in-between it all. Simply put this is ...Fantastic Film Fun for Fans of the genre!

Honestly, if you are trying to find another "Train to Busan", you won't find it here. The plot revolving a rebellion for the throne takes way too long to develop and ends up completely unnecessary in the development of the movie. The effects of the vampires (dunno why people are trying to say these are zombies, because they have all the characteristics of vampires) are decent at best, but the action scenes are way too few and short for a 2 hour film. I had to drag myself during the duration of it since 2/3 of the movies I was completely bored from the rebellion arc that ends up being useless. Just watch if you have 2 hours to spare, but be warned that most of the screen time will be chit chat

This movie is not perfect like train to busan but it is enough. I also like this movie.

Is this movie bad? No. The direction, cinematography, stunts, and zombie effects are all top tier.

The plot is what is lacking in this movie. This movie is 2 hours long and I felt like nothing happened. The visuals kept me entertained but I felt empty the entire time I was watching it. The plot was so basic and the characters didn't have any distinctive personalities.

Hyun Bin is a phenomenal actor and he wasn't really given much to work with since his character is so one-dimensional. A waste of his talent. I will say though, his sword work in this was pretty good.

If the script had been as good as the rest of the movie, I'd probably be giving it 3 or 4 more stars.

All in all, a meh movie that I'll forget about in a couple of hours.

After returning to his kingdom, a troubled prince finds that the political intrigue against his father is not the work of a rebel unit but a horde of flesh-eating zombies unleashed on the country and must rally a group of fellow warriors who trust in him to take out the creatures and regain the kingdom.

There was quite a lot to like with this one. Among it's finest qualities is the manner in which the zombie outbreak is featured here being loosened upon the populace, infecting the outer regions of their control and slowly working towards the capital. With a special rename into Demons which is appropriate enough for the time period of the film, the action on display takes on nearly a wuxia form of interplay. As this includes some fascinating jumping and wirework stunts with the infected shown to be quite athletic in addition to more traditional shambling hordes style zombies, there's plenty to like with the rampaging hordes loosened upon the city creating all sorts of havoc. The action here brought about by that setup works exceptionally well. The early assault on the village is a great start to matters, letting its feudal setting get put to use with the horde crawling over huts and various buildings to get at the victims while all manner of hand-to-hand and swordfighting occurs on the streets below. The massive ambush on the palace that alerts everyone to the true plight before them is a standout sequence letting the overwhelming number of creatures into the grounds swarming over everyone while numerous mini-battles are featured throughout the complex. Likewise, the finale inside the overtaken palace where all the reinforcements are brought to bear on the creatures and more dynamic close-quarter fighting creates a special high-energy finish to this one letting loose with plenty of gore and bloodshed alongside the zombie make-up. These are what really stand-out in the film. That said, there are some major flaws with this one. The biggest problem here is the typically overlong and plodding pacing that exemplifies so many of these productions. The continuous dealings of the court-system and political intrigue over the rebels that are claimed to be responsible for the turmoil are not in the slightest bit interesting and really slow this one down to a crawl at times. The major dealings in the courtrooms filled with concubines and observers detailing the various conspirators against the kingdom are boring and really seem ludicrous for how deep into the film they keep going with this storyline. This traitor aspect of the film is also part of what makes this so long for the most part. The film draws these segments out interminably long, consisting of way too many talk-heavy sequences in the kings' chambers that go by incredibly slowly before launching into rapid-fire action scenes with the zombies. This is a disparaging combination of tactics where it tries to reasonably mix a historical palace drama with a ravenous zombie movie due to the way these sections are filmed. Overall, these issues make the film too long for its own good.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.