The Tiger

This amazing film tells a deep compelling story, and while it feels mostly legend, the graphics and human element are incredibly real.

It conveys perfectly the struggle and fight withing Korea's last tigers.

The imagery is the most powerful part of this film, in my humble opinion.

I couldn't take my eyes off the screen for a moment and I became so deeply invested in the caricatures and story.

I recommend this wholeheartedly, and plan on watching it at least a second time myself.

Were I teaching I would use this hugely entertaining Korean film to discuss story elements such as man vs man; man vs the environment; man vs himself.... I am sure there is at least one more component. Set in Northern Korea, with Japan occupying this small country, in 1925, Japanese and Koreans, military and civilian forces have their own, and varied reasons why, and why not to hunt down the one remaining tiger.

There are really only six characters of note in this film lasting 135 minutes before end credits. Father and son; the leader of the Korean hunters and his lieutenant; and one Japanese General and his Korean aide. The seventh and title character is The Tiger. The humans are so ably played and stereotyping avoided that it is surprise, the tiger is so immediately and continually seen as real, with feelings, and actions determined by emotions that we, the audience, can help but root for the tiger.

The Koreans know how to tell a story; they know how to pull out all the stops, and very often they take their story somewhere you were not expecting. A film like THE TIGER: AN OLD HUNTER'S TALE also benefits from the usual stellar photography, so we believe the location and how dangerous it is; and then with the music it is never over the top; needless and repetitive loud and signifying nothing.

THE TIGER is a film the makers can be proud of. I wish more foreign language films got a wider release, and Korean film especially because I have lost count of their varied and fascinating successes since I saw JSA, MEMORIES OF MURDER, and others, until I lucked out and found MUSA (the North America DVD suffers by losing a half hour or so of running time).

Rousing; uplifting and tragic; with the final sequence telling you, the audience what you might have already figure out. Great viewing.

Thanks for reading, Simon In BC, Canada

The special effects done in this movie by a Korean graphics firm (which also worked on Mr. Go) was on par with or better than many Hollywood CGI movies. I was impressed and touched by stunning visual of treacherous winter mountain in old Korea and sad and desperate struggle of its last wild tiger. I have to warn you this is an extremely sad movie. The tiger in this movie looks more mythical (resembles old korean painting of a tiger) than the one in life of PI which was also cgi-made. I recommend this movie to animal lovers, nature and adventure enthusiast, and Asian history and culture fans. more realistic and geared towards mature audience than Disney / Hollywood movies involving man vs wild.

On the surface it's about hunting a large tiger. Under the surface the story is really about the resilience of the Korean spirit and the hardships they endured under Japanese occupation. How the Japanese forced many of them to turn against each other, and how families were torn apart.

Ultimately, the spirit of the people and of the homeland on which they were born and stewarded with their lives, wins out and are forever melded together.

In all, a well told story with great scenery shots and some well done CGI.

...and what a grand Mountain Lord this one is.

A magnificently CGI-ed tale of two families: human & tiger, and how the brutality of life atop the mountain doesn't detract from their interspecies bond of gratitude, agony, vengeance and ultimately, comprehension.

Unlike Pi's tiger, this beautiful creature is at once awe-inspiring and pitiful, as the forest is ravaged by Japanese-led Korean troops in a vainglorious exercise to get obtain pelts of this fabled beast. The father-son relationship is raw and well-acted, as is the sad plight of the Korean hunters who are forced into a bind for the sake of their livelihoods.

Strictly for feline lovers only -- dog people may empathize with the wolves instead.