studleymoore2027-177-110186

This is one of the films that still grabs my attention from when I was much younger and Asian cinema wasn't as popular. Nearly 25 years ago I watched this and only recently revisited it. Honestly it still holds up. The budget was obviously not great but the battle scenes are fantastic..they are a little jarring and choppy at times like the 2000's used to produce but we can still understand the actions. I do t know if they done it on purpose but the feel of the movie Is alot older than it is...choppy editing and sometimes misplaced music makes it feel like a period piece...but I love it for it. It made me smile at times with the misplaced music. Honestly though...this was one of the first films that got me started on my Asian cinema journey and still holds up as one of the best I have seen. Check it out, you won't be disappointed.

I first watched this when it came out 20+ years ago and it's barely left my conscience since. It's straight up filmmaking at it's best. It's such a tragic story and it's unflinching. Considering Park Chan Wook came from JSA to this is quite surprising and even given his later work this is a standout. The film is both ultra violent and ultra poignant. Static shots, unusual camera angles and long periods of silence all work in the context of what is a heart stopping film at times. This is the hardest watch of the "vengeance" trilogy but for me it's the most memorable.and best. If you haven't seen it then watch it now.

I can understand why the critics were harsh but I think they misunderstood the filmmakers aim a little. He knew he wanted to highlight something, he got an absolutely fantastic cast together and made his film, his way. I personally salute him for his efforts. The acting in this film is absolutely on point and Shia laboeuf is incredible. Hell even jai Courtney was great in this. The story plays out well with the final third being a bit of a gut punch. The issue with critics' is it was all a bit sledgehammer on the delivery but having seen it along time after it was released I think it has aged incredibly well. Watch it and make your own mind up but If you make it to the end unaffected by what came before then you are a stronger person than me.