It started in June, while I was still living in Korea that I suddenly started hearing about this movie everywhere. All of my friends were anticipating it and sharing the trailers everywhere and when the movie finally came to theaters, most of them went to see it immediately. They would come back with their minds blown and tell me how good it was and how I "must go see it". Well, I left Korea before I had the chance to, but luckily it was shown in a movie festival here in Finland and I was able to book the tickets.
Train to Busan is an action packed intense thriller that keeps you on your toes at all times. The movie is categorized as horror, but I wouldn't consider it as such; quite frankly, I wasn't scared at any point (I don't believe in zombies, maybe that's why). Startled, yes, but not scared. The story is fast-paced and well tied-together and I really liked the way they concluded the ending. That being said, I don't think it is as good as it was played out to be.
The acting in the movie is top-notch with the exception of a few cast members (you know who I mean). It is a well-known fact that Gong Yoo is a great actor but some other performances in this movie were just as amazing, if not more. My favorite character without a doubt was Sanghwa, played by Ma Dong Seok. His character brought in a refreshing humor aspect, but he was also portrayed as a great, warmhearted husband and a total badass. I fell in love with Choi Woo Shik and his tight baseball pants and we can't forget the female lead, Jung Yu Mi. She was a well-built, strong and believable character. Kim Soo An was very convincing, I'm sure we'll be seeing her a lot in the future.
However, with the great acting aside, I feel like this movie lacked a bit in the plot department. I am not a horror movie lover, in fact, it's the number one genre I usually avoid, just to be able to get a good night sleep. Still, a bit more excitement would have been in place. To be honest, a zombie movie categorized as horror can't possibly have huge surprises on the way but occasionally it felt like the plot was dragging a little bit and certain sequences were repetitive and at times even boring. There was a strange realism to the bright lighting of the the movie that reminds the viewers of the fact that it doesn't have to be night for terrifying things to happen. Regrettably, even so I somehow think that a darker setting would have helped to make the horror more... horrory.
To name a couple more successful choices that were made, I definitely enjoyed the styling of the zombies as well as other graphics. The music was also fast paced and added to the intensity. All in all Train to Busan is a movie worth watching, although I suggest you don't jump into it with too high expectations, just to avoid unnecessary disappointment.
Vond je deze recentie nuttig?