The windows in the car he hijacks are obviously easily smashed, but bulletproof when he reverses and gets shot at. Action comes easy to Korean director Kim; its actors that he doesnt always know what to do with. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Fuse is horrified at his action, but now having sacrificed his humanity, he has no other choice but to remain part of the pack. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 If you are someone who has only a passing knowledge of Jin-Roh (or better yet, no knowledge at all), you are set up to enjoy this film the most. The main problem with it is that two and a half hours it's much too overlong and could have done with some judicious cutting, but other than that this is a solid effort. Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16+ | 2h 19m | Sci-Fi Movies In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. I'm glad I wasn't the only one looking for where North Korea fit into the plot. 2. Forget the special units you know - any of them. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, with the setting changed from a Japanese one to a Korean one. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. Secondary characters like Cheol-jin and Mi-kyung get thrown into the story and exit without adding any substance. That wouldn't be so bad had the dialogue been interesting or thought-provoking, but for the most part it comes across as really dull stuff you've heard in many other movies before. Out of all world cinema I have to say Korea may well be the one I've always had the best relationship with. We are told through a 5-minute-long prologue that fears of an impending war over a territorial dispute between Japan and China caused the two Koreas to launch preparations for unification. Its only use is during the prologue to explain why the government would launch a Special Unit force to put an end to Sect. The love story aspect of the movie just doesn't work, so it doesn't have an emotional crutch. I can't explain it, but it hit it's marks and hit them perfectly. Yun-hee is a former member of "The Sect" who is supposed to trap Lim for the State Security. Why do so many Korean movies feel like they're in slow motion. A South Korean live-action remake titled Illang: The Wolf Brigade directed by Kim Jee-woon updates the setting from Japan to a dystopian South Korea, where the plot revolves around plans to unite the two Koreas. Thank You! But, it really feels as if the actions of any character become pointless, especially during the third act of the movie. If you were looking for some scrappy, tense fight scenes, though, Illang probably wont do much for you. Terms of Use and The old sergeant solemnly compares Kei's fate to the demise of Red Riding Hood and the triumph of the wolf. This generates significant backlash from the region's powers (the U.S, Russia, China, and Japan) who oppose reunification. [31], The film was made on a US$17.0 million budget and targeted to attract around 6 million moviegoers. They make their way to the tunnels once more, where they are met by members of the Wolf Brigade, a secret, deep-cover unit in the Kerberos Corps led by Hajime Handa. Amidst this bloody struggle between two ultra-powerful institutions, rumors emerge of a secret "Wolf Brigade" being formed within the Special Unit. About the Author Michael Kellichner is writer and poet from Pennsylvania currently living in South Korea. Privacy Policy, Now Playing: Best Netflix Releases Of October 2018: New Movies And TV Shows To Watch. She detonates a bomb in front of him, but only kills herself. sorry to be that guy, but does anyone who has seen the movie know what is the origin of the art from the Red riding hood scene, I am fascinated by the artwork and am looking for prints of it and was wondering if they are original to the movie itself or from an outside source? This is a film about political machinations and twists and turns in how people betray each other. The unrest generated by the political tension in Asia, economic depression, and opposition to reunification results in a domestic terror group known as "The Sect" to form. (Source: KoBiz). After the attack (and the fun), the film starts getting complicated. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. A much-anticipated reunion between director Kim Jee-woon and Jung Woo-sung, featuring Minho from K-pop group SHINee. Netflix acquired the international distribution rights of the film. The human weapons who are called wolves, "Illang" (The Wolf Brigade). To make this more convoluted, he adds too many interested parties and secret organizations into his conspiracy (some of them appearing only in conversation and for 5 minutes), making it hard to keep track of who works for whom or what they want. The action in this film is so intense and epic! Amidst this bloody struggle between two ultra-powerful institutions, rumors emerge of a secret "Wolf Brigade" being formed within the Special Unit. Unfortunately the 139 minute lenght is also way too much, hopefully the new cut (soon to be released on Netflix) will make the movie somewhat tighter and more exciting. words that have to do with clay P.O. Two things right off the bat: Wow. I can't explain it, but it hit it's marks and hit them perfectly. JOIN NOW + : By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Kim Jee-woon knows what the hell he's doing when it comes to staging and shooting action, and the action sequences here are fluidly shot and feature some really neat choreography. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Very Stylish ( South korean A+ Movie) My Ratings 10/10, what a piece of work it is a tour de force work from the director (just watched couple hours ago_. I never watched the anime so I can speak on how important those combat suits are other than looking super cool. Film Review: 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' Reviewed at Busan Film Festival, Oct. 6, 2018. They are able to arrest the terrorist Gu Mi-kyung, and ask her to track down the leader of the sect so they can have evidence. Based on Mamoru Oshiis Kerberos Panzer Cop manga whose 1999 anime adaptation, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, serves as a direct blueprint for this films stunning opening and climax Illang transposes the story from Japan to Korea, where political and economic pressure have forced the divided country to consider reunification. But at the end of the day, the shoot-outs are tight, and the action is adrenaline inducing. Fuse confronts his own humanity when he fails to shoot a young terrorist that his unit traps in the storm-water tunnels. In the last scene, Yun-hee's brother is seen sitting in a train looking out at a man sitting on a bench. With the appearance of an armed anti-government terrorist group called The Sect which opposes reunification, the President creates a new police division called the Special Unit which amasses significant political power. JUNG_E. Human-Wolf; also known as Inrang) is a South Korean science fiction action movie directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. Though the plot gets convoluted with interagency disputes, leading to a few slow scenes where people are mostly sitting and talking to ensure we understand what exactly is going on, the aforementioned actions scenes do enough to break this up. If you haven't, go watch this film. Even though there are some modifications to the overall story, and one significant diversion, the characters, and story beats are heavily inspired by the original. It's a futuristic fable in which a new Cold War leads to a reunification attempt between North and South Korea. It has been relicensed in North America by Discotek Media, with a DVD released on April 29, 2014 followed by a Blu-Ray on January 27, 2015.[2][3]. They encounter the fully armored Fuse, who slaughters them all. Three Crows Magazine is a reader-funded publication and your support keeps us operational and independent to continue paying our authors for the best fiction and non-fiction possible. [1][18][19], Costumes for the film were designed by Hollywood artist Vanessa Lee, who also worked on the special effects costume for the 2006 film Underworld: Evolution and superhero costumes in the Avengers film series. Netflix's Maniac: 16 Best Easter Eggs, References, Callbacks And Clues You Missed. It seems the movie didn't work well in Korea, and I remember watching the Jin roh anim as a kid and didn't like it that much. The film follows Kazuki Fuse, a member of a special police unit set during an alternate history of 1950s Japanese riots. The special unit is able to track the fleeing members to the sewers and hunt down some members there. Later, the Wolf Brigade meet in a junkyard and Fuse is ordered to kill Kei to ensure she is never recaptured by Public Security. Illang: The Wolf Brigade (sometimes known as Inrang: The Wolf Brigade, which has been used at least once) is a 2018 Korean science fiction dystopian movie directed by Kim Jee-woon.It stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. The movie doesn't deviate that much from a possible reality of a reunified north and south korea. However, mostly the change just allows for a more fully rounded explanation of why there are protests and how the anti-terror unit came to be formed in the first place. I am so glad that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. That inexplicable something a story (in any medium) can have. Rafael Motamayor Sorry, but you can't access this content! (Also in San Sebastian film festival.) The music video brings together the best moments from Kim Ji Woon's fantasy action movie "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (Inrang) of 2018. Trying to dip into both pools at the same time ends up with an enjoyable, but flawed, adaptation. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. In return, she is promised remission of her prison sentence and an operation for her sick brother. 2. Fearing the possibility of war, North Korea and South Korea agree to re-unify for the sake of survival, with a five year interim put in place as preparation for the reunification. Warriors of Future. The world seems to be overwhelmed by wars and political forces but during the moie none of them are desplayed or even implied a little. Visually, I get that director KIM JI HOON had deliberately or not payed a successful hommage to its Japanese predecessor albeit bit of twist in scenario to make it more While I do think that this Korean movie does work enough for me to give it a recommendation, at the same time I thought it had some issues, issues that might make some other viewers look on it less kindly than I am. Did the filmmakers forget, or did nothing new get produced after 2018? Pretty good not great. However, the intelligence service Public Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. [27][30] After five days of release, Illang: The Wolf Brigade earned a total of US$5.29 million. It was not to hard to follow but could have been a bit more solid. But his greatest enemy proves to be his own pride. The unit is characterized by their futuristic military gear, and respirators containing glowing red lights. Meanwhile, Yun-hee lures Lim into a trap. Best PS5 Headset In 2023 - Top Options For PlayStation, The design of the Special Unit is the stuff of nightmares, Too many unnecessary factions to keep track of, Convoluted conspiracy that amounts to nothing, Threads and characters get dropped out of nowhere, A central romance with zero emotional depth. I was very confused regarding the motivation of each main character. He ultimately still found the experience frustrating both through the tiping ("The moment you write, you want to direct") and after realizing the result would unavoidably be much different from what he pictured in his head.