Tuesday, June 28, 2011

The Good, The Bad, The Weird (2008)

Tonight is definitely foreign  film night, but the next movie I'm reviewing is the complete opposite of the one I just did... which will be displayed under this post.... silly blog formats. Anyways, let me talk about The Good, The Bad, The Weird. This is a movie from Korea and at the time of release was the most expensive movie ever produced in South Korea.

The movie stars an outlaw (the Bad), a lawman (the Good), and a strange robber with impossible luck (the Weird). The three meet while the Bad is trying to rob a train, the Good is their to stop him and collect his bounty, and the Weird is coincidentally also trying to rob the train. The discover a treasure map that will lead the men to great riches. The Weird manages to make off with the map, only to be captured by the Good. The Good continues to try and capture the Bad in order to collect his bounty, while the Weird persists on finding the great treasure of the Qing Dynasty.

The Weird sets off for the treasure, continuously escaping capture, with the Good chasing after him. Little to their knowledge, the Bad is also on their trail, attempting to claim the map and treasure for himself. A group of bandits and the Japanese army also find out about the map and make their way towards it's holder, and the treasure.

The movie is a constant chase for the map, and by proxy, the fortune. Everyone who learns on it becomes infatuated with seizing it's vast wealth. Epic battles ensue from all five forces. Each involving amazing gun fights, knife fights, martial arts, and even cavalry and cannons. The three end up fighting a daring battle with each other for possession of the map in a final dramatic stand off. 

This movie was a little slow at parts, but all around was fun to watch. The comedy melds well with the action. My favorite part being where the Weird is running around a gun fight with a scuba helmet on, continuously be shot in his head. The action sequences are simply astonishing. Impressive effects and choreography make each battle memorable and exciting. The film does partake in a few dramatic moments, which really keeps it on track and stops it from just being an action comedy and really makes it an award winning film.


This flick is rated R for nonstop violence (according to Netflix, not me) and some drug use. It's definitely suitable for being PG-13 in my personal opinion. It's a fairly long movie at over 2 hours and plays out a bit more like an entire TV series more than a movie, as it keeps you guessing throughout the movie, waiting for them to reveal secrets and holding your attention for action, comedy, and plot twists. It's a must see for anyone really. It is in Korean, and that means more reading, but the story is well written making it easy to follow, like any good book. Check out The Good, The Bad, The Weird on Netflix instantly and enjoy this work of art.

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