Good, the Bad, and the Weird, The (2008) [Blu-ray]
Action | Adventure | Western

From South Korea comes this wild take on Sergio Leone's classic spaghetti Western The Good, the Bad and the Ugly. It's 1930s Manchuria and greed is in the air. A manic outlaw, a nasty holy man and a determined bounty hunter are all in hot pursuit of a treasure map. Throw in Chinese gangsters, the Japanese army and other rival factions also in pursuit of the invaluable map, and it all comes down to a you've-got-to-see-it-to-believe-it showdown in the desert. One of the most expensive films ever made in South Korea, The Good, The Bad, And The Weird was the talk of festivals worldwide and won such prizes as the Asia Pacific Screen Award for its cinematography and the Asian Film Award for Best Supporting Actor (Jung Woo-sung).

User Comment: christopher-underwood from Greenwich - London, 30 October 2008 • This is a real blast. A London Film Festival viewing this afternoon and my jaw dropped during the opening. This may have the most stunning opening of any film, I certainly can't think of any other contenders at present, with crazy music, a landscape out of a dream, soaring birds of prey and a great big steam train. The camera and hence the audience are everywhere, this side, that side above, below and even in the smoke from the engine. Previously there has been some set up to accompany the credits and then we are away. This film does not let up so if it is not non-stop action you are after you had best avoid. For all sensible folk this is a mind blowing exercise in action cinema. Loud, violent and stunningly shot this is awe inspiring stuff and with a comic edge too. I spent half the time with my mouth agape and rest with a broad smile. I have heard some criticise this for lack of storyline and certainly there is minimal narrative flow here as we are sped on by sheer excitement and amusement. Fantastic entertainment on a massive scale. Large screen viewing recommended.

Summary: I spent half the time with my mouth agape and rest with a broad smile.

User Comment: Chung Mo from NYC, 21 December 2008 • The Manchurian desert in the 1930's has become the Asian cinematic version of the American West. A number of action films have been set here but this is the first to make an outright reference to a classic western that I've seen. While taking off from Leone's "The Good, The Bad and The Ugly" this film goes in it's own direction although the mix of horses, trains, motorcycles, Chinese and Western costumes and some very odd characters makes this film resemble the Mad Max films more than anything else. An extended chase scene towards the end really seems influenced by the George Miller films.

Influences aside, the ingenuity in crafting the action scenes in this film makes it a joy to watch. Photography is great. The lead actors are good and the story while a little daft is easy to follow for the most part.The music is good but nowhere near the Leone films. The violence is typical for Korean action and might be a little hard to watch at times. Long but pure fun for the most part.

This is probably the best action film I've seen in a while.

Summary: Good Lord, this is fun.

[CSW] -4- If you want to talk about an over the top parody action film then you must include this movie in the discussion. This movie is totally unbelievable and yet you are able to suspend your disbelief for the whole exciting ride. Want a roller coaster ride that never stops from the beginning to the end with enough over the top violence, shootings, knife fights, and splatter that because it is so over the top it is not offensive, look no further. I really did enjoy this unusual movie.
[V3.5-A4.5] MPEG-4 AVC - No D-Box.

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