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The opening gala movie for the next London Korean Film Festival is a taut-paced action-historical drama that hits the target, dead centre…

Please note: When this review was written the UK title was to be Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon. Surprise surprise (no doubt helped by some of my comments below) it’s now War Of The Arrows…

Unveiled at the press launch last week and due to be the opening gala film for this year’s London Korean Film Festival, Arrow, The Ultimate Weapon has been extremely successful at the Korean box office, despite a new English title that makes it sound like TV’s Deadliest Warrior programme – it’s original English title War Of The Arrows made much more sense.

(OMG: I’ve just come across the terrifying news they plan to turn Deadliest Warrior into a film? Dear lord, what have we done wrong?)

At the time of writing it’s currently trailing only Sunny as the biggest film of the year, but quickly catching up. A taut-paced, historical action movie, like last year’s Festival opener The Man From Nowhere, itself the biggest film of the previous year, it follows more of a Western pacing and appeal – which makes its success all the more interesting. Is it a reaction to exposure from Western movies, or an attempt to appeal to Western audiences, or maybe both?

Set in the 17th century, the story centres on Nam-yi (Park Hae-il, End Of Animal, Moss, The Host, Memories Of Murder), a young, talented bowman who has looked after his sister Ja-in (Moon Chae-won, Road No. 1, My Fair Lady) ever since their father was disgraced and assassinated in the King Injo Revolt.

Now 13 years later she is to wed her childhood sweetheart, Seo-Goon (Kim Moo-yeol, After the Banquet, The Scam), on the very day their village becomes victim to the Second Manchu invasion of Korea. Nam-yi returns from a hunting trip too late to save her, finding the village devastated and all survivors captured by the Manchu. (Hunting on his sister’s wedding day? Yeah, I know, but Nam-yi has some issues to sort out, know what I’m saying?)

Nam-yi quickly heads off to save his sister and her fiancé, only to find himself pursued by Jushinta (Ryoo Seung-Ryong, The Front Line, Blades Of Blood, Bestseller, Cruel Winter Blues), a fierce Chung warrior, and his men. Just as well Nam-yi’s a nifty shot then…?

Right from the outset director Kim Han-min sets the pace for what could, frankly, be a load of guys standing around, well, firing arrows. His previous experience in the thrillers Paradise Murdered and Handphone stand him in good stead, introducing arrow-fuelled ‘face-off’ scenes that wouldn’t look out of place in a contemporary thriller. He also gives his main protagonist a neat trick – the ability to send his arrows round corners, Wanted style. (Well, at least it’s a bit more possible.)

Kim Han-min’s film has much in common with the historical dramas to have come out of Korea and Hong Kong China before. There’s a real labouring of historical notes about when the film is set, the hardships that Koreans faced on mass, all informatively run in titling on screen. As with many of the Chinese films that have come before, it’s a bit hard to take considering how many liberties have been taken with historical fact.

It’s almost as if the ramming home of these facts jars with audiences abilities to let go and just enjoy a ripping good yarn. We weren’t expecting a history lesson from an action film, and we don’t really want one either. And why, oh, why is there always an effeminate rouge prince running around at the heart of all these historical dramas?

At least Kim Han-min has the good sense to pulls the reins on the sentimentality that so often gets out of control in Asian films. If anything, he often pricks it at the sloppiest moment with a mischievous hint of good humour. It’s Kim’s humorous touch throughout that helps make this film so enjoyable.

There are strong performances from the leads, with Park Hae-il giving a solid performance as Nam-yi. Sadly, the initially feisty character of Ja-in given to Moon Chae-won gets overshadowed in the second half by the chase between Nam-yi and Ryoo Seung-Ryong’s equally strong performance as Jushinta. (At points it seems to hint she hardly needs her brothers protection!)

Imagine this, if you will, as a Sword With No Name done well. The attempts by the director to add historical depth to the film feel a little forced, but that can’t stop it being a ripping good yarn…

Question is, are we going to see more films like this from South Korea? I think the success speaks for itself… whether or not that’s a good thing only time will tell.

Originally published 23 September 2011.

War Of The Arrows began the London Korean Film Festival 2011 on 3 November at a special opening gala, which also included a K pop performance and a Q&A with the director.

War Of The Arrows is released on UK Blu-ray and DVD by Cine-Asia on 7 May. And don’t forget you can win a copy on Blu-ray…!

Related and associated posts

• Win War Of The Arrows on Blu-ray!
• LKFF Press Launch and Kim Han-min Q&A
• The Front Line (LKFF)
• London Korean Film Festival 2011 begins today!
• Korean Film Night: Yoga
• The review of the year, 2011
• Mise en Scéne Short films (LKFF)
• Poongsan (LKFF)
• London Korean Film Festival programme announced
• Review of the year: 2010
• The Man From Nowhere (LKFF)
• End Of Animal (LFF)
• The Man From Nowhere exclusive UK trailer
• The Man From Nowhere UK DVD!
• London Korean Film Festival continues this weekend
• Lee Jeong-beom interview: Boy’s own stuff
• London Korean Film Festival 2010
• Bong Joon-ho inteviewed at BFI, London

This entry was published by Andy H on Friday, May 4th, 2012 at 7:00 am and is filed under Action / Thrillers, Drama, Events, Festivals, Films, Reviews, South Korea. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.