The film's musical score was composed by Hajime Mizoguchi. After the Dragon King steals his staff, the Monkey King sets off on a mission to get it back. 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. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] I can't explain it, but it hit it's marks and hit them perfectly. Kei is eventually revealed not to be the suicide bomber's sister, but a former bomb courier coerced into acting on behalf of the Special Unit's rival division Public Security. The movie doesn't deviate that much from a possible reality of a reunified north and south korea. After the event, significant opposition to the Special Unit forces the group to utilize their iconic gas masks, to hide their identity as well as provide use in case of bio-hazardous threats. The endingwell you will have to watch and decide for yourself. Disappointing & Forgettable. [7][8][9] Distributed by Warner Bros. Korea, the film had cost 19 billion won (US$17.04 million) to produce. Nice action scenes. In the last scene, Yun-hee's brother is seen sitting in a train looking out at a man sitting on a bench. Visiting the grave of the suicide, he meets Kei, the girl's sister, who does not hold him responsible for her demise. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Secondary characters like Cheol-jin and Mi-kyung get thrown into the story and exit without adding any substance. The adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's "Jin-Roh" of 1999 is quite good, it retains the essence of the original animation film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura. Also, Illang is based on a Japanese anime " The Wolf Brigade (1999)" of Mamoru Oshii . But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Lucid Dream. Ive been living in South Korea for near a decade now, and I had a lot of expectations that the movie would feel more Korean than it ended up being. [4][5], The film is set in 2029 where South and North Korea prepare for a unified government after a severe economic depression slams both countries. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Think of the T-60 Power Armor from the Fallout series, but make it 100 times scarier and more evil, and add terrifying round red eyes that glow with the intensity of nightmarish soldiers from hell, and you get the Special Unit soldiers. After reluctantly giving up the directorial role, Oshii originally thought on Patlabor 2: The Movie animation director Kazuchika Kise, but he had no interest in chief direction at the time. He then committed Jin-Roh as a debut film to a trusted young collaborator, Hiroyuki Okiura, who had worked on animation movies such as Ghost in the Shell (character designer) and Patlabor 2: The Movie. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Out of all world cinema I have to say Korea may well be the one I've always had the best relationship with. When I heard this movie was coming out this year, I was very excited since Kim Jee-woon is one of Korea's big-name directors, and I had hoped this would play in U.S. theaters like several Korean movies do (typically at CGV Cinemas). It tries to keep that core, though it approaches it from a slightly different angle that, if this movie were an original, would probably work. You can change your cookie preferences. EDIT: cause I screwed up my numbers, apparently. 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. Five years after The Last Stand Korean director Kim Jee-woons one-off attempt at American filmmaking, a throwaway shoot-em-up co-starring Arnold Schwarzenegger and Johnny Knoxville Kim is back home, applying what he learned in Hollywood to anime adaptation Illang: The Wolf Brigade. An obsidian-black sci-fi thriller all but consumed with corruption of the state and of the soul, the film opens stunningly enough, reminiscent of such late-80s comics-to-screen transfers as Tim Burtons Batman and the original RoboCop in its darkly atmospheric depiction of a grim near-future, but it gets confusing quick and never quite regains the promise of its first half-hour which accounts for a disappointing local performance (Illang did fewer than one million admissions last summer in South Korea). + : The old sergeant solemnly compares Kei's fate to the demise of Red Riding Hood and the triumph of the wolf. The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. See production, box office & company info, Chief Presidential Secretary Park Jeong-gi. 6 min read by Alex Khlopenko With Decay of Logos, Dark Souls affirms its role as the Diablo of 2010s. had to be impartial due to my upbringing in the States. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. The film was financed by Union Investment Partners, with production being announced in 2013. There is also the weird use of the 2029 setting when the futuristic tanks and helicopters from the opening sequence are quickly abandoned in favor of modern technology. To revamp the family business, a young entrepreneur sets up a bold yet risky plan of importing soil from Morocco to bury his communitys deceased. This was not the movie that I ended up watching. The only bright spot is newcomer Kim Moo-Jeol as the villain wearing a badass leather coat who manages to breath some fresh air into the mean economics of the movie. People just want to the see the armor suit fighting. 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. In any case, he focuses his style elsewhere, elaborating on the storys Red Riding Hood allegory (which also happens to be Yun-hees choice of wardrobe) in an endlessly complicated loop of whether humans are hiding in wolves clothing or the other way around. The sequences are clean, and for the most part, dont fall prey to my biggest pet peeve of actions movies which are when theres a lot happening but I have no idea how to even begin to tell what is going on. However, Fuse sneaks in, seizes Kei, neutralizes the Capitol Police agents and they escape. I felt entertained. For example, after the first 15 minutes, you have to wait about 50 minutes for the next real action sequence. I am so glad that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. The stories focus on the aftermath of one of the units members who froze when confronted with a particularly young terrorist and couldnt perform his duty of killing her. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Now we do get the live action version of it. 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. Genre: . South Korean police launches a special unit, known as "Illang" (The Wolf Brigade), in response to the rise of an anti-reunification domestic insurgency called "The Sect". The Red Spectacles ( Akai Megane) is a 1987 Japanese science fiction directed by Mamoru Oshii and written by him and Kazunori Ito. Amidst this bloody struggle between two ultra-powerful institutions, rumors emerge of a secret "Wolf Brigade" being formed within the Special Unit. The story of the original is more or less the story of the remake. 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. Film Review: 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' Reviewed at Busan Film Festival, Oct. 6, 2018. Well unless you already know the Wolf Brigade because there was a Manga and an Anime. I genuinely enjoyed it. Han Hyo-joo sure tries hard to make Yoon-hee work, but I think to really make that character come alive, Joong-kyung needs to be more dynamic, and by design, he's not. [8], Hyper commends the film for its "art direction and character design which are beautiful examples of hand-drawn animation and the music fits the action (or lack thereof) brilliantly. Jee-Woon's films 'I saw the Devil' and 'The Good the Bad the Weird' are among my favorite Korean films (and favorite films in general). EDIT 2: I have no idea why the numbers are screwy. Yoon-hee claims a lot of things over the course of the movie, and sooner or later, one would do well to stop believing her, since shes the rebel/spy/love-interest/damsel-in-distress on whom the movies unnecessarily convoluted plot pivots at least three too many times. Floor Coatings. The events prompt Japan to remilitarize, and the U.S. and Russia to ramp up military interests in the area. The opening sequence is straight out of the 1999 anime, with a confrontation between the Sect and the Special Unit inside sewer tunnels. 2023 Variety Media, LLC. I thought the escaped Sect leader would play a major role in this story, but that gets quickly wrapped off at the end (on a news channel scene). [6], The film was released on July 25, 2018. [13][14][15][16][17][18], Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, "[Review] Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Blu-ray)", "Warner Bros. and KIM Jee-woon Team Up Once More on JIN-ROH Remake", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action INRANG Starts Shooting in August", "Jin-roh: "The Wolf Brigade" Set for Unexpected Korean Remake", "Korean Live-Action Jin-Roh Film Aims to Cast Actress Han Hyo-joo", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action Drama INRANG Completes 8 Months of Filming", "YUBARI INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2000", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jin-Roh:_The_Wolf_Brigade&oldid=1136119828, International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award, Ryuichi Horibe (Ron Halder in the English version) as. Didn't feel anything for the characters or their romance. In 2014, a plane with 239 people aboard vanishes from all radar. By Quite a number of problems, but the biggest is the anime it is based on is flawed with great ideas but poor execution in the plot. If they had kept the original ending that preserved the nature of the main quote, I would have easily given it a 9/10. Go behind the scenes of Netflix TV programmes and films, see what's coming soon and watch bonus videos on. Failing to follow an order to execute a frightened young girl only to see her commit suicide by detonating an improvised explosive device before his very eyes, Fuse is put on trial and sent back to the training camp for re-evaluation. [6] Oshii, who characterized him as "allergic to computers", admitted that had he directed the film he would have relied in computer animation just as he did in Ghost in the Shell and no more than 30,000 cels would have been needed. Movie was alright but nowhere near as good as the original. Still had a good time watching it, mostly because of where it came from but unfortunately this pretty much murdered any chance to see Jin-Roh content ever again. Even $1 helps keeps us afloat. However, he refuses, seeing no need for her death. From here on out, Illang: The Wolf Brigade devotes much of its remaining runtime to a pointless attempt at inflating the runtime and creating intrigue when you dont care about the mystery. As a Korean critic, I should have gave it a 10 but on a second thought 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 2023 GAMESPOT, A FANDOM COMPANY. I give it a B-. 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. The products discussed here were independently chosen by our editors. I think I prefer the wolf ending over this, but was hoping for something more substantial to tie it all together. "[27], As per Yonhap review, the film "spent so much time trying to recreate the world from the animated movie and remakes it into a big-scale action blockbuster that it never got the simple things right the film falls short of properly delivering the intense inner conflict felt by Joong-kyung. [20], Webtoon writer Yoon Tae-ho penned a prequel titled Illang: Prequel, which took place five years before the events of the film. This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 21:03. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 The original was perfectly fine with letting you sit through a slow movie, though, and kept its overall length a bit short as a compensation. Director: Kim Jee-woon Writer: screenplay by Kim Jee-woon adapted from Mamoru Oshii's Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Read our extensive list of rules for more information on other types of posts like fan-art and self-promotion, or message the moderators if you have any questions. Significant tariffs are imposed upon both countries, creating an economic depression for both, and weakening public support for reunification. Lots of netizens are surprised by union between super-hot actors and super-skilled film directors. It was Kim Jee-woon's second film to compete at the festival after I Saw the Devil in 2010. No country needs a Special Unit as scary as this, but its a compelling starting point for an action movie that promptly disbands the group one scene after theyre introduced. I am so glad that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. Why? (Source: KoBiz) Edit Translation, In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. But I found it stylish satisfying and at times genuinely scary! Yun-hee is a former member of "The Sect" who is supposed to trap Lim for the State Security. Outside of this small fleshing out of the world, the Korean setting and backdrop really arent utilized to affect the films story all that much. In the sewers they meet Jang Jin-tae. I highly recommend this film for action lovers, asian cinema enthusiats. Kim Jee-woon knows how to frame an action scene. Lacking any creative control on the process, he chose to distance himself from the animation production while looking forward to the final product. This. And it's a shame because the initial idea was not bad. Man I wish someone did a writing check on this bad boy film. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. That being said, there were some big changes that made the film more enjoyable for me. This movie missed the whole point of the original like alot. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. The music video brings together the best moments from Kim Ji Woon's fantasy action movie "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (Inrang) of 2018. Failing to create any sense of intrigue about its futuristic world, The Wolf Brigade is one disappointing mess that carries bits n pieces of brilliance scattered here n there but the overall product is too weak & uninspiring to sustain the interest and leaves the viewers feeling rather indifferent in the end. As a live-action anime adaptation, I'd give this a 9/10. Even the action scenes all feature some guy thinking a lot before getting shot stupidly a second later. If you haven't, go watch this film. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2018. Get our latest news, giveaways, free subscriptions and more. Entertaining and quite intelligent combat and action sequences throughout the movie; however, remarkably dumb reasons provided by the plot to explain the purpose of this combat. Want us to remember this setting for all your devices? It's a futuristic fable in which a new Cold War leads to a reunification attempt between North and South Korea. The story ends with the wolf eating Little Red Riding Hood. His short fiction has been previously published in Three Crows Magazine, Black Denim Lit and Trigger Warnings: Short Fiction with Pictures. The following weapons were used in the film Illang: The Wolf Brigade: One agent tries to kill Yun-hee, whereupon she joins Lim. [10], The following month the film shown in Cannes' March du Film, where Variety's Derek Elley noted it for pushing cel animation to its limits in the action scenes and for Okiura's focus on stillness in between while considering it a less complex work than its predecessor Ghost in the Shell lacking its "stomach-churning, visionary moments". By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Although currently living in Korea having served in the national army as well. 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. Interesting what the Korean Scriptwriters think about Super Powers meddling into Reunification of the Republic of South Korea and the Democratic People's Nation of North Korea. The acting is decent, the effects and suits are quite good and the plot flows smootly until the end. They changed huge plot points that destroyed the original theme and made it feel more Hollywood. A remake of the acclaimed japanese anime Jin-roh this new movie somehow fails to make the impact that one might expect from this director. I hope he makes a truly great film again, because I was disappointed despite going into it with lowered expectations. Pretty good not great. [4] The production eventually evolved into a feature film following the international success of Ghost in the Shell as Manga Entertainment wanted a similar hit and saw potential in Kerberos Panzer Cops as the manga had been published in the United States. Im late to this, but I just wanted to add my thoughts. The end "battle" for me was a bit over the top and needed to be toned down some otherwise the action was all very well done and enjoyable. As more soldiers join in, the girl detonates the bomb in her hands. A lot of changes to the story made it worse. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. 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 director shines in these scenes. Fuse confronts his own humanity when he fails to shoot a young terrorist that his unit traps in the storm-water tunnels. He knows about Yun-hee's true identity and has expected that the state security would lead them to her. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. The setting is moved to near future Korea from an alternate 1950s Japan allows for interesting visuals and some different interactions between characters that were present in the original. Learn more about our use of cookies and information. Some rebel fighters try to prevent it but are outmatched by an army of gas mask-wearing armoured super-soldiers who cut through anything in their path. While Illangs additions are generally good, the film chipped at the originals emotional core to make the film have more action. Illang the wolf brigade explained | Illang the wolf brigade korean movie#shorts #ending_explained #Illang_the_wolf_brigade #youtubeshorts #korean_drama #act. A drama series about the origins of the opioid crisis. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political upri Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the chaos. Yet moving the story from Japan to a Korean peninsula which is on the point of reunifying in 2029 results in a film which is both over-plotted and melodramatic. A really good action movie with an intriguing setup. In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. damn. After hesitating to shoot the girl responsible for the blast, Lt. Lim (Gang Dong-won, the rare live-action star whos less expressive than his hand-drawn equivalent) is publicly reprimanded and sent to re-education whatever that means (other than a chance to feature a flashy training sequence in which he shoots his way through an abandoned building). Overall, though, if you have heartbreaking memories of the original, this one does not deliver the same emotional punch the original possessed. 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. After the attack (and the fun), the film starts getting complicated. After that I didn't care who was fighting who. From his friend Han Sang-woo, Lim receives a diary that is said to have belonged to the deceased girl Lee Jae-hee. These Wolf Brigade uniforms are truly terrifying, turning normal cops into what look like nightmarish Nazi cyborgs, at least in silhouette: Beneath German tank helmets, a pair or round red eyes glow inhumanly at any who cross their paths, while their standard-issue peashooters have been replaced with heavy-duty machine guns. However, Lim sees through the fact that State Security agents are present. Learn more about our use of cookies and information. 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 would argue that the conflict between the special unit and the public security division isn't well established, as we just see this illustrated in people talking and a few shootouts. In 2029 an elite police squad combats a terrorist group that opooses the reunification of the two Korean states. 2. The soldiers survive, but Lim shows shock. The use of light and shadow to build suspense as the sewers suddenly go dark and multiple red eyes start to glow will send chills down your spine. 4 min read Rebecca Zahabi sets her gripping debut in a future Britain of much darker times. befitting to our Korean situation and what not Perhaps if I had seen the anime version the other raters talk about, I would have understood what was going on. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. [17][22][23], The film was selected to compete at the 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, which was held from September 2129, 2018. Press J to jump to the feed. Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. "[28], Jason Bechervaise from Screendaily wrote that the film "contains moments of stylistic brilliance through some compelling set-pieces. Public Security agents follow a tracking device in Kei's bag and make their way into the tunnels. [31], The film was made on a US$17.0 million budget and targeted to attract around 6 million moviegoers. [9], An early comment on the film was given by Blue Sky animator Andr Mazzone, who was shown the film in May 1999 as part of a delegation from the studio to Production IG's headquarters. The balance between the realistic locations and the futuristic technologies like iron armor and diverse guns was very impressive. Illang: The Wolf Brigade Photos View All Photos Movie Info. He likes writing about horror despite being the most scary-cat person he knows. The Japanese preview of the film took place on June 19 in the Roppongi 20th Century Films theater. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. The whole movie takes place in South Korea, and I was wondering when the North would be involved. In 2024, when "political order in the Korean peninsula is shaken," following territorial disputes between China, Japan, and South Korea. There, it may find a cult following, considering that the sharp-looking film boasts some of the most spectacular set pieces including a stunning climactic showdown in which a steel-clad killing machine blasts his way through sewer tunnels crawling with dirty cops that audiences are likely to find on the streaming service this fall. The film premiered on November 17, 1999, in France, and Bandai Entertainment and Viz Media licensed the film for an English-language release in North America and Europe. The premise was funny in the beginning about reunification. The movie tries to go about the ending differently, but I just rolled my eyes at it because it doesn't add anything meaningful. The storyline was a little sketchy with some holes and jumps. The original isnt great but the script is thight and know exactly what it is and how to tell it but the new one is just a mess. The movie is certainly pretty to look at. Submissions should be for the purpose of informing or initiating a discussion, not just to entertain readers. Indeed, those hulking red-eyed soldier-cops disappear for nearly 90 minutes, until such time that Lim puts his own uniform on again and faces off against corrupt Public Security honcho Han Sang-woo (Kim Moo-yul, the films most charismatic actor), who may also be a Wolf Brigade member. But the fight ends quickly after a young girl detonates herself, and after spending the entire opening introducing us to this badass group of scary soldiers and showing how formidably effective they are, the film pretty much sweeps them under the rug for the rest of its runtime. But it's been quite a while so I don't remember it that fondly. Add to that the complete change of medium, and I was intrigued to see what the end result would be. [33][34], San Sebastin International Film Festival, 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action INRANG Starts Shooting in August", "(Yonhap Interview) Director Kim Jee-woon: Che Guevara inspires me to constantly challenge myself", "Warner Bros. and KIM Jee-woon Team Up Once More on JIN-ROH Remake", "Summer box-office preview: the 5 most highly anticipated Korean movies", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi INRANG Arms Up for July Release", "Director Kim Jee-woon's 'Inrang' unveiled to media", "Hotshots in film industry team up in sci-fi-themed 'The Wolf Brigade', "Korean cinemas earned more despite fewer admissions this summer", "How 'Illang' went from blockbuster to major box office flop: Warner Bros. Korea's summer release failed to please audiences", "Kim Jee-woon's 'Wolf Brigade' advances to San Sebastian film fest", "The English Cast and Crew of Illang: The Wolf Brigade, the South Korean live action remake of #JinRoh, now available English dubbed on Netflix", "Rookie Ok Ja-yeon to star in "Illang: The Wolf Brigade", "Netflix Picks Up Kim Jee-woon's 'Wolf Brigade', "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action Drama INRANG Completes 8 Months of Filming", "S. Korea's largest film studio opens doors to support 'hallyu', "Korean special makeup artist works for 'Darkest Hour', "MOSS, INSIDE MEN Writer Pens ILLANG: PREQUEL Webtoon", "Netflix Picks Up Kim Jee-woon's Action Thriller 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade', "Netflix acquires distribution rights of South Korean action-thriller", "Gang Dong-won and Han Hyo-joo to make public appearance next week after dating rumors", "Despite star power, 'Illang' can't meet high expectations: Local adaptation of a Japanese hit film fails to satisfy movie critics", "(Movie Review) 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' eventually loses its way", "[fn ] "'', .. ", "Korea Box Office: 'Mission: Impossible' Beats 'Wolf Brigade', ""'' "..7 10 ", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Illang:_The_Wolf_Brigade&oldid=1135526482, This page was last edited on 25 January 2023, at 05:34.