Arahan

Sang-hwan is an idealistic young policeman whose life is changed after he chases a thief. The thief is actually caught by martial arts expert Wi-jin but she accidentally hits Sang-hwan with her powerful 'palm blast' technique. She takes him to the Masters of Tao to be healed; they believe he has a very powerful 'Qi', a spiritual energy that could make him a Master of Tao one day. Sang-hwan begins his training however he soon gets frustrated with his lack of progress. Soon after he starts training the villainous Heuk-woon is accidentally freed from his underground prison; he is more powerful than the Tao masters and intends to become more powerful by taking a key from them which could enable him to control the world. Ultimately it will be up to Sang-hwan and Wi-jin to stop him. This Korean film is a lot of fun if you like special effects enhanced martial arts with a good dose of comedy. The story is solid and easy to follow and the characters are fun. The more humorous parts of the film are mostly in the first half as Sang-hwan attempts to train and the masters try to find more people who are interested in their ancient skills. As we move into the second half the action increases and there are some great set pieces most notably when Sang-hwan is confronted by local gangsters in a restaurant and the ultimate fight against Heuk-woon. While these fights are obviously somewhat exaggerated they feel real within the context of a film where such powers exist. The cast does a solid job; Seung-bum Ryoo and So-yi Yoon work well together as Sang-hwan and Wi-jin and Doo-hong Jung is suitably menacing as Heuk-woon. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to martial arts fans; especially if you like those with exaggerated skills and a touch of humour. These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.

"Arahan" is labeled as an action comedy, however, I think they held back on the comedy part, because this is far more action than it is comedy. The story was actually quite good. Clumsy police officer Sang-hwan (played by Seung-beom Ryu) witnesses a unique palm strike from Wi-jin (played by So-yi Yoon) and is introduced to the art of Tao. He have to struggle to come to terms with this way of life and have to find himself, while the seven masters are keeping a key from Heuk-woon (played by Doo-hong Jung). The action sequences and the fighting sequences in "Arahan" were actually quite good. Lots of really nice fight choreography here. And the scenes are very adrenaline-filled and straight to the point. Being an Asian action movie, of course you have to except there will be some over-the-top sequences thrown into the sequences to make it special. The actors and actresses in "Arahan" were doing a good job with their given roles. However, I will say that the movie was carried by So-yi Yoon and Doo-hong Jung. Personally I found Seung-beom Ryu's Sang-hwan character a bit too goofy. I was thoroughly entertained by "Arahan" and am glad that I have added it to my DVD collection. However, there was just something missing from it to make it stand out in the Asian market of similar movies. But still, not a bad movie all together.

It's a very funny cartoonish movie, nearly a good modern fairytale, with all the cool Kung-Fu and the dexterous special effects, but this movie could, inadvertently, raise the predicament of the genre's holiness! Look at it. From the start, it's nothing but the action comedy, being close to visual farce, with all the lovely elements of fantasy. Then, SUDDENLY, at the third act, it's the bloody violent action, where almost all of the nice characters of the old minters got killed, the last one got tortured, and a long sequence of one last, very serious and too drastic, battle! Is it a sin?, is it the way we used to watch? Is it a no no when it comes to renewal the genre a bit? Actually, when they had done it in a way that made the taste strange to weaken the movie, as well as disturb its own condition, then something is really wrong. We learned that mostly "there is no killing in the comedy", so how about THIS comedy in particular which was apparently too light to be dark?! You have to sense oddity like being with unstable personality. Moreover, after being straightly harsh at the climax, it returns in the post-climax - irritatingly I think - to be that smiling childish again! Just compare the intro scene, which's super and promising, or the droll sequence of training the hero, to all the body count, or the HEEE and HOOO of the climactic fight, to catch on that there was something unusual about it, or - correctly - badly unusual! (Arahan) proves how the Korean cinema has a lot of great potentials, in terms of clever imagination, wonderful action, big production, and advanced technique. But (Arahan) also suffers from being comic fantasy that skewed a little for dark mood, and heavy nastiness. As the script sorrowfully manipulated the whole thing, not to shake the genre up, but to make a statement about the capability of making a strong action, yet inharmoniously. It is 2 unfinished movies in one, undoubtedly well-made, but you have to get uneasy; as the sweet becomes sour at times, and feel eventually unsatisfied; as none of the 2 movies is complete.

Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan, who brought us the fantastic Crying Fist and equally as fantastic City Of Violence, brings another hit film inspired by the great Chow Sing Chi's Shaolin Soccer, and Kung Fu Hustle but with enough of his own idea's to keep things fresh and entertaining! Hopeless traffic cop, Sang Hwan, played by the directors younger brother and star of Crying Fist, Ryoo Seung-bum, is completely down on his luck until he runs in to the beautiful Yoon So-yi (The Shadowless Sword) and suffers the impact of her powerful Palm Blast. She takes him home to get help from her dad, one of five masters who live with her who find out how strong his Chi is, and set out to train him to be an inspiration to the younger generation, unknowingly leading him to a bigger challenge. Arahan is fantastically funny! I watched this repeatedly when I first got it many years ago, and forgot just how brilliant it actually was. Leading man, Ryoo Seung-bum is hilarious and channels his inner (Chow Sing) Chi as he plays the lovable idiot who saves the day and wins the girl. You can't help but feel sory for him, laugh hard at him, and cheer for him as he suffers at the hands of gangsters, masters and the ultimate bad guy, played by Jung Doo-hung from City Of Violence. Jung is one of South Korean cinema's finest fight choreographers, and in Arahan, he gets to show what he does in front of, and behind the camera. With a fantastic amount of martial arts action throughout, the fights range from grounded hand-to-hand combat and weapons, to superhero style wire-fu and a kick-ass final battle that shows some great moves from all involved! Where its story might come across average sometimes, Arahan keeps its audience glued with some great comedy, plenty of action, and even some dark moments. The 5 masters are hilarious in their discussions about how to get the young people back into Tai Chi, and the lengths they go to in doing so. Well directed and a lot of fun, Arahan is one of my favourite Korean films to date... Overall: Fans of Hong Kong styled action and Stephen Chow Sing Chi comedy will fall in love with Arahan!

Hapless and idealistic young police officer Sang-hwan is pursuing a purse snatcher when he is "helped" by a young woman called Wi-jin. Unbeknownst to Sang, Wi-jin is being trained by the masters ot Tao and has great skills – great skills she accidentally uses on him. When he comes to he is in the company of the masters and decides to train with them and help to be a better officer. As he trains though, the release of the evil Heuk-woon from his underground prison brings a reality to the training that previously had been lost on Sang. I saw this film after a recommendation on LoveFilm and others had said good things about it. Watching it for myself I found a film that has good bits and will appeal to martial arts fans but somehow doesn't really come together. The problem is in the delivery of the story and, to a point, where the story actually goes. At times it appears that this is a Jackie Chan style action comedy, with plenty of bumbling laughs mixed with the action. Then at others it feels like a full-on action film where the focus is on big sequences done without a hint of knowing humour. The again it seems to be a really self-important film about mysticism that takes it entirely seriously. Now, as a fan of cocktails and smoothies, I can get with the idea that things that don't naturally sit together can work great in the right mix – but it has to be the right mix. With Arahan the mix is never right and it feels fractured as if sections of the film were made by different people with different ideas of what the film is all about. As far as individual parts go, there is nothing specifically wrong with anything on its own, even if I personally found the more weighty material to be far too silly to support that tone. This is contributed to by the mix of tones though because it is hard to take the film too seriously when it has characters running vertically down tower blocks and the like. It is a shame because the tone affects the characters and they are uneven as well but the main impact is how much you are able to really enjoy the film. So, you're into the light fun but then suddenly people are dying bloody deaths. Then you get into the seriousness of the mysticism but just as you do then it changes it up again without much connection. The cast do their best with it but most of them are best with the lighter touch and action. Ryu is a likable lead who can "do" geeky as well as he does "muscled-arrogance" later on. Yoon works well with him and she is both pretty and cool, making for another likable lead. The older masters are best when they are allowed to work with the modern twist on their characters but are not so good when the plot makes them get serious and worthy. Overall Arahan is an OK film that has plenty of specific good bits in the comedy and the action sequences – certainly genre fans will like what they find. It is a real shame that the uneven tone breaks it up so much and prevents it really getting a constant flow that the viewer can get into.

A geekish cop is, unbeknowst to him, a secret chi master: he falls in with the 7 Grand Masters (although there's only five left) who are busy trying, and mostly failing, to find their way in the world. A bad guy turns up who wants a magic key that will make him God, or some such agreeable nonsense: our hero and his friends try to stop him. A lightweight, fun Asian action-adventure movie that is what it is, but is a good example of what it is: nice wire work, good fights, a little lowbrow comedy, and a nice slambang conclusion. Some fun is had with the characters trying to adapt to changing times: a sequence with the Grandmasters on a television show is priceless. Manages to entertain without getting in the way of itself; recommended.

Sang Hwan is the last honest, decent cop; unfortunately he is weak unable to stand up for himself as gangs roam wild. But one day as Sang Hwan chases a thief, he encounters a young girl named Wi-Jin. Who attempts to knock the thief out with a palm blast..unfortunately, the palm blast rushes past the thief and knocks out Sang Hwan. As Sang Hwan regains consciences, he finds himself in the presence of Immortals, who are willing to train him. I saw the trailer and was sold, I needed to watch this film, it was very funny and smart. And I have to say, I haven't been let down. The lead actor is fantastic as the bumbling cop, destined for greatness...He just nails the role perfectly. While the beautiful So-Yi Yoon is just hilarious as the no nonsense warrior, who is willing to train with Sang Hwan. All the actors are fantastic, they give warmth to their roles. There is some hilarious dialogue included at the most random moments. Doo Hong Jung appear in the movie as well, who I have seen in 'City of Violence', his role is a little stale but his martial arts are flawless. The film is long and sometimes you feel as if scenes are unnecessary but honestly keep watching because one of the most, if not best fight scenes appears in the middle of the movie. As Sang Hwan demonstrates everything he has learnt, as he demolishes a gang. Simply spellbinding.

Arahan is an action/fantasy with a lot of humour. There is a lot of enjoyable martial arts with use of wire works and CGI. The theme concerning the main character who has great power but is not aware of it reminded me of Kungfu Hustle. Like in that movie the main character possesses great power that has to be unleashed. It is always fun to see someone train and watch someone get stronger and more skilled. Personally I can't get enough of these kind of stories. Especially when they are fun and provide a lot of eye candy. Even when this movie is meant to make you laugh it can be very serious at times. The balance between laughter and drama is great. It never gets too much. I enjoyed this film from start till finish. One of the better action comedies.

In a similar style and tone of Wilson Yip's "Lung Fu Moon" (Dragon Tiger Gate, 2006), we find ourselves immersed in one of the most sensational fantasy-action martial arts films that truly becomes a symbol of both artistic vision and amazing confrontational sequences. Each piece of this film is brilliantly played as we eagerly watch the development of Sang Hwan's character. The music that accompanied many of the fight sequences created such a tense and exciting backdrop - every scene was as stunning as the next. In addition to the incredible martial arts display, this film presents a strong sense of comedy that is interspersed at just the right moments. The fact that the movie was a very urban, down-town city setting added to the overall enjoyment - especially considering the strange mix of fantasy-action and the realism of metropolitan city streets. I highly recommend this film to those wishing for a fun, thrilling, fantasy-action martial arts journey. It was so amazing!

When a thief driving a motorcycle steals a purse of a pedestrian, the clumsy, naive and honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan (Seung-beom Ryu) runs after him, but the skilled specialist in martial arts Wi-jin (So-yi Yoon) captures the criminal and Sang-hwan is severely injured. She brings Sang-hwan to her home, where the six Masters of Tao heal him and believe that he has a powerful Qi, the spiritual energy of the universe, and could be a powerful warrior. Sang-hwan begins his training to ascend to a Maruchi, while the evil and ambitious Heuk-woon (Doo-hong Jung) is accidentally released from his imprisonment. The powerful Heuk-woon attacks the masters, searching a key that they protect, which would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world. When the masters are defeated, Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only hope to mankind. "Arahan" has great special effects, a nice cast and could be a good action movie. Unfortunately the comedy never works, with the clumsy anti-hero Sang-hwan being a confused not-funny character. Maybe this type of humor works in other cultures, but I did not like it. The developments of the rich characters is weak, and maybe in Asian cultures the concepts of Qi and Tao are clear, but at least for me, I was forced to research about these concepts of the Chinese culture to understand their meanings. But for fans like me of South-Korean movies, "Arahan" is essential. My vote is six. Title Brazil): "Arahan"