My Way

My Way shows that Korea not only can do horror, but that it can do amazing films In any genre. This film is basically two and half hours and yet less than nine minutes in I was already hooked. Inspired by a true story My Way is about two young boys, one Korean and one Japanese, who meet each other as ones family relocates. Both have Dreams of running The marathon in the Olympics and are in rivalry from the start. But when a certain event happens when they are older it becomes much more and they become enemies. Then WW2 is declared and both are forced into the Japanese army (two different ways though). Not to give to much away but after many twists and turns in the film they end up on an Infamous Day in history. This film has it all, action, well developed characters, an Incredible story that makes you feel pretty much every emotion there is. But if the fact this has war in it puts you off, DON'T let it as this is no war film! This is a film about two people, rivalries, friendships, and their stories. War is just in the background of it all.

It's easy to say that this is a superb war movie. Great acting, AWESOME war sequences, stirring music and incredible scope all make 'My Way' one of the best war movies I've ever seen. Ever. Particularly since the budget for the entire movie was under $30 millions. While watching 'My Way' I often thought of the budget as massive since ALL of the battles in the movie are epic in scale and very intense. I was surprised to find out how small the budge was, Hollywood good take a few pointers. There are two reasons I don't give this flick a 10 out of 10. A few cheesy lines are scattered throughout the film. The dialogue in the movie isn't bad, but there are a few lines characters say that are just so dripping with patriotic moto-isms that it detracts from the movie's awesomeness. Another thing is, I felt the director spent a lot of time on all the other battles, but the Normandy invasion wasn't given much effort to authenticity and more effort was put on effects. You see the entire invasion of the beach within a 10 minute span (not how it happened). Other than that, phenomenal flick!!!

I took a chance on this movie based on the acclaim and reviews it was receiving on IMDb, and I ended up somewhat disappointed. THE GOOD: It's based on true story and I don't doubt SOME of the events depicted here happened. The relationship between the two main characters certainly goes in many directions, and that alone is compelling enough to watch for the most part. Overall the battle scenes are entertaining – but only when the director gives us a few seconds of wide-angle aspects. The best part of this movie happens in the beginning (pre-war) and the end (D-Day invasion). THE BAD: The director's over use of cuts is enough to give you a headache watching this movie! Every two seconds this movie flashes from one close-up to the next, or one view to the other, as if the editor was getting paid by how many chops he made. After just twenty minutes I was ready to give up on it. What ever happened to just filming actors act? The director seems intent on not giving any credit to the actors or the scene, instead relying on flashing back and forth with ever spoken phrase or twist of the head to tell the story. You can't even 'study' what is being filmed because the constant cuts makes you feel like you're in a blinking contest. THE UGLY: Too many liberties with showing harsh elements of prison life for the sake of showing them. The movie over extends the Russian Gulag-style prison camp, as though the director refuses to let up on the constant pounding of how bad it was and how much everyone seemed to hate everyone else at this stage of the film. I almost thought the film was trying to get bonus points for seeing how long it could drag-out the prison sequence. The emotional twists and turns turned almost ridiculous at this point in the film. SUMMARY: To compare this movie (as many of these reviewers seem to do) to Saving Private Ryan is giving it far more credit that it is due. This is NO Saving Private Ryan! In comparison, Saving Private Ryan was much more realistic, compelling and more believable than this 'based on a true story' is. After so much harsh 'reality' and 'cliff-hanging escapes', the film reaches a point where you simply grin to yourself and mutter 'yeah-right!' Trust me, you will run out of fingers and toes counting the number of times the two main characters are in the middle of explosions and situations that would kill them – yet they stagger away and survive everything thrown at them. Eventually you just start giving up on all the characters and just want to get onto the next segment. I'm usually one who enjoys long movies, but this is a case where an hour could have been trimmed from this film (most of the Russian prison episode) – which in my opinion would have made it much better.

Although very lengthy and extremely graphic, My way will keep you fully engaged and emotionally attached for the duration of the film. A very interesting perspective of World War 2 and an incredible story that brings tears to the eyes and teaches the significance of true brotherhood. Esthetically pleasing and gut wrenching at times, you'll wish My Way could be even longer.

The movie seeks to glorify war at every turn. Every 10 seconds of a battle scene is a a clip rendered in slow-mo followed by a ton of screaming and death. How many times do they have to emphasize how horrible it is to be crushed by a tank? The story is aimless and unfocused. Never was I given a reason as to why I should care about these shallow characters. A scene where the protagonist's running shoes were burned whilst he was pummeled to the brink of death due to his persistence of wanting to save his poor ol' running sneaks was downright laughable; Korean melodrama at it's worse. If you're one who enjoys mind-numbing violence and/or Transformers, this is the film for you. If you're anyone else, stay the heck away.

Where do I begin?? I dare say this film is way better than Saving Private Ryan or any other Hollywood WWII movies! Exaggeration?? Well see it for yourself. My Way tells a tale of two rivals: Korean Kim Jun-Shik and Japanese Hasegawa Tatsuo. Jun-Shik's father works as a servant of Tatsuo's grandfather in Japanese-occupied Korea. They first met when Tatsuo arrived there with his parents in 1928. Though they differ in nationality and social standings, they have one thing in common: to be the greatest marathon runner. Every year they compete in races, though Jun-Shik wins the most. One day, Tatsuo's grandfather is assassinated by a Korean terrorist, which only deepens the resentment of Tatsuo towards Koreans. Due to an incident after a marathon race, Jun-Shik and several other Korean friends are drafted into the Japanese Imperial army. Little did Jun-Shik know that he would be serving under Tatsuo, much much later. That's it for the plot. I won't spoil anymore than that. ;-) I find that this film is unique, not like any other war-like films, because of these two things: 1) There are at least 5 different languages spoken: Korean, Japanese, Mandarin, Russian and German. 2) If you are a Kim, initially you are forced to fight under the banner of the Sun Emperor, and then for the Red Army, and then for the Krauts. Whoopsie. Blend of cinematography, theme and cast are top-notched! From oriental Seoul to desert Mongolia to icy Steppes of Russia to bloody Hedosk and to calm sandy beaches of Normandy France. Tatsuo is played by Japanese "Johnny Depp" Jo Odagiri (Shinobi, Azumi), while Jun-Shik is played by Korean heartthrob Jang Dong-Gun (Tae Guk Gi). Though it's a two-hour film, rest assured that you won't be left with boredom or too much drama. Fighting and battle scenes will make yourself glued to the screen. One bomb-scene where both Tatsuo and Jun-Shik flew to the air in slow-motion is really breathtaking! Bottom line is, if you're the one who really values FRIENDSHIP, this IS a must-see film for you. =D

I am scared of the thought that I could have missed experiencing this film. I stumbled on it as a recommendation on my Roku via Netflix. Where do I begin...Gone With the Wind meets Chariots of Fire with an overlay of shifting loyalties which purify and forge the pure gold humanity of the spirit through changing tides of war a la Outlaw Josie Wales. I've heard talk of Oscars...yes...give all of them to this film and everyone involved. This is the most astonishing portrayal of actual battle that I have seen in any film. Anyone who thinks war is something cute to watch for entertainment on CNN is going to think again. Anyone with a vague idea of what soldiers and civilians went through in WWll is going to have a far deeper appreciation for what war really means and has meant. Taking the high road under the most torturous conditions possible to human endurance is polished, burnished and weighed in the balance of the validity of the human soul where it tips the scale forever into cinematic mastery. In this sweeping epic featuring little known as well as better known history (at least to a contemporary Western audience), some helpful historical background might be that the Japanese invaded and ruled Korea preceding WWll, ethnically Korean soldiers, hence served in the Japanese Imperial Army. That's all you need to get started. Prepare to be riveted....

I guess I have Korean director Kang Je-Gyu to thank for sparking an interest in Korean films. No it wasn't any of the masters of old who got me hooked, but my first foray into Korean cinema on the big screen was actually to watch his Shiri, and while some may be of the opinion it's nothing more than a standard action thriller fare, it got me hooked, and to wonder just what more is out there in Korean cinema. And Kang went on to direct only 2 more films over a twelve year period, the first being the war movie Taegukgi, and now My Way. So in a way, that makes it three films in a row that he's dabbled with men in uniform, exploring themes like brotherhood and friendship in blockbusters starring some of the biggest names in the industry. And in My Way, he teams up with Korea's Jang Dong-Gun, and Japan's Joe Odagiri who play rivals in Cain and Abel style, the former being a young boy working in the latter's family during the Japanese occupation of Korea, only for a terrorist incident to forever scar their potential friendship into deep hatred between the men, especially for Joe's Tatsuo against Jang's Joon-Sik. And their rivalry extends to their love for running long distance, almost always on par in countless of marathons they participate in. The story written by Kang, Na Hyun and Kim Byung-In then centers the narrative against the run up to the Second World War, with the premise having to build up and culminate in Normandy during D-Day. So that takes the men, now in army fatigues with Joon-Sik being one of many Koreans forced to conscript in the Japanese Imperial Army, and under the arrogant, merciless leadership of Tatsuo in what would be convenience to further the two men's rivalry, especially when one is put in a lowly position, and the other having life and death powers over the man he loved to hate. The trio of writers managed to pack this film with enough incidents befitting any war movie, from POW imprisonment, disobedience of orders, torture and the likes, and playing on the theme of Karma, having what went around coming around to perpetrators. Not a very subtle approach though. With a war setting, expect plenty of theatres of battles across different territories and under various banners and allegiances, such as the Japanese, Soviets, and Germans even, and you can tell where the money went into recreating their realism from uniforms, weapons and vehicles, together with the recreation of the Normandy invasion. Don't expect too much accuracy though if you think that D-Day and other battles, were won/lost in a few minutes, but one does get impressed by the effort to ensure that each battle got portrayed on as large a canvas possible, making it feel that the series of events the characters find themselves into, are far larger than their individual. There are times though that the editing and leaving of material on the cutting room floor had led to episodes being spliced together rather haphazardly, so that's a bit of a pity. It's steeped in testosterone, if not for China's Fan Bingbing playing a bit role here as a sniper with vengeance against the Japanese at the top of her mind, and of course with her potential of opening up this film to the Mainland market. Other supporting acts include the good friends of Joon-Sik, such as Jong-Dae (Kim In-Kwon) who probably was the only supporting character given enough time for character development, and being somewhat of an in- between of the two men, offering a view of what each of them had, or could have, become. And this character alone demonstrates how adaptable Man can be when faced with circumstances that calls for that fine balance between morals, ideals and the basic need for survival. Recommended!

War films are released left and right, but usually all feel like another rehash with little to nothing new to them. With the Asian film market they are well-known for their epic period pieces and have delivered some really well done war films. The latest of this genre My Way coming out of Korea takes a unique take on the war film. While they have proved the ability to make a great war movie, will this new twist with the story manage to create something memorable or just be another loss on the battlefield? My Way follows a Korean and Japanese marathon runner that are thrust into a bitter rivalry that follows them off the track and onto the battlefield as they are forced to enlist. This is not only a good war film it is easily one of the best to come along in quite a while. As it advertised, it is very much like Saving Private Ryan, but way better. The story is a bit out there at times but is amazing to watch. It has taken the true story of a Korean body found on the beaches of Normandy and created and amazing journey around it. The performances are all really well done and only enhance the overall experience. There are times in war movies that they try to deliver a well-crafted story to make a better film, but end up sacrificing the war aspect. Here they not only didn't ignore it, they deliver on a massive scale. With a film running almost two and a half hours, it delivers almost non-stop violent bloody action that takes you directly onto the battlefield. While it is a long film, it never really feels like it. The story moves at a breathtaking pace with a brilliantly executed pace and beautifully violent visuals that will not soon be forgotten. My Way has not only created a brilliant war film, it takes you on a journey of redemption and emotional pain. There are so many levels to this film that it's nearly impossible to touch on them all. If you are a fan of this genre then you have to give this movie a shot. It is not just a movie; it's an experience of cleverly written and executed filmmaking that will entertain on numerous levels. http://www.examiner.com/movie-in-dallas/bobby-blakey