Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Dorathen Better Late Then Never

ThedevilChoose When a movie has you begging for it to end not even half way through it's pure crap. We've all seen this movie and this characters millions of times, nothing new in it. Don't waste your time.

Fairaher The film makes a home in your brain and the only cure is to see it again.

A_Different_Drummer Let's start with one clear salient point. South Korean films are way better than most of us in North America believe. They are way better than Japanese films, way better (in terms of constraint) than Chinese films, and although lacking a Tony Jaa, also much much more professional than the Thai product. Yes most of the reviews of this film suggest that something is lacking...? They are correct. And I will tell you what is lacking. Excess. That is the key to this film. To appreciate this production -- which it begs you to do -- you need to remember that it is based on a real story. And not any real story, but a story of a man that Koreans view the same way a religious person might see a saint. This was a Korean who, after being humiliated by the Japanese, found some sort of inner strength he did not know he had, and then literally went off to Japan to beat the ^(^(^ out of every respected martial artist -- every one! -- until finally they acknowledged his superiority. (As a child I remember seeing pictures in books of Choi stopping a charging bull with one single strike -- you won't see THAT on Americas Got Talent!) Once you understand how important this story is to South Korea, you will understand why the glitz is missing. Not just a great film but a true story about one of the most amazing martial artists of all time. But restrained. See?

dantemp First and foremost - don't judge this film before it ends. It starts slow and dirty, but before you know it, you're staring at the screen with your jaw dropped.I don't know how the filmmakers succeeded with this, but they actually developed a full character. And I mean full. The protagonist starts from the bottom - both physically and mentally, goes trough some devastating crisis, only to get out stronger every time.Not only the main character goes trough changes, the movie itself moves from one state to other. At first it appears to be a typical "back street mêlée" flick, than it moves on to the typical Japanese manga story with the "I-am-weak-now-but-I-'ll-train-and-will-be-back-stronger" plot and every time you think you know what to expect it turns to 180 degree. And I don't mean just "A-new-enemy-arises" surprises, it puts the protagonist in a whole new situation where you're able to see his reaction, and how they change over time. It's like watching a kid grow and mature, but only in two hours.The film is great on everything it does, but you have to be at least a bit familiar with the japan culture to grasp the full power of the story and the main character. So, if you're not, maybe you won't like the movie as much as I did, but even then you'll find a lot of things to like and it's a must watch!

Jong Bhak This is based on true story of a Korean man. He has been legendary in Korea for long. It responded very well to the expectation of the Koreans who have known about him. He has established a new branch of Gongsudo(Karate in Japanese). It is perhaps one of the most successful martial arts branches in the world. He shows quite typical Korean spirit through his life and the movie showed it well. Good job. i will watch it again when I have time. I recommend Americans who are interested in martial arts.Why does this have to have 10 lines? So annoying.The best part of the movie to me is when he went to apologize the black clothes sword man's wife. There he sees this boy who is about 10. Whether it is fiction or not, I think it has some touching effect. A fine martial artist must have fine mind and kind heart. Professionals know when to fear. He knows it so well and so honest about it.

mike-3052 I watched this movie the other night, but i found it quite enjoyable. While I will agree that though there are enough fights, they aren't nearly long enough. But the length of the fight isn't what makes them good, it's how well they're done with the time given. Like if you're going to throw a punch at someone, but stop yourself only centimeters from your target, proving to everyone that you have defeated him and he was powerless to stop you, well that is pure quality right there. I loved the main character. He willingly put himself through hell with his training, and became one of the most focused and determined fighters i've ever seen in a movie The story wasn't the best, but i still found this movie fun