Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. They encounter the fully armored Fuse, who slaughters them all. While it's better paced and isn't as boring, it doesn't make its characters any more emotionally involving, and I don't think it takes full advantage of the world it tries to portray, instead relying on a more expanded yet overplotted story. "Werewolf"), also known as Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade in its American release, is a 1999 Japanese action political thriller[1] anime film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (in his directorial debut) and written by Mamoru Oshii. Contents 1 Summary 2 Plot 3 Cast and Characters 4 Awards "[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. There is zero emotional depth to the characters (or actors who can convey any emotion), and together they make for a boring and shallow couple. 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. This movie missed the whole point of the original like alot. Go behind the scenes of Netflix TV programmes and films, see what's coming soon and watch bonus videos on. But, it really feels as if the actions of any character become pointless, especially during the third act of the movie. A year after the formation of the Special Unit, an incident known as "Bloody Friday" occurs, in which the special unit mistakenly fires upon young girls in a suspected Sect compound. The film proceeds as the two develop a peculiar relationship. But thats not the end of the road for Illang, which will next head to Netflix in all other territories. The action scenes themselves are decent for what they are. 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. There are decent action scenes and some stunning set pieces. I get CGi's and improvise locations you can't duplicate or make but at least make the story original, isn't that why you're making that movie?!?! That being said, there were some big changes that made the film more enjoyable for me. Movie was alright but nowhere near as good as the original. The show started out fairly slow and then took off with some really fantastic action. Terms of Use and However I really enjoyed this movie, yeah the romance part might a bit long but also has some purpose in building the final climax. 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. 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. Han Hyo Joo is pretty. Meanwhile, Yun-hee lures Lim into a trap. That concept alone makes for a fascinating science-fiction film, but unfortunately, its all setup that is immediately abandoned. 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. Honestly, being released on Netflix is its best hope for reaching a wide audience. A series of eerie events thrusts an unlikely trio (John Boyega, Jamie Foxx and Teyonah Parris) onto the trail of a nefarious government conspiracy. This page was last edited on 28 January 2023, at 21:03. 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. Even if the film managed to balance the romance, sci-fi, action, and political conspiracy, it wouldnt change the fact that the two have the least amount of chemistry in a couple since Anakin and Padm in Star Wars. Netflix and third parties use cookies and similar technologies on this website to collect information about your browsing activities, which we use to analyse your use of the website, to personalise our services and to customise our online advertisements. The storyline was a little sketchy with some holes and jumps. These are among the scariest non-Nazi soldiers ever to be put on screen. Public Security agents follow a tracking device in Kei's bag and make their way into the tunnels. I am a big fan of Korean films and still possess vivid memories of my reaction to Jin-Roh back in college. She also cannot blame Lim for her death. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. Lots of netizens are surprised by union between super-hot actors and super-skilled film directors. (Also in San Sebastian film festival.) However, he refuses, seeing no need for her death. His short fiction has been previously published in Three Crows Magazine, Black Denim Lit and Trigger Warnings: Short Fiction with Pictures. 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. 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. Decades later, he becomes a suspect again but is he still innocent? Good production value Trying to dip into both pools at the same time ends up with an enjoyable, but flawed, adaptation. Did the filmmakers forget, or did nothing new get produced after 2018? Instead of a badass group of killing-machines, we are stuck with the emotionless Lt. Lim (Gang Dong-won, with the charisma of a log), who is suffering from PTSD following the suicide bombing. [4] Still the celwork was subsequently processed through the Animo software in order to enhance some visual effects, textures and camerawork.[7]. Oh, Kim Jee-Woon, what have you done? The soldiers survive, but Lim shows shock. Then he meets Lee Yun-hee (Han Hyo-joo, also wooden), who claims to be the dead girls sister. But his greatest enemy proves to be his own pride. The Korean police forces quickly become overwhelmed with the size and violence of protests in the regions, prompting the government to create a new, elite police force called the "Special Unit." Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. To be fair, part of my partial disappointment may be that the movie was more or less advertised as a full-on actioner, and that is what I was expecting. It has been relicensed in North America by Discotek Media, with a DVD released on April 29, 2014 followed by a Blu-Ray on January 27, 2015.[2][3]. As a Korean critic, I should have gave it a 10 but on a second thought I felt like the new happy ending didn't match up to the original ending in the anime movie. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. All Rights Reserved. I liked the quality of the movie action scene, simple and without CG. It focuses on Kazuki Fuse, a member of the elite Kerberos Panzer Corps, a metropolitan counter-terrorism unit. Based on Mamoru Oshiis Kerberos Panzer Cop manga whose 1999 anime adaptation, Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, serves as a direct blueprint for this films stunning opening and climax Illang transposes the story from Japan to Korea, where political and economic pressure have forced the divided country to consider reunification. 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. When your consent is required, you can accept, refuse or personalise your choices. [20], Webtoon writer Yoon Tae-ho penned a prequel titled Illang: Prequel, which took place five years before the events of the film. I'm glad I wasn't the only one looking for where North Korea fit into the plot. Now I never read the Manga, but I did watch the Anime (Jin Roh). 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). However, Lim sees through the fact that State Security agents are present. Her death as she recited the story of little red Riding Hood stuck with me for a long time, and having it altered here didn't sit right. 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. While I am one of the first people to bemoan the seemingly endless cycle of remakes and reboots that seems to have seized the movie industry and would love to see that time, attention, and money diverted to new stories, ideas, and characters, I was still quite excited when I saw the first trailer for Illang: The Wolf Brigade, the live-action remake of the Japanese anime movie Jin-Roh. The Japanese preview of the film took place on June 19 in the Roppongi 20th Century Films theater. I was very excited for this film, but what a let-down! That was satisfying! The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. While Illangs additions are generally good, the film chipped at the originals emotional core to make the film have more action. [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. + : Action comes easy to Korean director Kim; its actors that he doesnt always know what to do with. 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. The plodding pace does it a lot of favors, packing a lot of emotion into a relatively short film, but Illang breaks up some slower moments by adding in extra action scenes and extending others that existed in the original. GO AND DOWNLOAD WINZI NOW:https://winzo.onelink.me/gu8K/cbd64d7f#WINZO #ENMAY-----. Disappointing & Forgettable. Both are able to escape and are instructed by the special forces instructor Jang Jin-tae to go into hiding. You can change your cookie preferences. Kei embraces Fuse and sadly recites the dialogue of Little Red Riding Hood, describing the grotesque appearance of the wolf disguised as a loved one. However, due to negative reviews from both critics and audience members, the film screened for only three weeks, and ended up attracting a total of 897,254 moviegoers, grossing US$6.2 million. Even worse, Kim Jee-woons decision to give away with the original films bleak ending in favor of a happy and commercially friendly ending betrays the only interesting themes in this underwhelming Korean sci-fi thriller. However, the film's "slow, deliberate pace" is criticised. [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. (Source: KoBiz). The events prompt Japan to remilitarize, and the U.S. and Russia to ramp up military interests in the area. However, the intelligence service Public, Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. The sniper? Behind all of this, frequently peeking through to the forefront, is an almost political thriller of two government agencies trying to discredit and overpower the other. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. Add to that the complete change of medium, and I was intrigued to see what the end result would be. [27][30] After five days of release, Illang: The Wolf Brigade earned a total of US$5.29 million. Some of the same setups are in Illang, but they lost the threads throughout the film, and the payoff doesnt arrive with as much force. Pamphlet from DVD. Its only use is during the prologue to explain why the government would launch a Special Unit force to put an end to Sect. The following weapons were used in the film Illang: The Wolf Brigade: Fuse is horrified at his action, but now having sacrificed his humanity, he has no other choice but to remain part of the pack. However, mostly the change just allows for a more fully rounded explanation of why there are protests and how the anti-terror unit came to be formed in the first place. A talented young street-food cook pushes herself to the limit after accepting an invitation to train under an infamous and ruthless chef. 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. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. 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. And, in truth, this was my biggest disappointment with the film. Illang: The Wolf Brigade. He ultimately still found the experience frustrating both through the tiping ("The moment you write, you want to direct") and after realizing the result would unavoidably be much different from what he pictured in his head. Lim meets Lee Yun-hee at the Namsan Tower. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. The windows in the car he hijacks are obviously easily smashed, but bulletproof when he reverses and gets shot at. Gustav Horn, Carl (2002). 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. Lim is ordered to kill Yun-hee for being a Sect member and spy for the state security. Yes, Scream VI Marketing Is Behind the Creepy Ghostface Sightings Causing Scares Across the U.S. David Oyelowo, Taylor Sheridan's 'Bass Reeves' Series at Paramount+ Casts King Richard Star Demi Singleton (EXCLUSIVE), Star Trek: Discovery to End With Season 5, Paramount+ Pushes Premiere to 2024. Three Crows Magazine Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, REVIEW: The Game Weavers by Rebecca Zahabi, Tamsyn Muir Interview: There is a lot of blood on my dance floor., REVIEW: Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James, Marvel Presents Northstar Vs the Straight Gaze by O F Cieri, Screenplay: Kim Jee-woon, Jun Chul-hong, Lee Ji-min, Park Jong-dae (based on the oriinal story written by Mamoru Oshii and its animated feature Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade directed by Hiroyuki Okiura), Main cast: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Mu-yeol, Han Ye-ri, Choi Min-ho, Heo Joon-ho. Inside, Lim discovers a poster of Little Red Riding Hood. A very confusing movie. Theatrical poster. See production, box office & company info, Chief Presidential Secretary Park Jeong-gi. Got a news tip or want to contact us directly? Actually, the meaning of Wolf Brigade changes midway through the movie, by which point audiences will have learned that its best not to spend too much energy attempting to follow the plot. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. I highly recommend this film for action lovers, asian cinema enthusiats. (Original title: "Inrang") Production: (S.. Either one of these, dedicated to complete, I think would have made a fantastic film. 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. Like why can't you just flim everything the same as the originals? 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. That was satisfying! 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. It was developed by Kakao Pages and Daum Webtoon and was released on June 27, 2018, beginning a weekly run of chapters that led up to the film's release on July 25. 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. This is a film about political machinations and twists and turns in how people betray each other. EDIT: cause I screwed up my numbers, apparently. 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. Or maybe no new cars were made, buildings modified or fashions introduced after 2018. I'll call it resonance for now, but Jin Roh definitely has it. This docuseries delves into one of our greatest modern mysteries: Flight MH370. The Warner Bros logo is bright red against a black background. In the last scene, Yun-hee's brother is seen sitting in a train looking out at a man sitting on a bench. 2. Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. 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. An unfortunate misfire, Kim Jee-woon's latest is also his weakest film to date. That inexplicable something a story (in any medium) can have. Later, Kei reveals her role in the deception and suggests they leave together, but Fuse decides to stay. Why? Writer/director Kim Jee-woon clearly has an eye for intriguing thrillers and electrifying action, but he doesnt seem to know what to do with the movie's bad actors, and his idea to take a relatively simple story and add 4 different subplots was misguided. A must-watch! Perhaps not being aware of its background helped. [12], A South Korean live-action remake titled Illang: The Wolf Brigade directed by Kim Jee-woon updates the setting from Japan to a dystopian South Korea, where the plot revolves around plans to unite the two Koreas. [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.