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. A talented young street-food cook pushes herself to the limit after accepting an invitation to train under an infamous and ruthless chef. 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. As interesting as perfectly remaking an old anime into a live action movie might be, I was more intrigued by what changes would be implemented and how the lens of a Korean movie team would affect the narrative. 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. Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. A much-anticipated reunion between director Kim Jee-woon and Jung Woo-sung, featuring Minho from K-pop group SHINee. The only one good thing are the action moments of shooting and fights which keep the audience awake. Though the plot gets convoluted with interagency disputes, leading to a few slow scenes where people are mostly sitting and talking to ensure we understand what exactly is going on, the aforementioned actions scenes do enough to break this up. The storyline was a little sketchy with some holes and jumps. [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. Illang: The Wolf Brigade picks up five years into the unification plans. An incident involving the death of innocent teens causes the Special Unit to become ruthless killing machines, hiding their faces--and the last traces of their humanity--behind elaborate steel-plated armor and helmets. However, the film's "slow, deliberate pace" is criticised. The film follows Kazuki Fuse, a member of a special police unit set during an alternate history of 1950s Japanese riots. They are able to arrest the terrorist Gu Mi-kyung, and ask her to track down the leader of the sect so they can have evidence. So I can't really compare the two versions, I just remember that I liked the animated version and I can say the same thing for the live action version. Film Review: 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' Reviewed at Busan Film Festival, Oct. 6, 2018. 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." But, it really feels as if the actions of any character become pointless, especially during the third act of the movie. I am a big fan of Korean films and still possess vivid memories of my reaction to Jin-Roh back in college. As more soldiers join in, the girl detonates the bomb in her hands. In 2024, when "political order in the Korean peninsula is shaken," following territorial disputes between China, Japan, and South Korea. 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. A very confusing movie. Yun-hee sits down with her brother as the train departs. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. Why do so many Korean movies feel like they're in slow motion. 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). The action scenes and practical effects are all quite enjoyable. But thats not the end of the road for Illang, which will next head to Netflix in all other territories. [17][22][23], The film was selected to compete at the 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, which was held from September 2129, 2018. Alright, well why would Korean take on remaking "Jin Roh: Wolf Brigade"? Soldier Lim Joong-kyung of the Special Forces encounters a girl carrying a bomb and wants to make her give it up. That was satisfying. The film picks up five years later, as conditions have drastically worsened. About the Author Michael Kellichner is writer and poet from Pennsylvania currently living in South Korea. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. [27][30] After five days of release, Illang: The Wolf Brigade earned a total of US$5.29 million. 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 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. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. The Warner Bros logo is bright red against a black background. But Illang: The Wolf Brigade isn't an addition . He uses mostly tracking shots, following each of the players involved, highlighting the fear and desperation in the eyes of the terrorists (though the film never makes it clear if we should feel bad for them or not), and the cold, heartless dedication behind the cyborg-like the Special Unit. I do recommend you give it a shot if you're looking for a decent action movie to while away a Friday evening with, but its lack of a real plot makes for a confusing viewing session. I was very confused regarding the motivation of each main character. Taken on its own, its a decent action movie with a little near future science fiction flavor. 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. In-between the action, there is a lot of talk. I guess we can just say this movie stories is base in another world or dimension. The film does include a few scenes that were faithful recreations of scenes from the original animation, and they were quite interesting to see and can really get a fan of the original excited. With the help of the Wolf Brigade's battle suit, he manages to kill everyone, including his former friend Han. The story is set in alternate-history Japan in the 1950s following the atomic bombing and subsequent occupation (by a victorious German Reich, rather than the Allies) of the country at the end of World War II and the post-war recovery. poorly it was received in Korea this summer. Not worth watching. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. Im late to this, but I just wanted to add my thoughts. He likes writing about horror despite being the most scary-cat person he knows. A really good action movie with an intriguing setup. The unrest generated by the political tension in Asia, economic depression, and opposition to reunification results in a domestic terror group known as "The Sect" to form. I felt entertained. In those finals moments, they manage to seemingly invalidate the rest of the film; it's quite literally the complete opposite of the anime. Anyone that has seen the original master piece before would find dissapointement in the last 15 min. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Then he meets Lee Yun-hee (Han Hyo-joo, also wooden), who claims to be the dead girls sister. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 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. 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]. The training part in the building was also lackluster, the action was more over the top but there was no strategy to it, no teamwork and we didn't get to see Fuse (Lim) get re-trained like he did in the original. That was satisfying! Even $1 helps keeps us afloat. People just want to the see the armor suit fighting. The events prompt Japan to remilitarize, and the U.S. and Russia to ramp up military interests in the area. Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 2023 GAMESPOT, A FANDOM COMPANY. It's a futuristic fable in which a new Cold War leads to a reunification attempt between North and South Korea. Public Security agents follow a tracking device in Kei's bag and make their way into the tunnels. Amidst this bloody struggle between two ultra-powerful institutions, rumors emerge of a secret "Wolf Brigade" being formed within the Special Unit. 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. Meanwhile, the special unit has already gathered evidence that the sect was financed by the State Security and is planning a coup. Illang: The Wolf Brigade Photos View All Photos Movie Info. The project was originally pitched as a six-episode OVA as he knew Bandai Visual was interested in having him do a series for them and his original Kerberos Panzer Cop manga was formed by six chapters. Some of the action was too over the top for the serious type of movie this was trying to be. Space Sweepers. (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. [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. I just hate Anime live series. He knows about Yun-hee's true identity and has expected that the state security would lead them to her. Gustav Horn, Carl (2002). [4] Still the celwork was subsequently processed through the Animo software in order to enhance some visual effects, textures and camerawork.[7]. However, another enemy may be lurking nearby. To take a beloved classic and make it a big budget blockbuster and then add 40 minutes to the runtime is an even worse idea. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. As a Korean critic, I should have gave it a 10 but on a second thought It focuses on Kazuki Fuse, a member of the elite Kerberos Panzer Corps, a metropolitan counter-terrorism unit. But the time we got to the bunker, the main character when from a vulnerable character we were rooting for into the predator. The unit is characterized by their futuristic military gear, and respirators containing glowing red lights. I love every movie I've seen from director Jee-woon Kim and the fact that bring back the iconic action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger in his American debut The Last Stand (2013) so when I heard he about to direct the live action adaptation of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade I can only imagine how awesome the famous incident in the sewers scene on the big scene or the special police unit armor would look like with real people but what I don't know is Jee-woon Kim also bring back home the Hollywood treatment for foreign movies for Illang.I don't mind the change in the story for it to fit the current state of North Korea and South Korea but what I do mind is how much different the two main characters in Illang to their Japanese counterpart in Jin Roh.There so much more action in Illang so for people that think Jin Roh is boring without the action it definitely a plus but for me the four short action scene in the original are still superior thank to how emotionally attached I am to the characters and the ending make me have no desire to watch it again. The film was financed by Union Investment Partners, with production being announced in 2013. 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. Like why can't you just flim everything the same as the originals? [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". Just wow. 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. Now we do get the live action version of it. It received mixed reviews and under-performed at the domestic box office, selling around 897,000 tickets against its break-even point of six million tickets. I thought all of the fighting and firefights of the movie were incredibly unique and interesting as far as movies go, the setting was also something that I enjoyed. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, with the setting changed from a Japanese one to a Korean one. 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. 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. There are decent action scenes and some stunning set pieces. The music video brings together the best moments from Kim Ji Woon's fantasy action movie "Illang: The Wolf Brigade" (Inrang) of 2018. This was not the movie that I ended up watching. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. Action Drama Sci-Fi 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. The Wolf Brigade is a high powered, deadly force of men whose job it is to crush the sect opposing reunification. All Rights Reserved. That concept alone makes for a fascinating science-fiction film, but unfortunately, its all setup that is immediately abandoned. Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 18+ | 2h 19m | Action & Adventure In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. It was not to hard to follow but could have been a bit more solid. 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. EDIT: cause I screwed up my numbers, apparently. [10][11] The film competed in the San Sebastin International Film Festival for the Golden Shell, becoming the second South Korean film to do so.[12]. Illang is based on Mamoru Oshiis Kerberos Panzer Cop, and especially on its 1999 anime adaptation Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade, though Kim relocates the story from post-WWII Japan to 2024 South Korea. There's certainly a lot going on plot-wise, and the movie doesn't juggle the material well. I highly recommend this film for action lovers, asian cinema enthusiats. When Lim leaves, Han from State Security seeks out Yun-hee. The majority of the story beats and the characters personalities, however, are lifted the whole cloth from the original. Netflix and third parties use cookies (why?). Lim is ordered to kill Yun-hee for being a Sect member and spy for the state security. It's not their job to care if the people are innocent or should have a voice in their country's future. 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. 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. The main male protagonist, Im Joong-Kyung played by Gang Dong-won, is your usual super-competent combatant, and theres never really any tension about whether or not he will succeed in overcoming the obstacles in front of him so much as how he will do it. I'll call it resonance for now, but Jin Roh definitely has it. 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. Kim knows how to direct and edit frenetic chase sequences but the narrative here is so unconvincing and bland that it is just not enough. "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. 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. If we cut off the narrations intro, the film could still be set in Japan and nothing would really need to be changed. The whole movie takes place in South Korea, and I was wondering when the North would be involved. The acting does no favour either as Gang Dong-Won and Han Hyo-Joo come off as boring protagonists. It was originally planned to be the third and final live-action feature film of the Kerberos trilogy, but its production wasn't possible until 1994, while Oshii was already working on Ghost in the Shell. Genre: . Pamphlet from DVD. The sci-fi bit of the plot is merely veneer over the very Asian politicking. A Rare Dud From Kim Jee-woon. 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. It is also the only animated adaptation, the animation done by Production I.G.. Read Jin Roh The Wolf Brigade Blu . 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. In 2029 an elite police squad combats a terrorist group that opooses the reunification of the two Korean states. The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. Ironically, that makes Illang a rather ideal project, at least on paper. site . Rafael Motamayor (@RafaelMotamayor) is a recovering cinephile and freelance writer from Venezuela currently freezing his ass off in cold, grey, Norway. [31], The film was made on a US$17.0 million budget and targeted to attract around 6 million moviegoers. Reminder: Skip the convoluted plot and jump to 01:05:00 to watch the gunfight scene. She also cannot blame Lim for her death. By clicking 'enter', you agree to GameSpot's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. 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. Having just watched this, I can say that it's a relatively faithful adaptation of Oshii's source material, improving in some ways and worsening in others. In the end, everyone remains alive. 6 min read by Alex Khlopenko With Decay of Logos, Dark Souls affirms its role as the Diablo of 2010s. An incident involving the death of innocent teens causes the Special Unit to become ruthless killing machines, hiding. And, in truth, this was my biggest disappointment with the film. Illang: the Wolf Brigade is an enjoyable, if ultimately flawed, film. But I found it stylish satisfying and at times genuinely scary! I'm glad I wasn't the only one looking for where North Korea fit into the plot. 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. Epoxy Flooring UAE; Floor Coating UAE; Self Leveling Floor Coating; Wood Finishes and Coating; Functional Coatings. This movie missed the whole point of the original like alot. However I really enjoyed this movie, yeah the romance part might a bit long but also has some purpose in building the final climax. [20], Webtoon writer Yoon Tae-ho penned a prequel titled Illang: Prequel, which took place five years before the events of the film. 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. 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. He then surprises Yun-hee by informing her that Lim is not only a member of the special unit, but belongs to the notorious sub-organization Illang, the Wolf Brigade. He praised it for the beauty of its animation and character designs and the "subtle and crafty twists" in the story, and commented that the differing approaches to production meant directors were freed from needing to appeal to a wide target audience and allowed have a much greater creative control than in Hollywood animated features, favoring the sophisticated productions anime was known for. They changed huge plot points that destroyed the original theme and made it feel more Hollywood. Netflix supports the Digital Advertising Alliance Principles. As he proposed the project to Bandai Visual at a meeting they instead asked him to direct Ghost in the Shell but green-lit the series for pre-production. 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. It is a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animated film Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade. "[28], Jason Bechervaise from Screendaily wrote that the film "contains moments of stylistic brilliance through some compelling set-pieces. If they had kept the original ending that preserved the nature of the main quote, I would have easily given it a 9/10. Illang: The Wolf Brigade. 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. that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. The animation is good for its time, and while it flirts with interesting ideas, it moves at such a slow pace and features such a dull main character that I found myself frequently bored. That wouldn't be so bad had the dialogue been interesting or thought-provoking, but for the most part it comes across as really dull stuff you've heard in many other movies before. I liked the quality of the movie action scene, simple and without CG. The biggest improvement in this regard is Han Hyo-joos character, Lee Yoon-heeIllang takes Jin-Rohs Kei Amemiya and does a better job of getting into the characters backstory. Mamoru Oshii had wanted to do what ultimately became Jin-Roh several years prior. The film stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, and Jung Woo-sung, and was released on July 15, 2018. You can change your cookie preferences. Lots of netizens are surprised by union between super-hot actors and super-skilled film directors. In the last scene, Yun-hee's brother is seen sitting in a train looking out at a man sitting on a bench. The film attempts to convey a message about following orders blindly and becoming an emotionless beast--theres a recurring allegory to Little Red Riding Hood and the idea of a wolf in human clothing, with the films title of Illang being a combination of human and wolf in Korean--but it tries to juggle too many things while focusing on the most boring element, the romance between Lim and Lee. The story ends with the wolf eating Little Red Riding Hood. This wasn't originally in Bandai's plans for the film, but Oshii expected Kazunori It, his usual screenwriter, to reject their offer as he had previously told him that he didn't want to write a story involving dogs following his work for Jin-Roh live-action prequel The Red Spectacles, and after he did so he was offered the role. This movie just. Lacking any creative control on the process, he chose to distance himself from the animation production while looking forward to the final product. 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.