Shiri

Rating:
Summary: "When I Dream, I Dream of You"
Review: This sleek and elegant action thriller from South Korea transends genres as it's visually stunning and highly stylized violence is balanced with an emotionally rich story that makes it one of the best foreign films I have ever seen. The human element is not lost in all the violence and the anguish of a country divided is brought to the forefront also. You will be looking for more films by director Je-gyu Kang after you're done watching this one.

Ryu and Lee are South Korean agents who have dealt with the beautiful and deadly Shiri once before. She is a viciously trained assasin who has not been heard from since she left the message in blood at her last kill, 'Good-bye.' When she takes out a black market arms dealer Ryu and Lee must find out why she has returned as each begins to subtly question their friendship as they begin to suspect each other of being the leak which is getting people killed.

Through each violent encounter they get closer to the truth. A new weapon developed by South Korea called CTX has been stolen. It is a liquid, like water, that when exposed to light is deadly enough to destroy an entire city with one gallon. Korea is close to taking it's first steps toward unification with a soccer game attended by the leaders of both sides of Korea. But if the deadly Shiri is working for North Korea why would she kill both leaders? The only conclusion is that not everyone in Korea wants the same kind of unification.

This film has some incredible action sequences but never sacrifices the human element. It is not the cartoon action thriller we are use to seeing from Hollywood. Ryu's relationship with his sweet fiancee is tender and real. She is a recovering alcoholic who runs a fish shop. Their scenes together are touching. She does not know Ryu is an agent and as his pursuit of Shiri begins to intrude on their lives she may not be able to stay away from the bottle.

There are revelations exposed near the end which are full of anguish and heartbreak. I can not tell you more but to say that not everyone will survive. There is some fine Korean music in the background to this terrific film and it is visually gorgeous. It is the kind of film the often heard 'must see' was coined for. You will never forget the final scene as two people sit together on a bench overlooking the ocean and listen to "When I Dream, I Dream of You" sung in english, and remember....

Rating:
Summary: well worth watching
Review: This stylish thriller follows two elite South Korean secret agents, Ryu and Lee, as they hunt a ruthless North Korean assassin (a woman known only as Hee) and her
compatriots (from North Korea's 8th Special Forces unit) who hijack a shipment of CTX, a newly created liquid of enormous explosive power. The action takes
place against the backdrop of Ryu's love affair with a recovering alcoholic, fish shop owner, and a soccer game between the two countries that occurs as part of a visit
to Seoul by the leaders of North Korea for peace talks.

Although the film is mostly just an extraordinarily graphic combination of La Femme Nikita and John Woo's The Killer, it also seems to want to say something
profound about the effects of separation on the Korean psyche, but it succeeds better at choreographing violence than at plumbing psycho-political drama. Shiri,
the codename of the North Korean terrorist plot, are a kind of fish that populate the rivers that divide the Korean peninsula and, I guess like salmon, swim upstream
to spawn. The screen is filled with images of fish and water and even the CTX is indistinguishable from water. To the extent that I comprehend Kang's point, I guess
the two peoples of Korea are supposed to be like the fish, fighting their way against the current to be reunited. But their inability, over the past fifty years, to achieve
this coupling is also used to explain the psychoses of the North Korean operatives, whose war cry is "For the Unification!", and to make them, especially Hee, as
sympathetic as cold-blooded communist killers can be made. A little of this pop philosophy generally goes a long way and by the time Kang tacks on a coda where
he's explaining it all in more detail it's gotten a tad too heavy-handed for an adventure flick.

Other than this overt, even clumsy, politicizing, the film is fairly formulaic. Anyone even casually acquainted with the conventions of the genre will know where the
movie is headed most of the time and there's far more blood and guts on display than is really necessary for simple storytelling; it's truly gratuitous. But when the
focus turns from psychology and politics to action, it is quite exciting and visually diverting. The Korean setting is also interesting, much of it oddly familiar,
demonstrating how thoroughly American culture has penetrated the society, but exotic just the same.

Shiri famously out-grossed Titanic in South Korea and comes to America accompanied by a good deal of hype. It fails to live up to what are probably unfair
expectations, but taken for what it is--a technically accomplished thriller with a patina of serious politics--it is well worth watching.

GRADE : B-

Rating:
Summary: Great action movie with an excellent story!
Review: Though the movie opens with some very violent training scenes, which may turn some people off to the movie, once you get beyond that, it has an excellent, though in some cases cliche, plot, well played roles, with good characters, and is nicely paced. Though certain parts struck me as fairly predictable, that happens a lot with movies (as well as books), so I tend to ignore the predictability and enjoy the story. If you like action movies with a story, as opposed to action movies with just action going for them, I would highly recommend this movie.

Rating:
Summary: A fantastic action film!
Review: Unlike most countries, Korea's domestic films have always beaten out any imported films, especially those from the US, in the box office. Watching Shiri, I can certainly understand why. The film takes place in present day South Korea, where years of separation from North Korea have created a tense political situation. The two countries are actually considering reunification and have already taken steps toward that goal. The story focuses on an intelligence agent named Ryu who is trying to thwart a plot by North Korean agents to steal a special liquid explosive called CTX and use it to disrupt the reunification process. Ryu is pitted against Hee, the North Koreans' best assassin, whose skill as a sniper are unparalleled. However, nothing will prepare Ryu for Hee's true identity. Touted as "49% romance and 51% action," Shiri is an intense film similar to films like Heat and John Woo films and actually beat out Titanic in the Korean box office. A worthwhile and intense action experience.

Rating:
Summary: Shiri
Review: Until recently, Korea banned all movies that depicted North Korea as anything other than bumbling and incompetant. By depicted the North Korean plight is such a moving way, Han really went out on a limb. Directors before Han that tried to do the same thing were thrown in jail. However, the South Korean government allowed this movie to be shown, and Shiri grossed more than Titanic did when it opened in Korea.
I thought that this movie was excellent, not because of the action (which was rather gory at times) but because of the storyline. It sheds new light on the suffering of North Koreans. I also, thought that the characters were well developed, especially the lead female. Even though some parts were rather predictable, I thought that it was a very moving and compelling story. I would definately recommend seeing this movie.

Rating:
Summary: Wow i really loved this movie
Review: What can i say... action, drama, romance... it has it all.
I totally love this genre where they just jam pack so much stuff into a movie. Ok so thats not really a genre but you get what i mean :)

Im very much a fan of asian movies, and i must say, this was my first taste of Korean action and i am very much impressed. The action never stopped the whole 90minutes and the atmosphere was great. Shiri is a veyr high budget film, especially compared to other asian movies. The ending is fantastic (except for that extremely cliched thing at the end that'll make you roll your eyes hehe)

But otherwise this is a top rate film, that everyone should see, if only once.

This film doesnt actually deserve the full 5 stars, but theres no four and a half so yeah :)

Rating:
Summary: A smart action movie that is actually a good film? Wow!!!
Review: Wow! Hollywood couldn't make a film this stylish, smart, or dangerous if it used an eighty million dollar budget. It's tried before, but always fallen short. This film has it all - action for action lovers, an incredibly tragic romance, and above all in intriguing premise that is carried out well by the director and the actors.

The basic premise is this: A North Korean sniper, Hee, who had taken out numerous important South Koreans has been out of sight for a significant ammount of time. The two agents investigating her are dragged into violence, explosions, and loossing trust in what little they have to believe in. One of the agents, Ryu, is in love with Hyun, who is played equisitly by the beautiful Kim Yun-Jin. I can't talk much about their love story for fear of giving away any of the brilliant steps that it takes.

In short, if you are looking for what an action film can and should be, check out Shiri. If you like standard American aciton fare, you will love this. And if, like me, Hollywood action leaves you lacking, this film will blow you away.

Don't miss it!

Rating:
Summary: Great action with a twist
Review: Wow, this movie is really something unique. At first when I started the movie I thought okay, so this movie is basically going to be about a woman who likes to kick butt. Hey, since I am also a female, I thought, that's a great idea! I love to watch movies when women kick butt like also in Charlie's Angels. Something different for a change! Move aside Arnold Swarzenegger, this female assasin can really give it to you good. I just loved how cool and mysteriously she was portrayed. I don't know what Shiri means in Korean? but that sure isn't the assasin's name. Alright, so at first I thought that this movie would be all action, just bang bang and dead people, but to my great surprise there was a twist to the storyline. You'd have to watch it to find out. The twist was based on a romantic theme not action. The movie started off with action but ended up in a romance. I thought that this was an incredible transition, not seen in many if not at all any other action movies. The special effects in the fighting scenes are spectacular! No less worthy of Hollywood productions. It is just like watching a hollywood action movie, sometimes I'd have to stop myself and realize that this is an Asian movie not American. It was great to watch an action/romantic movie in Korean because I got a chance to see their country, culture and the way Koreans sound and look. I think that foreign movies are something very special, they have a certain charm about them not found in American movies. Well, anyways, the thing that was most memorable about the movie was the twist and the ending. I loved the theme song "When I dream". A sad movie that deeply touches the heart and is not a movie soon to forget. There is always something interesting that happens, always a twist here and there to keep you guessing and be surprised. This movie has high speed action and will keep you on your feet. The movie never slows down. I am thinking of buying the movie, but after having watched it a second time, the movie lost a bit of it's flavor. They also have a special feature documentary of the film (included). This documentary is awesome, it shows you how all the special effects are done with nothing to hide. It shows you the secret of the movie business. Just awesome!! Please take my advice and don't miss it for the world. It is an experience you won't forget. I LOVED IT !!!! Yippy! Finally a good movie for a change. I was just so fed up with boring lame movies, now I've finally found a good one. Don't miss it!