I love trains. I love movies, with a special knack for Asian ones. So when I saw this Korean action piece mostly set on a subway train, I couldn't resist to buy it (2.99 euro, used, in the video rental shop).
Then I checked IMDb, and it looked like most comments were quite negative, so with some anticipated disappointment, I put the DVD in the player and watched it for myself.
I agree with many commenters that the plot lacks plausibility, while providing more climaxes than needed (after the middle, I felt a bit exhausted like on a long subway ride, and considered one could turn this into a TV mini-series, cutting after each cliff-hanger...) But thinking more about it, I'd like to add some points.
First, the political aspect. As is revealed later in the film, the South Korean government is supposed to have had in the past a secret "Rhodes Team" doing unlawful, dirty jobs. As briefly shown, this led to international criticism up to the UN security council, and to dirty disposal of the team and their families, with only "T" surviving, and using terrorist means to force a former minister to reveal those facts. The political thread continues with quasi-military occupation of the subway control room,the ex-minister ordering the destruction of the subway train, and the subway police chief exclaiming: "The real criminals are the politicians and parliament members!" Also, the part where a passenger says he retrieved the data card from "T"'s cellphone. I suspect that this part of the story made much more impact on Korean viewers than, say, in Europe or America.
And then there is the unlikely love triangle between hero Chang, his deceased fiancée, and the pick-pocket heroine. No sex or sleaze at all, but deep emotions are symbolized with little things - sweets, cigarettes, a lighter, a special playing card... most memorably a can of Warsteiner beer on a stone bench - first with Chang and his fiancée, then Chang alone, then the stalking heroine alone. And their final handshake sure had Titanic appeal...
As you can see, the subway action (which wasn't bad, just a bit too long) got me less involved than these two aspects. A good short summary of the tragic romance is in the music video that came as extra on my DVD. All in all, I find this a quite strong movie, and enjoyed it - less as a train movie than an interesting and touching Korean story.
Then I checked IMDb, and it looked like most comments were quite negative, so with some anticipated disappointment, I put the DVD in the player and watched it for myself.
I agree with many commenters that the plot lacks plausibility, while providing more climaxes than needed (after the middle, I felt a bit exhausted like on a long subway ride, and considered one could turn this into a TV mini-series, cutting after each cliff-hanger...) But thinking more about it, I'd like to add some points.
First, the political aspect. As is revealed later in the film, the South Korean government is supposed to have had in the past a secret "Rhodes Team" doing unlawful, dirty jobs. As briefly shown, this led to international criticism up to the UN security council, and to dirty disposal of the team and their families, with only "T" surviving, and using terrorist means to force a former minister to reveal those facts. The political thread continues with quasi-military occupation of the subway control room,the ex-minister ordering the destruction of the subway train, and the subway police chief exclaiming: "The real criminals are the politicians and parliament members!" Also, the part where a passenger says he retrieved the data card from "T"'s cellphone. I suspect that this part of the story made much more impact on Korean viewers than, say, in Europe or America.
And then there is the unlikely love triangle between hero Chang, his deceased fiancée, and the pick-pocket heroine. No sex or sleaze at all, but deep emotions are symbolized with little things - sweets, cigarettes, a lighter, a special playing card... most memorably a can of Warsteiner beer on a stone bench - first with Chang and his fiancée, then Chang alone, then the stalking heroine alone. And their final handshake sure had Titanic appeal...
As you can see, the subway action (which wasn't bad, just a bit too long) got me less involved than these two aspects. A good short summary of the tragic romance is in the music video that came as extra on my DVD. All in all, I find this a quite strong movie, and enjoyed it - less as a train movie than an interesting and touching Korean story.