Korean director Ryoo Seung-wan, who brought us the fantastic Crying Fist and equally as fantastic City Of Violence, brings another hit film inspired by the great Chow Sing Chi's Shaolin Soccer, and Kung Fu Hustle but with enough of his own idea's to keep things fresh and entertaining!
Hopeless traffic cop, Sang Hwan, played by the directors younger brother and star of Crying Fist, Ryoo Seung-bum, is completely down on his luck until he runs in to the beautiful Yoon So-yi (The Shadowless Sword) and suffers the impact of her powerful Palm Blast. She takes him home to get help from her dad, one of five masters who live with her who find out how strong his Chi is, and set out to train him to be an inspiration to the younger generation, unknowingly leading him to a bigger challenge.
Arahan is fantastically funny! I watched this repeatedly when I first got it many years ago, and forgot just how brilliant it actually was. Leading man, Ryoo Seung-bum is hilarious and channels his inner (Chow Sing) Chi as he plays the lovable idiot who saves the day and wins the girl. You can't help but feel sory for him, laugh hard at him, and cheer for him as he suffers at the hands of gangsters, masters and the ultimate bad guy, played by Jung Doo-hung from City Of Violence.
Jung is one of South Korean cinema's finest fight choreographers, and in Arahan, he gets to show what he does in front of, and behind the camera. With a fantastic amount of martial arts action throughout, the fights range from grounded hand-to-hand combat and weapons, to superhero style wire-fu and a kick-ass final battle that shows some great moves from all involved!
Where its story might come across average sometimes, Arahan keeps its audience glued with some great comedy, plenty of action, and even some dark moments. The 5 masters are hilarious in their discussions about how to get the young people back into Tai Chi, and the lengths they go to in doing so. Well directed and a lot of fun, Arahan is one of my favourite Korean films to date...
Overall: Fans of Hong Kong styled action and Stephen Chow Sing Chi comedy will fall in love with Arahan!
Hopeless traffic cop, Sang Hwan, played by the directors younger brother and star of Crying Fist, Ryoo Seung-bum, is completely down on his luck until he runs in to the beautiful Yoon So-yi (The Shadowless Sword) and suffers the impact of her powerful Palm Blast. She takes him home to get help from her dad, one of five masters who live with her who find out how strong his Chi is, and set out to train him to be an inspiration to the younger generation, unknowingly leading him to a bigger challenge.
Arahan is fantastically funny! I watched this repeatedly when I first got it many years ago, and forgot just how brilliant it actually was. Leading man, Ryoo Seung-bum is hilarious and channels his inner (Chow Sing) Chi as he plays the lovable idiot who saves the day and wins the girl. You can't help but feel sory for him, laugh hard at him, and cheer for him as he suffers at the hands of gangsters, masters and the ultimate bad guy, played by Jung Doo-hung from City Of Violence.
Jung is one of South Korean cinema's finest fight choreographers, and in Arahan, he gets to show what he does in front of, and behind the camera. With a fantastic amount of martial arts action throughout, the fights range from grounded hand-to-hand combat and weapons, to superhero style wire-fu and a kick-ass final battle that shows some great moves from all involved!
Where its story might come across average sometimes, Arahan keeps its audience glued with some great comedy, plenty of action, and even some dark moments. The 5 masters are hilarious in their discussions about how to get the young people back into Tai Chi, and the lengths they go to in doing so. Well directed and a lot of fun, Arahan is one of my favourite Korean films to date...
Overall: Fans of Hong Kong styled action and Stephen Chow Sing Chi comedy will fall in love with Arahan!