Tweekums
Sang-hwan is an idealistic young policeman whose life is changed after he chases a thief. The thief is actually caught by martial arts expert Wi-jin but she accidentally hits Sang-hwan with her powerful 'palm blast' technique. She takes him to the Masters of Tao to be healed; they believe he has a very powerful 'Qi', a spiritual energy that could make him a Master of Tao one day. Sang-hwan begins his training however he soon gets frustrated with his lack of progress. Soon after he starts training the villainous Heuk-woon is accidentally freed from his underground prison; he is more powerful than the Tao masters and intends to become more powerful by taking a key from them which could enable him to control the world. Ultimately it will be up to Sang-hwan and Wi-jin to stop him.This Korean film is a lot of fun if you like special effects enhanced martial arts with a good dose of comedy. The story is solid and easy to follow and the characters are fun. The more humorous parts of the film are mostly in the first half as Sang-hwan attempts to train and the masters try to find more people who are interested in their ancient skills. As we move into the second half the action increases and there are some great set pieces most notably when Sang-hwan is confronted by local gangsters in a restaurant and the ultimate fight against Heuk-woon. While these fights are obviously somewhat exaggerated they feel real within the context of a film where such powers exist. The cast does a solid job; Seung-bum Ryoo and So-yi Yoon work well together as Sang-hwan and Wi-jin and Doo-hong Jung is suitably menacing as Heuk-woon. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to martial arts fans; especially if you like those with exaggerated skills and a touch of humour.These comments are based on watching the film in Korean with English subtitles.
ateeqimran
This is really the second Korean movie I saw after 'Shadow less swords' n I am amazed at the maturity of Korean Cinema.. Arahan really was a fantastic movie.. The acting of the lead actors was really good... really up to the standards. Seung-beom Ryu as a gawky policemen n ever so wonderful So-Yi Yoon. The treatment of the storyline, the direction n effects.. all fell in line.To say I am curious about Korean movies now would be an understatement... I am looking for more ...In fact I would welcome suggestions from some one who can guide me..Really a superb movie to watch.. just great.
my_funky_monkey
In the tradition of the latest good martial arts movies coming from Korea, this one really doesn't disappoint. The plot centers around an ancient secret weapon based on Chi guarded since ancient times by a secret society... The man character is an honest, pacifist, almost inept and at times strange, policeman not aware of his unknown strengh who seeks to learn fighting for revenge. There is a lot of CG in the movie but contrary to many Hollywood (and non-Hollywood) movies, the CG blends very well with the rest of this fantasy movie and add to the stunning visual appeal of the film. The movie has some very funny and surprising scenes, and many action-packed sequences. The fights are very well choreographed. I would give three thumbs up if I could...
Dare_Devil007_
Being of Korean descent and a huge film buff (especially Harry Potter), but having no knowledge of Korean films (which my parents find is a disgrace), my father thought it would be good for me to watch "Arahan". It's set in a modern-time period, but takes martial arts and special effects to a whole new level with characters running down the side of buildings, jumping great distances and even having this power called "jangpung", which is blasting objects out of the way. Normally, I would have called this cheesy, but the director and writers actually made it funny. Now, the main character isn't a typical superhero. He's a deadbeat cop with no self-esteem whatsoever. You follow him as he's recruited by the Seven Masters and trained into shape. He falls in love with one of the Seven Masters, Eui-Jun. An evil spirit takes human form and looks for this legendary sword. It's your typical Asian action movie, but it's also extremely funny and fast-paced. I recommend this movie to fans of Asian action and/or comedy.
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