harriconnell
This movie replicated most of the plot points of the original but with none of the execution.
None of the characters were that interesting so the pay-off wasn't that effective. Josh Brolin constantly changes personalities in order to fit into whatever the plot requires him to do.
The camerawork was uninspired.
The third act was basically just two people delivering exposition.
Sharlto Copley was the one highlight, even though he wasn't amazing, everyone else was just ok.
Smoreni Zmaj
This is not a new adaptation of the same story, this is a bad copy of an existing movie. Most of it is literally copied from "Oldeuboi" (2003), and what was altered was changed to the worse. I suppose there would be no changes at all if there was no American puritanism. Only the sickest things were changed to adjust the movie for the western market, which is best seen in the way they mutilated ending. Spike Lee made a remake so lousy that I don't understand why Samuel L. Jackson had agreed to play in it. The only positive impression on me was left by the sweetness of Elizabeth Olsen, but no matter how much I enjoyed watching her, she failed to make me overlook how much everything else in the film was bad. I have a feeling that today too many movies rely on seduction of the male audience's by beautiful / cute / sexy girls, as well as the female part of it with the handsome actors, and on megalomaniac special effects, while the true values of the seventh art are neglected. This brings fast profits at the cinema box office, but there are fewer and fewer movies that can withstand test of time and not be forgotten as soon as something new comes out. If I had not seen the Korean version, I might have rated this bit higher, but the impression left by the original is too strong to be able to avoid comparing them throughout the whole duration of the remake. And compared to the original, the remake is really poor.5/10
Brendan Michaels
Studio: All right, Spike. What do you got for us? Spike Lee: OK so let's do an Oldboy remake! Studio: OK that's great and doesn't sound like a complete waste of time! So tell us some of the changes you'll be making. Spike Lee: OK so let's make Oh Dae Su's name Joe! Studio: Sure! Why not?! Spike Lee: Let's also make Oh Dae Su in this version basically Superman where he feels no pain from every stab or punch. Studio: But wouldn't that take away the tension of every scene, making the action scenes look more like they came out of a video game rather than people actually fighting. Spike Lee: Hold on! Let me continue! Studio: OK. Spike Lee: Remember how Oh Dae Su was just a troubled man and more relatable before being kidnapped in the original? Studio: Mhm. Spike Lee: Let's make him an unlikable asshole! Studio: But why? Spike Lee: So we can "Americanize" the film and completely ignore the necessary South Korean culture of the original. Studio: K. Spike Lee: Remember that sex scene in the original Oldboy that was motivated? Studio: Yeah. Spike Lee: How about we don't do that? Studio: What do you mean? Spike Lee: Let's just do it completely unmotivated with these two characters who are "Oh Dae Su" and "Mi-do" that have absolutely no chemistry whatsoever or any hints at a romance at all! Studio: You're losing me, Spike. Spike Lee: Wait! I got one more thing! Studio: This better be good. Spike Lee: OK so remember the villain of the original Oldboy and how threatening he was since he was played by such a menacing actor. Studio: So you got Jake Gyllenhaal to play him! Spike Lee: No. Studio: Jared Leto? Spike Lee: No! Studio: Then who? Spike Lee: Sharlto Copley. Studio: That sounds awful, Spike. Spike Lee: But I made Do The Right Thing so this has to be good! Studio: That was 30 years ago, man. Get over it. Spike Lee: But it has Josh Brolin! Studio: *$$ eyes appear* GREENLIT!
Leofwine_draca
OLDBOY is a grim and unpleasant film for sure, but compared to Park Chan-wook's Korean masterpiece, this remake is weak sauce indeed. Spike Lee's version of the tale is a grim and nihilistic outing that takes away most of the original's power and style, leaving it an oddly hollow, uninvolving, and nasty viewing experience.A brutish Josh Brolin takes the lead role and fails to bring the complexity that Choi Min-sik added to the part. Brolin's character is a mere thug who never gains the viewer's sympathy for a moment despite the dark journey his character undertakes. In support, Samuel L. Jackson is quite poor basically playing himself, and Sharlto Copley has possibly the fakest-sounding British accent heard in a movie; what were they thinking? A surprisingly sincere Elizabeth Olsen is the only one who gives what I consider to be an impressive performance.The plot follows that of the original quite closely but smooths away rough edges and the nastier implications of the original narrative. It's not as controversial, let's say that. Certain scenes, like the infamous corridor fight, aren't a patch on those of the original film, and I found the ending to be a particular disappointment. Just another needless remake, then.
AD
