Arahan (2004) User Reviews (21)

Comedic action film has plenty to recommend it, however the juggling of two many styles makes it less than the sum of its parts

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 2 September 2005]

This is the story of the Seven Masters who recruit a bumbling police officer into their group in order when its discovered that he possesses a high level of Chi. The timing is very fortuitous since an ancient enemy has awoken and is once more spreading evil in the world.

I first read about this movie when several on-line reviews said that this was destined to be the next big thing in movies. Later reviews were positive, but were less glowing noting that the film has several parts that don't fully mix together. I'm in the camp with the later reviews since I find the mixture of styles works against the parts.

I should begin with the action. If you want to see great action this is the movie for you. Hand to hand and weapons such as swords are used through out the film to great effect. Sure its done with wires and computers, but it doesn't matter since its so much fun to look at. Very often you watch the madness on screen and go "OH Cool" even though you know how its done. I loved when our hero throws a cup at the villain who catches it on the flat end of his sword, and then sends it spinning back with even more force. Amazing.(You really should try this film for the action if nothing else.) The humor in this film is both knowing and very funny. The opening round-table of the masters discussing the difficulty of training is priceless, especially if you've seen any martial arts movies. There is a nice friendly edge to it, that is mostly right on target. The problem is that our hero is often much to bumbling to be believed, especially after he's been in the training program for a while. The too slapsticky attitude is what really hurts the movie since there is no natural progression, just silliness for silliness sake (The ending for example).

The cast and the characters are great. These are people you can really root for. The villain is also suitably evil.

If you were to take all of the movies parts and look at them separately you'd be amazed at how good they all are. The problem is that when you put the bits together the film doesn't quite work together. As I said the slapstick doesn't hold up all the way through. The film is overly jokey at times, even in serious moments. Its hard to keep a light edge when characters are spewing blood and being run through with swords. It takes a bit of the love for the film away and leaves you with admire and simply like. The film also suffers from a pacing problem with slow period in the middle with the training bookended by a funny beginning and an action packed end.

Still I think you should give the movie a shot especially if you like action movies, especially when they have a humorous side to them. In all probability you're going to be like me and like this movie, but you won't love it.

Manic, funny and... dark!?

[mastac-1 · 7/10 · 16 July 2006]

As Eastern cinema grows more and more popular in the West, largely thanks to its being aped by such filmmakers as the Wachowskis and Quentin Tarantino, an increasing number of cinematic gems from across Eastern Asia are now arriving in the West. While films like Hero and House of Flying Daggers gain widespread theatrical releases, the more common place to find some of these films is on DVD and that's precisely where I found Arahan.

Having never heard of it before I was struck by the synopsis on the back of the box that likened it to Stephen Chow's (he of Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer fame) manic output I took a chance on it and was mildly surprised by what I saw.

Directed with confidence and occasional flare by Ryu Seung-Wan, Arahan tells the story of Sang (played Ryu Seung-Bum who you may recognise from Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance), a somewhat goofy and ineffective cop who no one can seem to take seriously. After a disastrous attempt to ticket the local congressman's chauffeur for running a red light, Sang spies a purse-snatcher and promptly gives chase. Unknown to him the purse-snatcher is also being pursued by Eui-Jin (played by Yun Soy), a Tao master in training. When Sang is struck by her errant palm blast he finds himself in the care of the Seven Masters (oddly enough there are only five of them). Harbouring a crush on Eui-Jin and a strong desire to kick some ass, Sang begins training under the Masters in the hopes of Maruchi, or enlightened male master.

One thing Arahan is not is slow. It moves at a brisk clip while at the same time managing to feel unhurried in reaching it's destination. It also boasts some fun characters. Seung-Bum is delightful to watch as Sang. The unusual combination of barrel bottom self esteem, stubborn pride and impatience is interesting to watch and Seung-Bum manages to carry it off wonderfully without ever letting the character descend into a mess of neuroses which could have so easily happened. Yun Soy makes a suitable foil and displays a lot of fire in her performance but her delivery sometimes falls a little flat. Admittedly she has less to work with as the slightly clichéd girl with great power and responsibility who just wants to lead a normal life has been a fairly common theme in recent years but all in all she acquits herself well. Jeong Doo-Hong is also well cast as the movies icy villain Heuk-Un, a former Tao Master with a neat line in martial arts moves and a PhD in not knowing when to call it quits.

In terms of action (for Arahan is a Kung Fu movie so not to mention it would defeat a lot of the object in a review of the film) Arahan manages to pull out some neat scenes, using the full gamut of tricks currently employed in the genre including extensive wire work in some of the later battles, occasional use of CG and a nice mixture of sword and fist fights to lend the scenes some variety. It never truly raises the bar and on occasion the fights can be heavily edited, perhaps to cover some of the performers lack of skill. By and large though it gets the blood pumping and will make you wince at just the right moments, all the ingredients of some decent Kung Fu.

Unfortunately Arahan does have one fairly large flaw. While billed as a comedy, Arahan can be surprisingly uneven in its tone. Much of the films humour tends to be slapstick although there are some knowing asides to Kung Fu genre in general particularly at the very beginning. The result of this somewhat broad humour combined with the manic performances will bring smiles to all but the most jaded. The downside to this however is when the film wants to get serious it pulls some nasty sucker punches that deaden the otherwise light and bouncy mood so suddenly you'll wonder if you're still watching the same film. Sang's ego destroying beating at the hands of a gang of thugs and any scene where Heuk-Un turns up are good examples of this and it's only toward the movies end that the two distinct tones of the movie begin to mesh any where close to successfully. It's a bit of a shame really. While the humour is welcome and largely on the nose (if a little broad at times), had it been reigned in slightly, perhaps been made a little more subtle, the films jarring changes of mood would have been less noticeable and the film itself doubtless would have been stronger for it.

In the end Arahan overcomes its flaws to provide a largely entertaining and irreverent slice of Kung Fu with a sideline in unexpected brutality. It may not be able to go head to head with best of Chow's output, but that it can be mentioned in the same sentence is more than praise enough.

Fun, Action and Special-Effects

[haimoff · 7/10 · 5 July 2004]

I had a chance to view this film during the NIFFF 2004 (Neuchatel International Fantasy Film Festival) in Switzerland. Far Eastern Films are very popular this days (at least in Europe) and offer a different way of telling stories than the big US-productions. The naive downtown policeman Sang Hwan helps the good and punishes the bad. He is discovered b a martial art master and trained to unleash the powers within him, in order to fight the ultimate evil Heung Un and save the world. This South-Korean film is combining humor, action and special effects a little bit in the tradition of Jackie Chan-films. "Arahan" is based on a Korean cartoon. 3 out of 5 *

Let's have fun...

[JayJay2003 · 20 August 2004]

I've seen ARAHAN at the FantasyFilmFest. It based on a Korean manga. Sang-hwan isn't a hero at first sight. He is a police officer, who is taking his job too serious. After he was beaten up, he met the Seven Masters. They see that this dumb has huge chi-power. And its time to get in shape, because evil is coming back to earth. So he and Eui-Jin (a real babe) train to fight... ARAHAN could be yours, if you liked TOKYO RIDERS or DUEL. Don't be like Sang-hwan and take it too serious. Its loud, fast and funny. This colourful urban martial arts action feast won't allow you much time for breathing. Fasten your seat belt. This is a ride you won't soon forget.

A Clumsy Anti-Hero Is Born

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 26 May 2007]

When a thief driving a motorcycle steals a purse of a pedestrian, the clumsy, naive and honest rookie policeman Sang-hwan (Seung-beom Ryu) runs after him, but the skilled specialist in martial arts Wi-jin (So-yi Yoon) captures the criminal and Sang-hwan is severely injured. She brings Sang-hwan to her home, where the six Masters of Tao heal him and believe that he has a powerful Qi, the spiritual energy of the universe, and could be a powerful warrior. Sang-hwan begins his training to ascend to a Maruchi, while the evil and ambitious Heuk-woon (Doo-hong Jung) is accidentally released from his imprisonment. The powerful Heuk-woon attacks the masters, searching a key that they protect, which would permit him to become an Arahan and dominate the world. When the masters are defeated, Sang-hwan and Wi-jin are the only hope to mankind.

"Arahan" has great special effects, a nice cast and could be a good action movie. Unfortunately the comedy never works, with the clumsy anti-hero Sang-hwan being a confused not-funny character. Maybe this type of humor works in other cultures, but I did not like it. The developments of the rich characters is weak, and maybe in Asian cultures the concepts of Qi and Tao are clear, but at least for me, I was forced to research about these concepts of the Chinese culture to understand their meanings. But for fans like me of South-Korean movies, "Arahan" is essential. My vote is six.

Title Brazil): "Arahan"

The second coming of Jesus - if he had been evil and Korean...

[AwesomeWolf · 7/10 · 2 March 2005]

With a tag line of "Urban Martial Arts Mayhem", and featuring a villain that comes pretty close to being an evil Korean Jesus, how can 'Arahan' not be awesome? It may not be quite as awesome as the trailer made out, but it still manages to be pretty cool.

Sang-Hwan is in a fix. He is a rather ineffective police officer who seems to go out of his way to get beaten up. The Seven Masters (of which there actually five) are in a fix. The kids don't believe in the Tao anymore, and the ability to levitate seems only useful in changing light bulbs. After Sang-Hwan ends on the receiving end of a palm-blast from Eui-Jin, she takes Sang-Hwan back to the Seven Masters (of which there are actually five) where they discover his un-tapped chi-potential. The Masters want to train Eui-Jin and Sang-Hwan as replacement Masters, and Sang-Hwan just wants to learn how to perform a palm chi-blast. However, Evil Korean Jesus has been accidentally released from his prison, and now seeks (among other things) revenge against the Seven Masters, and world domination. Ambitious.

If I could one major fault with 'Arahan', it is that the movie takes itself too seriously at times. On the other hand, 'Volcano High', despite being presented in a serious way, was non-stop fun. 'Arahan' sometimes drags on, giving away few laughs, but then makes up for it with scenes of awesomeness.

Complaints aside, it was generally a funny movie, with some nice visual effects and some pretty cool fantasy fight scenes. 'Arahan' is an enjoyable action / comedy - 7/10

The Korean Kungfu Hustle

[chrichtonsworld · 7/10 · 14 April 2007]

Arahan is an action/fantasy with a lot of humour. There is a lot of enjoyable martial arts with use of wire works and CGI. The theme concerning the main character who has great power but is not aware of it reminded me of Kungfu Hustle. Like in that movie the main character possesses great power that has to be unleashed. It is always fun to see someone train and watch someone get stronger and more skilled. Personally I can't get enough of these kind of stories. Especially when they are fun and provide a lot of eye candy. Even when this movie is meant to make you laugh it can be very serious at times. The balance between laughter and drama is great. It never gets too much. I enjoyed this film from start till finish. One of the better action comedies.

Quite good Korean action movie...

[paul_haakonsen · 6/10 · 8 April 2012]

"Arahan" is labeled as an action comedy, however, I think they held back on the comedy part, because this is far more action than it is comedy.

The story was actually quite good. Clumsy police officer Sang-hwan (played by Seung-beom Ryu) witnesses a unique palm strike from Wi-jin (played by So-yi Yoon) and is introduced to the art of Tao. He have to struggle to come to terms with this way of life and have to find himself, while the seven masters are keeping a key from Heuk-woon (played by Doo-hong Jung).

The action sequences and the fighting sequences in "Arahan" were actually quite good. Lots of really nice fight choreography here. And the scenes are very adrenaline-filled and straight to the point. Being an Asian action movie, of course you have to except there will be some over-the-top sequences thrown into the sequences to make it special.

The actors and actresses in "Arahan" were doing a good job with their given roles. However, I will say that the movie was carried by So-yi Yoon and Doo-hong Jung. Personally I found Seung-beom Ryu's Sang-hwan character a bit too goofy.

I was thoroughly entertained by "Arahan" and am glad that I have added it to my DVD collection. However, there was just something missing from it to make it stand out in the Asian market of similar movies. But still, not a bad movie all together.

Wildly imaginative and funny.

[CuriosityKilledShawn · 8/10 · 30 September 2006]

I ain't no fan of chop-socky Asian martial arts movies. You could run off a list of any of the 1000 films Jet Li made before going to America and I'd say, 'Um...Kiss of the Dragon?' So, that's how bad my knowledge and devotion is. It was surprising therefore to discover that Arahan is actually a very funny and very exciting movie that zips along loud, fast and funny.

Sang-Hwan is a lowly beat cop. He's clumsy, accident prone and bumbles more than the average bee. He doesn't believe he has any special powers, but when he makes friends with a group of five old masters, they recognise his potential and recruits him to help preserve the balance of the world from evil...or something. Which is great timing, because an ancient bad guy has come out of a long, long hibernation to seek the key to the ultimate nirvana and spread order over the whole world...or something.

Yes, it's gobbledygook. In fact, it's alarmingly similar to Bulletproof Monk, only not total crap. There are loads of laughs to be had. Arahan has a great sense of comic timing and the ability to jump from silly gags to serious action in just a few seconds.

When it comes to plain old hands-and-feet fighting, Hollywood movies seem to be lacking of late. It's all CGI and spandex. Eye candy it may be, but it's good to see something filled with practical fighting effects, despite the final showdown going on a bit.

The one bad thing that costs it half a star is the nasty Eighties synthesised score. Doesn't Korea have anything better than those shoddy Yamaha keyboards that I used in music class in high school? Hell, I could do better myself.

You can criticise the film for being mindless - hey, just because it's subtitled doesn't mean it's artsy fartsy - but for two hours of fun, Arahan will do nicely.

Junk

[ravikumarchandran · 3/10 · 20 December 2021]

I wish I did not spend my precious time watching this junk!

How to elaborate? The story is non existent. The acting sub par. The 'martial arts' unrealistic. The 'wise' martial arts words spoken makes little connection to the movie. It is as if someone picked lines from some spiritual book and sewn into the dialogues!

Overall, a horrendous experience watching this movie!

"How much do you charge for a Palm Blast?"

[Angelus2 · 9/10 · 15 February 2011]

Sang Hwan is the last honest, decent cop; unfortunately he is weak unable to stand up for himself as gangs roam wild. But one day as Sang Hwan chases a thief, he encounters a young girl named Wi-Jin. Who attempts to knock the thief out with a palm blast..unfortunately, the palm blast rushes past the thief and knocks out Sang Hwan. As Sang Hwan regains consciences, he finds himself in the presence of Immortals, who are willing to train him.

I saw the trailer and was sold, I needed to watch this film, it was very funny and smart. And I have to say, I haven't been let down.

The lead actor is fantastic as the bumbling cop, destined for greatness...He just nails the role perfectly. While the beautiful So-Yi Yoon is just hilarious as the no nonsense warrior, who is willing to train with Sang Hwan. All the actors are fantastic, they give warmth to their roles. There is some hilarious dialogue included at the most random moments. Doo Hong Jung appear in the movie as well, who I have seen in 'City of Violence', his role is a little stale but his martial arts are flawless.

The film is long and sometimes you feel as if scenes are unnecessary but honestly keep watching because one of the most, if not best fight scenes appears in the middle of the movie. As Sang Hwan demonstrates everything he has learnt, as he demolishes a gang. Simply spellbinding.

Good Brain Candy!

[ncc1205 · 4 February 2005]

There's an awful lot to like in "Arahan," but, then again, there's always something to like in any film that features a bumbling misfit saving the world.

Sang-hwan is a young police officer, and he's not a very good one. Bespectacled and nervous, he's not exactly welcomed with open arms at work. He bumbles his way into one mess and out of another, all despite his good intentions, and he ends up causing himself (and others) more harm than good. When several old masters guarding the key to enlightenment identify a strong ch'i in him that – if properly nourished and trained – could save mankind from a newly awakened evil, Sang-hwan decides to believe in himself and accept his new role as a guardian of society … but not without bumbling headfirst into the responsibility.

"Arahan" opens with a pace and tone that feels far more dark than the script ever delivers, and moments of whimsy aren't as funny as was quite possibly intended. In fact, Sang-hwan's beating at the hands of a street gang is downright violent, completely void of any humor. Thankfully, the uneven pacing of the first half gives way to some welcome surprises in the second, complete with a spectacular showdown to save mankind with frenetic swordfights, great humor, and some spectacular wire-fu.

If anything, "Arahan" takes itself a bit too seriously again in the closing moments of the fisticuffs when too many fight sequences are photographed in brain-friendly slow motion (gee, doesn't this all look pretty and significant?). But that's a small complaint for a film that delivers some impressive action sequences, some inspired special effects, and more than a dozen good belly laughs.

Fantastic Korean Martial Arts Action Comedy!!

[Movie-Misfit · 9/10 · 11 April 2020]

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!

Hilarious .. Funny .. Fantastic!

[ateeqimran · 10/10 · 23 August 2007]

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.

Buckle your seatbelts.

[Dare_Devil007_ · 17 September 2004]

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.

Arahan

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 6 December 2017]

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.

An Outstanding Fantasy-Action Comedy Film

[austin_amirian · 10/10 · 23 May 2007]

In a similar style and tone of Wilson Yip's "Lung Fu Moon" (Dragon Tiger Gate, 2006), we find ourselves immersed in one of the most sensational fantasy-action martial arts films that truly becomes a symbol of both artistic vision and amazing confrontational sequences. Each piece of this film is brilliantly played as we eagerly watch the development of Sang Hwan's character. The music that accompanied many of the fight sequences created such a tense and exciting backdrop - every scene was as stunning as the next. In addition to the incredible martial arts display, this film presents a strong sense of comedy that is interspersed at just the right moments. The fact that the movie was a very urban, down-town city setting added to the overall enjoyment - especially considering the strange mix of fantasy-action and the realism of metropolitan city streets.

I highly recommend this film to those wishing for a fun, thrilling, fantasy-action martial arts journey. It was so amazing!

Comedy action-packed flick

[my_funky_monkey · 19 December 2004]

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...

Fun lightweight action adventure

[dj_bassett · 24 April 2005]

A geekish cop is, unbeknowst to him, a secret chi master: he falls in with the 7 Grand Masters (although there's only five left) who are busy trying, and mostly failing, to find their way in the world. A bad guy turns up who wants a magic key that will make him God, or some such agreeable nonsense: our hero and his friends try to stop him. A lightweight, fun Asian action-adventure movie that is what it is, but is a good example of what it is: nice wire work, good fights, a little lowbrow comedy, and a nice slambang conclusion. Some fun is had with the characters trying to adapt to changing times: a sequence with the Grandmasters on a television show is priceless. Manages to entertain without getting in the way of itself; recommended.

2 Unfinished Movies in One !

[elshikh4 · 14 August 2008]

It's a very funny cartoonish movie, nearly a good modern fairytale, with all the cool Kung-Fu and the dexterous special effects, but this movie could, inadvertently, raise the predicament of the genre's holiness!

Look at it. From the start, it's nothing but the action comedy, being close to visual farce, with all the lovely elements of fantasy. Then, SUDDENLY, at the third act, it's the bloody violent action, where almost all of the nice characters of the old minters got killed, the last one got tortured, and a long sequence of one last, very serious and too drastic, battle!

Is it a sin?, is it the way we used to watch? Is it a no no when it comes to renewal the genre a bit? Actually, when they had done it in a way that made the taste strange to weaken the movie, as well as disturb its own condition, then something is really wrong. We learned that mostly "there is no killing in the comedy", so how about THIS comedy in particular which was apparently too light to be dark?! You have to sense oddity like being with unstable personality. Moreover, after being straightly harsh at the climax, it returns in the post-climax - irritatingly I think - to be that smiling childish again!

Just compare the intro scene, which's super and promising, or the droll sequence of training the hero, to all the body count, or the HEEE and HOOO of the climactic fight, to catch on that there was something unusual about it, or - correctly - badly unusual!

(Arahan) proves how the Korean cinema has a lot of great potentials, in terms of clever imagination, wonderful action, big production, and advanced technique. But (Arahan) also suffers from being comic fantasy that skewed a little for dark mood, and heavy nastiness. As the script sorrowfully manipulated the whole thing, not to shake the genre up, but to make a statement about the capability of making a strong action, yet inharmoniously.

It is 2 unfinished movies in one, undoubtedly well-made, but you have to get uneasy; as the sweet becomes sour at times, and feel eventually unsatisfied; as none of the 2 movies is complete.

Good enough for martial arts fans but damaged by an uneven approach

[bob the moo · 23 January 2009]

Hapless and idealistic young police officer Sang-hwan is pursuing a purse snatcher when he is "helped" by a young woman called Wi-jin. Unbeknownst to Sang, Wi-jin is being trained by the masters ot Tao and has great skills – great skills she accidentally uses on him. When he comes to he is in the company of the masters and decides to train with them and help to be a better officer. As he trains though, the release of the evil Heuk-woon from his underground prison brings a reality to the training that previously had been lost on Sang.

I saw this film after a recommendation on LoveFilm and others had said good things about it. Watching it for myself I found a film that has good bits and will appeal to martial arts fans but somehow doesn't really come together. The problem is in the delivery of the story and, to a point, where the story actually goes. At times it appears that this is a Jackie Chan style action comedy, with plenty of bumbling laughs mixed with the action. Then at others it feels like a full-on action film where the focus is on big sequences done without a hint of knowing humour. The again it seems to be a really self-important film about mysticism that takes it entirely seriously. Now, as a fan of cocktails and smoothies, I can get with the idea that things that don't naturally sit together can work great in the right mix – but it has to be the right mix. With Arahan the mix is never right and it feels fractured as if sections of the film were made by different people with different ideas of what the film is all about.

As far as individual parts go, there is nothing specifically wrong with anything on its own, even if I personally found the more weighty material to be far too silly to support that tone. This is contributed to by the mix of tones though because it is hard to take the film too seriously when it has characters running vertically down tower blocks and the like. It is a shame because the tone affects the characters and they are uneven as well but the main impact is how much you are able to really enjoy the film. So, you're into the light fun but then suddenly people are dying bloody deaths. Then you get into the seriousness of the mysticism but just as you do then it changes it up again without much connection. The cast do their best with it but most of them are best with the lighter touch and action. Ryu is a likable lead who can "do" geeky as well as he does "muscled-arrogance" later on. Yoon works well with him and she is both pretty and cool, making for another likable lead. The older masters are best when they are allowed to work with the modern twist on their characters but are not so good when the plot makes them get serious and worthy.

Overall Arahan is an OK film that has plenty of specific good bits in the comedy and the action sequences – certainly genre fans will like what they find. It is a real shame that the uneven tone breaks it up so much and prevents it really getting a constant flow that the viewer can get into.