I thought it was pretty hard to understand this movie without any knowledge of Japanese History. Thanks to my past exp., I'm already into it since I was a kid, I've played Samurai Warriors Games and caught up with the story.
This movie really focused on the historical moment of the Admiral of the Joseon Dynasty, Yi Sun-Sin. Even outnumbered (56 vs 100 ships), He and two commanders fought the Japanese Navy, the three Generals. Joseon Navy won without any ships wrecked while 100 Japanese ships were wrecked.
The best thing about this movie is its really strong Japanese Samurai ambiance. Any Japanese cultural thing seems perfect from war armor to a movie set. Besides, the movie plot is great! The strong leadership & analytical thinking of Admiral Yi Sun-Sin is well delivered throughout its entirety. His strong chars easily to be sensed by audiences. Supporting actors are great too, such as Kim Sung-kyu as a rebellious Japanese samurai, named Junsa.
Personally, the huge cons are this movie worse than the sequel, The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014). Why? The sequel is much easier to understand, more focused plot, and Yi Sun-Sin seemed stronger chars & struggled. Compared to this, this movie is just standard quality, maybe coz the Admiral Yi Sun-Sin cast was different. But, this movie is still worth watching!
Nevertheless, this movie is motivating us with period war spirits to keep us remembering veteran services and our history in order to gain country freedom as today. Great to cope with our burnt-out, so watch it!