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Korean cinema's assault on the senses of Western filmgoers continues in dazzling style with the violent crime thriller-cum-martial arts actioner, THE CITY OF VIOLENCE, the latest offering from the man who has been hailed as the Korean Tarantino, "Crying Fist" director Ryoo Seung-wan. Both satirizing and paying homage in equal measure to the gritty action flicks of the 1970s, while combining elements of Scorsese's "Goodfellas" and Stephen Chow's "Kung Fu Hustle" with referential nods to the likes of Walter Hill's "The Warriors", THE CITY OF VIOLENCE is a supremely entertaining work that scores on every level. Detective Jeong Tae-su (played by martial arts wizard Jeong Du-hong), returns from Seoul to Onsung, the hometown of his youth to attend the funeral of his long-time friend, a reformed small-time mobster, Wang-jae (Ahn Gil-gang). There, following a nostalgic reunion with his gang of former childhood buddies, he becomes obsessed with investigating the circumstances surrounding Wang-jae's death. What he uncovers sparks a chain of events that results in Jeong and his buddy Ryoo (played by director Seung-wan himself) being forced to battle it out with teenage gangs, deadly assassins and a horde of murderous mobsters as they get closer to the truth. Slickly exploiting the "grindhouse" style of filmmaking usually associated with 1970s cinema, and boasting astonishing fight scenes and action sequences choreographed and performed by Korea's leading martial arts practitioners, THE CITY OF VIOLENCE charges non-stop from one set-piece to another resulting in an action-packed cinematic jolt of adrenalin guaranteed to leave audiences breathless. Film fans will also find additional pleasure in spotting and revelling in Seung-wan's affectionate homages to many Hollywood favourites, including Rob Reiner's "Stand By Me", Brian De Palma's "The Untouchables" and Tarantino's "Kill Bill" amongst others.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Macho male masturbatory action cinema at its finest,
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This review is from: The City of Violence - 2 Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] (DVD)
Like a double hypodermic shot of adrenaline through both corneas straight into the bloodlust epicenter of the brain. This is the film that "Shoot em up" wanted to and failed to be. Further proof if you needed it that Hollywood is dead. Want action... Go east young man!
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Dramatic moments sandwiched in-between the spin-kicking fight sequences,
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This review is from: The City of Violence - 2 Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] (DVD)
"The City of Violence" is surprisely good and pays homage to a handful of films and maybe video games. As much as I enjoyed this film there is ultimately much more behind it is probably clear, but the film leaves no time for the formulate narrative, which may disappoint the one hand, since there are hardly any surprises, at the same time one feels but also good hands and can be fully applied to the optical review and musical values of the film.
This story entails Tae-Su (Doo-Hong Jung) who works as a policeman in Seoul, due to the murder of a former schoolmate after many years in his home town returns, only to realize that things have changed fundamentally. There are now brutal youth gangs, the night the roads unsafe and Tae-Su presumed to be stuck behind the murder. Together with another friend of his youth - Pil Ho - makes it to search for the murderer. This film ultimately reminded me of a revenge story in the cool'70s style, with good martial-arts sequences, which I have seen from Korea. The most notable feature in the great battle on road when the camera is very close to the action on it, and you do not always match the fighting, which sometimes chaotic adrift into something. The music selection is exemplary; it falls between hip-hop, Western scores and jazz is cool, run 93 minutes in length with very crisp, elegant retro style that contributes to the atmosphere. Leading actors Doo-Hong Jung (Tae-Su) can be fully convincing and shows us the best performance of his career. Ultimately, again a film that offers very little that is new, but at least his exemplary quotes parade passed, and guaranteed an audience. Like I stated before the weak point of this film is the story itself which is told too quickly. Of course, there is also a city gangsters and consequently many situations, with words no longer clear, but hand edges, and billets of action which is exactly why The City of Violence is worth seeing.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
In Thrall To Tarantino,
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This review is from: The City of Violence - 2 Disc Collector's Edition [DVD] (DVD)
Highly stylised and efficiently brutal thriller which has several kinetic setpieces with a jazz fusion stylee. Too cool for school antiheroes in a film rammed with nods, winks and riffs from other better films. The Baseball Furies gang raised a wry smile and the action scenes are very good indeed, but it is let down by overblown melodramatic storyline and some poor scripting which does not make the remainder of the film live up to the tongue-in-cheek hyperkinetic romp it often promises to be. The epic showdown owes its very existence to Kill Bill and to pretend otherwise is foolish, young apprentice. Favouriite bit is where our battered duo burst in through a silk screen door to get the drop on some hoodlums at dinner. Then the next 40 doors open one after another to reveal an entire legion of goons hungry for blood. Also, a great final line of dialogue which modesty permits me from sharing with you here.
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