What makes the lack of narrative depth easier to take is the fact that the action is fun, the cinematography is good, and the overall production design just looks so good. The film is quite beautiful to look at, even if the cast uses as much eye makeup as Johnny Depp.
I was a little disappointed not to get any mystical sword content, but I get, and respect, what they were doing with the sword. It is not a magically endowed sword, it is about respecting the sword and your enemies, not using it out of anger, but for defending that which you hold dear.
There are a couple of things holding this back from being a much stronger film. First is the writing. For being an epic film, the writing is awfully mundane. There is not much time spent on the big picture, outside of the bookending sequences. This is not helped by the lack of chemistry between So-yi Yoon and Lee Seo-jin. So-yi is lovely to look at, but when you put these two together, they may as well be magnets of the same polarity. Lastly, there is the ending, an ending that feels awfully familiar and goes on for way too long. The movie could definitely have benefitted from some snappier editing.
Audio/Video. The technical specs of this release are top notch. The widescreen image is crisp, clean, and does justice to that nice cinematography. Audio, provided in its original Korean, is also nice and clear. Subtitles are provided.
Extras.
- Character Introductions. This is a series of interviews with the Villain, the Companion, and the King. They are interesting in showing how the performers approached the roles.(17.5 minutes)
- Behind the Scenes. This is a brief collection of set clips with some sound bites from the performers. Fun to watch once, but not much replay value (6.5 minutes)
- Picture Gallery. This is a series of production stills that cannot be navigated and run with a piece of the score playing behind them. (1.5 minutes)
- Music Video. A soaring ballad of a song that plays over clips from the film (>4 minutes)
- International Trailer. (2 minutes)
Bottom line. The movie is not one to be savored or explored, it is one to be enjoyed on a surface level. On that surface level it excels, it is great to look at and has plenty of action.
Recommended.
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