So not two minutes ago the credits rolled. Han Hyo-joo sure tries hard to make Yoon-hee work, but I think to really make that character come alive, Joong-kyung needs to be more dynamic, and by design, he's not. "Werewolf"), also known as Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade in its American release, is a 1999 Japanese action political thriller[1] anime film directed by Hiroyuki Okiura (in his directorial debut) and written by Mamoru Oshii. When Lim leaves, Han from State Security seeks out Yun-hee. Didn't feel anything for the characters or their romance. Illang: The Wolf Brigade does have fantastic action sequences, especially the one involving the steel-clad unstoppable soldier killing his way through sewer tunnels filled with corrupt cops. A drama series about the origins of the opioid crisis. Quite a number of problems, but the biggest is the anime it is based on is flawed with great ideas but poor execution in the plot. However, Lim sees through the fact that State Security agents are present. Due to civil unrest within South Korea (Japan in the original), an elite anti-terror unit is formed. The film follows Kazuki Fuse, a member of a special police unit set during an alternate history of 1950s Japanese riots. I watched Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade a few months back, and I'm not a fan of it. Kei is eventually revealed not to be the suicide bomber's sister, but a former bomb courier coerced into acting on behalf of the Special Unit's rival division Public Security. A South Korean live-action remake titled Illang: The Wolf Brigade directed by Kim Jee-woon updates the setting from Japan to a dystopian South Korea, where the plot revolves around plans to unite the two Koreas. To make this more convoluted, he adds too many interested parties and secret organizations into his conspiracy (some of them appearing only in conversation and for 5 minutes), making it hard to keep track of who works for whom or what they want. He meets a woman claiming to be the girls sister, Lee Yun-hee (singer-turned-wooden-actress Han Hyo-joo), and theyll soon find themselves at the center of a conspiracy to disband the Special Unit--despite them already been disbanded after the opening scene. From here on out, Illang: The Wolf Brigade devotes much of its remaining runtime to a pointless attempt at inflating the runtime and creating intrigue when you dont care about the mystery. This was not the movie that I ended up watching. For example, after the first 15 minutes, you have to wait about 50 minutes for the next real action sequence. [8], Hyper commends the film for its "art direction and character design which are beautiful examples of hand-drawn animation and the music fits the action (or lack thereof) brilliantly. There is zero emotional depth to the characters (or actors who can convey any emotion), and together they make for a boring and shallow couple. [4], Okiura favored traditional animation, and thus the film was almost completely drawn by hand, requiring 80,000 cels. The story ends with the wolf eating Little Red Riding Hood. CA License # A-588676-HAZ / DIR Contractor Registration #1000009744 All Rights Reserved. [4], Oshii "begged" to at least be entrusted with the screenplay, the prospect of working with Okiura changing his previous reluctance about merely writing films. Kim and lead actor Gang Dong-won were set to attend the event. I liked the quality of the movie action scene, simple and without CG. See production, box office & company info, Chief Presidential Secretary Park Jeong-gi. Pamphlet from DVD. The film does include a few scenes that were faithful recreations of scenes from the original animation, and they were quite interesting to see and can really get a fan of the original excited. However, the intelligence service Public, Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. GameSpot may get a share of the revenue if you buy anything featured on our site. First, they get a chance to track down and all-but-eliminate a terrorist group called the Sect (although its never quite clear what these rebels oppose, or whether were supposed to be rooting for or against them), before an incident involving an underage suicide bomber forces the authorities to pull the plug on the program. Then he meets Lee Yun-hee (Han Hyo-joo, also wooden), who claims to be the dead girls sister. As the filmmaker wasn't able to produce two films in the same time but didn't want someone else to direct his final episode, Oshii decided that the third episode would be an anime instead. The film attempts to convey a message about following orders blindly and becoming an emotionless beast--theres a recurring allegory to Little Red Riding Hood and the idea of a wolf in human clothing, with the films title of Illang being a combination of human and wolf in Korean--but it tries to juggle too many things while focusing on the most boring element, the romance between Lim and Lee. Well unless you already know the Wolf Brigade because there was a Manga and an Anime. The Warner Bros logo is bright red against a black background. To take a beloved classic and make it a big budget blockbuster and then add 40 minutes to the runtime is an even worse idea. Good production value [Edit: typo due to puppy paws hitting my keyboard]. A lot of changes to the story made it worse. I thought all of the fighting and firefights of the movie were incredibly unique and interesting as far as movies go, the setting was also something that I enjoyed. The film premiered on November 17, 1999, in France, and Bandai Entertainment and Viz Media licensed the film for an English-language release in North America and Europe. Overall, though, if you have heartbreaking memories of the original, this one does not deliver the same emotional punch the original possessed. The ending theme (Grace Omega I think it's called) is rolling in the background even as I type this. While I enjoyed the film, I found myself caught between the contradictory feelings of wanting the film to have changed more while also wishing the film had adhered more to the original. Add to that the complete change of medium, and I was intrigued to see what the end result would be. Privacy Policy, Now Playing: Best Netflix Releases Of October 2018: New Movies And TV Shows To Watch. I'll call it resonance for now, but Jin Roh definitely has it. Some rebel fighters try to prevent it but are outmatched by an army of gas mask-wearing armoured super-soldiers who cut through anything in their path. There is action in the movie, and the action scenes are (reasonably) well done, but there are large chunks of the movie where there's no action at all. Released October 19th, 2018, 'Illang: The Wolf Brigade' stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Kim Moo-yul, Jung Woo-sung The R movie has a runtime of about 2 hr 20 min, and received a user score of 63 . This. Now I never read the Manga, but I did watch the Anime (Jin Roh). While I do think that this Korean movie does work enough for me to give it a recommendation, at the same time I thought it had some issues, issues that might make some other viewers look on it less kindly than I am. "[27], As per Yonhap review, the film "spent so much time trying to recreate the world from the animated movie and remakes it into a big-scale action blockbuster that it never got the simple things right the film falls short of properly delivering the intense inner conflict felt by Joong-kyung. It had the chance to take the core concept of the original and remake it with more Korean influences and depart into a similar, but uniquely different, film or to recapture the original with live action and a few more action sequences. However, the film's "slow, deliberate pace" is criticised. During a large demonstration at Gwanghwamun Square, the sect shows itself by bombing the police. [13][14][15][16][17][18], Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, "[Review] Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade (Blu-ray)", "Warner Bros. and KIM Jee-woon Team Up Once More on JIN-ROH Remake", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action INRANG Starts Shooting in August", "Jin-roh: "The Wolf Brigade" Set for Unexpected Korean Remake", "Korean Live-Action Jin-Roh Film Aims to Cast Actress Han Hyo-joo", "KIM Jee-woon's Sci-fi Action Drama INRANG Completes 8 Months of Filming", "YUBARI INTERNATIONAL FANTASTIC FILM FESTIVAL 2000", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jin-Roh:_The_Wolf_Brigade&oldid=1136119828, International Fantasy Film Special Jury Award, Ryuichi Horibe (Ron Halder in the English version) as. [8] It was subsequently shown in Cannes' March du Film, which presumably netted its early French theatrical release on November 17. With the help of the Wolf Brigade's battle suit, he manages to kill everyone, including his former friend Han. Illang (2018 Film) Information The sniper? befitting to our Korean situation and what not Perhaps if I had seen the anime version the other raters talk about, I would have understood what was going on. In particular, the part where he jump-kicks the guy through the car window. damn. That was satisfying. Decades later, he becomes a suspect again but is he still innocent? Reminder: Skip the convoluted plot and jump to 01:05:00 to watch the gunfight scene. The main problem with it is that two and a half hours it's much too overlong and could have done with some judicious cutting, but other than that this is a solid effort. They are able to arrest the terrorist Gu Mi-kyung, and ask her to track down the leader of the sect so they can have evidence. But everything feels like it's in slow motion: the predictable love affair, the speech patterns, they way everybody has to make weird faces to show how important their emotions are. Get our latest news, giveaways, free subscriptions and more. It has been relicensed in North America by Discotek Media, with a DVD released on April 29, 2014 followed by a Blu-Ray on January 27, 2015.[2][3]. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. The project was originally pitched as a six-episode OVA as he knew Bandai Visual was interested in having him do a series for them and his original Kerberos Panzer Cop manga was formed by six chapters. Both are able to escape and are instructed by the special forces instructor Jang Jin-tae to go into hiding. The action scenes themselves are decent for what they are. Since Lim was the last to see the girl alive, Han asks him to give the book to her sister. had to be impartial due to my upbringing in the States. GO AND DOWNLOAD WINZI NOW:https://winzo.onelink.me/gu8K/cbd64d7f#WINZO #ENMAY-----. [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] Like why can't you just flim everything the same as the originals? Illang: The Wolf Brigade 2018 | Maturity Rating: 16 | 2h 19m | Action & Adventure In 2029, the elite police squad Illang combats a terrorist group opposing reunification of the two Koreas. I am so glad that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. any information helps. [17][22][23], The film was selected to compete at the 66th San Sebastin International Film Festival, which was held from September 2129, 2018. Outside of this small fleshing out of the world, the Korean setting and backdrop really arent utilized to affect the films story all that much. Jee-Woon's films 'I saw the Devil' and 'The Good the Bad the Weird' are among my favorite Korean films (and favorite films in general). It focuses on Kazuki Fuse, a member of the elite Kerberos Panzer Corps, a metropolitan counter-terrorism unit. Illang: The Wolf Brigade (sometimes known as Inrang: The Wolf Brigade, which has been used at least once) is a 2018 Korean science fiction dystopian movie directed by Kim Jee-woon.It stars Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. The world seems to be overwhelmed by wars and political forces but during the moie none of them are desplayed or even implied a little. But Illang: The Wolf Brigade isn't an addition . Its only use is during the prologue to explain why the government would launch a Special Unit force to put an end to Sect. [1][18][19], Costumes for the film were designed by Hollywood artist Vanessa Lee, who also worked on the special effects costume for the 2006 film Underworld: Evolution and superhero costumes in the Avengers film series. The show started out fairly slow and then took off with some really fantastic action. When she looks out the window, she spots Lim. I went into this film not quite sure what to expect, but with a lot of high hopes. That just eluded me. These are among the scariest non-Nazi soldiers ever to be put on screen. At one point, I really wanted to find out what's playing behind the scenes politically, as we see the special unit troops storm a building and nothing else after that. Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political upri Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the Set in the distant future where both North and South Koreas agree to establish a joint government, which has been in preparation for a duration of 7 years, the plot focuses on political uprisings on opposing sides which grow fierce when a special police unit is formed to stop the chaos. The raw and "bestial" ending was changed for a more "humane" one. [9], An early comment on the film was given by Blue Sky animator Andr Mazzone, who was shown the film in May 1999 as part of a delegation from the studio to Production IG's headquarters. Furthermore, Illang is not a direct remake of the animation and is rather an adaptation that borrows heavily from the original. Thank You! GitHub export from English Wikipedia. My excitement dimmed after I read about how poorly it was received in Korea this summer by both audiences and critics. (Original title: "Inrang") Production: (S.. The goal of /r/Movies is to provide an inclusive place for discussions and news about films with major releases. The opening sequence is straight out of the 1999 anime, with a confrontation between the Sect and the Special Unit inside sewer tunnels. Lim meets Lee Yun-hee at the Namsan Tower. The stories focus on the aftermath of one of the units members who froze when confronted with a particularly young terrorist and couldnt perform his duty of killing her. She says he didn't even shoot her and they were just opponents on different sides. It was released on Netflix on July 25, 2018. Human-Wolf; also known as Inrang) is a South Korean science fiction action movie directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. Still had a good time watching it, mostly because of where it came from but unfortunately this pretty much murdered any chance to see Jin-Roh content ever again. But at the end of the day, the shoot-outs are tight, and the action is adrenaline inducing. that betraying sonovabitch Henmi ate shit. I was very confused regarding the motivation of each main character. As interesting as perfectly remaking an old anime into a live action movie might be, I was more intrigued by what changes would be implemented and how the lens of a Korean movie team would affect the narrative. Deep. However, the intelligence service Public Security, which sees its own influence drop, hatches a plot to annihilate the Special Unit. Three Crows Magazine Science Fiction and Fantasy Magazine, REVIEW: The Game Weavers by Rebecca Zahabi, Tamsyn Muir Interview: There is a lot of blood on my dance floor., REVIEW: Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James, Marvel Presents Northstar Vs the Straight Gaze by O F Cieri, Screenplay: Kim Jee-woon, Jun Chul-hong, Lee Ji-min, Park Jong-dae (based on the oriinal story written by Mamoru Oshii and its animated feature Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade directed by Hiroyuki Okiura), Main cast: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung, Kim Mu-yeol, Han Ye-ri, Choi Min-ho, Heo Joon-ho. Anyone that has seen the original master piece before would find dissapointement in the last 15 min. He uses mostly tracking shots, following each of the players involved, highlighting the fear and desperation in the eyes of the terrorists (though the film never makes it clear if we should feel bad for them or not), and the cold, heartless dedication behind the cyborg-like the Special Unit. Movie was alright but nowhere near as good as the original. Please use a html5 video capable browser to watch videos. Illang: The Wolf Brigade[3] (Korean:; also known as Inrang) is a 2018 South Korean science fiction action film directed by Kim Jee-woon and starring Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung and Kim Mu-yeol. Fullmetal Alchemist The Revenge of Scar. By [32] The number of South Korean film admissions in July 2018 dropped by 21.4% from 2017, to 5.39 million, due to the sluggishness of this film and the absence of intermediate films to replace it. Theatrical poster. The premise was funny in the beginning about reunification. However, he refuses, seeing no need for her death. Anti Slip Coating UAE Korean director Kim Jee-woon's latest offering is another anime adaptation, this time in the form of ILLANG: THE WOLF BRIGADE. Illang tries for a slightly different emotional tug, but it didnt quite take the time to build it up for me the way the slower, more plodding Jin-Roh managed. [6] Oshii, who characterized him as "allergic to computers", admitted that had he directed the film he would have relied in computer animation just as he did in Ghost in the Shell and no more than 30,000 cels would have been needed. Being a huge Kerberos fan (went as far as spending two whole month salaries to buy a full size set of armor back in the day) my expectations were really high I give it a B-. Even worse, Kim Jee-woons decision to give away with the original films bleak ending in favor of a happy and commercially friendly ending betrays the only interesting themes in this underwhelming Korean sci-fi thriller. There's certainly a lot going on plot-wise, and the movie doesn't juggle the material well. I never watched the anime so I can speak on how important those combat suits are other than looking super cool. 2. Lacking any creative control on the process, he chose to distance himself from the animation production while looking forward to the final product. About that car and the rest of the surrounding production details: Despite all the energy spent establishing how much Korea has changed between now and 2029 (a vision that calls for customized cars and tanks early on), about half an hour in, Kim either forgets that the film takes place in the future, or simply assumes that audiences will just carry on believing that premise, reverting back to what looks indistinguishable from the present day. I love every movie I've seen from director Jee-woon Kim and the fact that bring back the iconic action hero Arnold Schwarzenegger in his American debut The Last Stand (2013) so when I heard he about to direct the live action adaptation of Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade I can only imagine how awesome the famous incident in the sewers scene on the big scene or the special police unit armor would look like with real people but what I don't know is Jee-woon Kim also bring back home the Hollywood treatment for foreign movies for Illang.I don't mind the change in the story for it to fit the current state of North Korea and South Korea but what I do mind is how much different the two main characters in Illang to their Japanese counterpart in Jin Roh.There so much more action in Illang so for people that think Jin Roh is boring without the action it definitely a plus but for me the four short action scene in the original are still superior thank to how emotionally attached I am to the characters and the ending make me have no desire to watch it again. Han Hyo Joo is pretty. Director Kim Jee-woon transplants the Japanese anime to a unified Korea, where steel-plated super-cops make a strong impression, then disappear for most of the movie. They make their way to the tunnels once more, where they are met by members of the Wolf Brigade, a secret, deep-cover unit in the Kerberos Corps led by Hajime Handa. This could explain why Jin-Roh is much more grounded and easier to follow than The Red Spectacles and StrayDog: Kerberos Panzer Cops, which don't really feature the iconic armor. I felt like the new happy ending didn't match up to the original ending in the anime movie. Fantastic and brilliant, with an intense and memorable ending. In those finals moments, they manage to seemingly invalidate the rest of the film; it's quite literally the complete opposite of the anime. Oh, Kim Jee-Woon, what have you done? The special unit is able to track the fleeing members to the sewers and hunt down some members there. After that I didn't care who was fighting who. The unit is characterized by their futuristic military gear, and respirators containing glowing red lights. And it's a shame because the initial idea was not bad. Floor Coatings. (Also in San Sebastian film festival.) If you are someone who has only a passing knowledge of Jin-Roh (or better yet, no knowledge at all), you are set up to enjoy this film the most. About the Author Michael Kellichner is writer and poet from Pennsylvania currently living in South Korea. If they had kept the original ending that preserved the nature of the main quote, I would have easily given it a 9/10. Terms of Use and Aside from the blackouts and the demonstrations at the beginning, I didn't fully get a sense of the effects of the reunification process. From the very beginning the audience is thrown into a plot which is rather vague and confused. Variety is a part of Penske Media Corporation. Variety and the Flying V logos are trademarks of Variety Media, LLC. [10][11] The film competed in the San Sebastin International Film Festival for the Golden Shell, becoming the second South Korean film to do so.[12]. Netflix acquired the international distribution rights of the film. Writer/director Kim Jee-woon clearly has an eye for intriguing thrillers and electrifying action, but he doesnt seem to know what to do with the movie's bad actors, and his idea to take a relatively simple story and add 4 different subplots was misguided. Entertaining and quite intelligent combat and action sequences throughout the movie; however, remarkably dumb reasons provided by the plot to explain the purpose of this combat. The whole movie takes place in South Korea, and I was wondering when the North would be involved. Just wow. A remake of the acclaimed japanese anime Jin-roh this new movie somehow fails to make the impact that one might expect from this director. Each of them is a one man army, with heavy duty machine guns, steel shields on their forearms capable of resisting hand-grenades, and German war helmets with gas masks covering their faces. The acting is decent, the effects and suits are quite good and the plot flows smootly until the end. That concept alone ought to make for a fascinating science-fiction parable, although its barely dealt with in any practical terms, other than to explain a wave of demonstrations that turn tragic on what comes to be known as Bloody Friday, when peacekeeping forces accidentally murder 15 schoolgirls, mistaking them for terrorists. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. So I can't really compare the two versions, I just remember that I liked the animated version and I can say the same thing for the live action version. Starring: Gang Dong-won, Han Hyo-joo, Jung Woo-sung Watch all you want. This movie missed the whole point of the original like alot. He ultimately still found the experience frustrating both through the tiping ("The moment you write, you want to direct") and after realizing the result would unavoidably be much different from what he pictured in his head. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. He inquires about Lim. Jin-Roh: The Wolf Brigade is the third film adaptation of Mamoru Oshii's Kerberos Saga manga, released in 1999. When your consent is required, you can accept, refuse or personalise your choices. Yun-hee sits down with her brother as the train departs. A really good action movie with an intriguing setup. But another enemy may be lurking nearby. Interesting what the Korean Scriptwriters think about Super Powers meddling into Reunification of the Republic of South Korea and the Democratic People's Nation of North Korea. Press J to jump to the feed. That whole movie. At first the new ending started making me think they were going to tie the plot into something regional/macro, but instead it was some happy ending crap. That inexplicable something a story (in any medium) can have. Hyo-Joo does a fantastic job bringing her characters confusion, conflict, and desperation to life, and her performance was by far the most enjoyable part of the film for me. Illang: The Wolf Brigade is a (Korean: ; Hanja: ; RR: Illang; lit. The original Jin-Roh is a slow movie. sorry to be that guy, but does anyone who has seen the movie know what is the origin of the art from the Red riding hood scene, I am fascinated by the artwork and am looking for prints of it and was wondering if they are original to the movie itself or from an outside source? I am a big fan of Korean films and still possess vivid memories of my reaction to Jin-Roh back in college. Yun-hee tells him she saw a puppet show of Little Red Riding Hood, but a version without a happy ending. The unrest generated by the political tension in Asia, economic depression, and opposition to reunification results in a domestic terror group known as "The Sect" to form. It was developed by Kakao Pages and Daum Webtoon and was released on June 27, 2018, beginning a weekly run of chapters that led up to the film's release on July 25. Imo, the movie was doing so great as just a double agent action thriller. (Source: KoBiz) Edit Translation, In 2029, after the governments of North and South Korea announce a 5-year plan to reunify the country, strong sanctions by the world's powerful nations cripple the economy and lead to a hellish period of chaos. Also, there is so much talk, the movie runs for about 139 minutes, which is way too long for this particular story to be told. [24][12], A red carpet and showcase event for the film was held on July 18, 2018 at Times Square Mall in Yeongdeungpo-gu with the attendance of the director and cast. But I found it stylish satisfying and at times genuinely scary! He likes writing about horror despite being the most scary-cat person he knows. The thing is like a wolf. Suffice it to say, there is an elaborate conspiracy afoot to disband the Special Unit which is strange, since they seem pretty effectively disbanded 15 minutes into the movie. Inrang: A feast for the eyes, but not the mind. The action in this film is so intense and epic! The year is now 2029, and Special Unit forces now patrol wearing elaborate steel-plated armor. The plodding pace does it a lot of favors, packing a lot of emotion into a relatively short film, but Illang breaks up some slower moments by adding in extra action scenes and extending others that existed in the original. The main problem with it is that two and a half hours it's much too overlong and could have done with some judicious cutting, but other than that this is a solid effort. After the Dragon King steals his staff, the Monkey King sets off on a mission to get it back. Kim Jee-woon knows what the hell he's doing when it comes to staging and shooting action, and the action sequences here are fluidly shot and feature some really neat choreography. However, mostly the change just allows for a more fully rounded explanation of why there are protests and how the anti-terror unit came to be formed in the first place.