Storyline
Sok-woo and his daughter Soo-ahn are boarding the KTX, a fast train that shall bring them from Seoul to Busan. But right at the moment of their departure, the train station is overrun by zombies which kill the train driver and several others. While the KTX is shooting driver-less to Busan, the passengers have to fight for their naked lives against the zombies.
Cast: Yoo Gong -
Seok Woo
Dong-seok Ma -
Sang Hwa
Woo-sik Choi -
Young Gook
Yu-mi Jeong -
Sung Gyeong
Sohee -
Jin-hee
(as Ahn So-hee)
Kim Soo-ahn -
Soo-an
Trivia:
Director Yeon's first live-action film. He was animation film director. See more »
User Review
Author:
Rating: 7/10
With such a high presence in both TV and film, zombies are becoming
over used. Our fascination with them seems to quickly be coming to a
close, so it takes something special to stand out. First time live
action director, Sang-ho Yeon, has managed to craft a unique take on
the undead by placing them on a train and adding a few things to their
mythology. Despite underdeveloped characters and an overly sentimental
final act, Train to Busan delivers a fresh take on the zombie movement
that contains some extremely memorable set pieces.
The story revolves around a father who is taking his daughter to see
his ex-wife. Yoo Gong plays the typical father who is more concerned
with work than with family and does not always put people as his top
priority. His daughter is the typical kid who knows how important other
people are and always tries to do the right thing. This is where the
film really falters. The characters fit perfectly into stereotypical
roles and never feel like anything other than placeholders. There is
the typical villain who never seems to die, the typical female
characters who must rely on the men, and the group of people who
blindly follow orders. There is one excretion however. During the train
ride, the father and daughter encounter a couple with a child on the
way. The man in this relationship is charismatic, charming, and above
all, badass. When everything is about to go down, he is quick to suit
up and prepare for a fight. This is the one character in the entire
film that stands out and quickly becomes the reason you root for the
characters to make it out.
There is also an incredibly emotional scene involving this character
that really hits hard. The build up to the scene works well and because
we are so attached to him, anytime he is at risk the stakes are raised.
The scene is effective and almost brought tears to my eyes. This scene
should have been the emotional climax of the film. Unfortunately the
film goes on for about 30 more minutes and involves another emotional
moment with the main character. This second scene however is not
effective at all. Through flashbacks and an awkward script, the scene
becomes cheesy and at a certain point comical. It didn't work and
really took away from the previous emotional climax.
Typical of the zombie genre, the film does contain a social critique.
Similar to Snowpiercer, the film uses its setting to comment on the
class system and the social order we fall into. The businessman is
ultimately the boss as he is superior in pedigree and it is up to
everyone else to follow him or be cast aside. Additionally his
character perfectly aligns with the dog eat dog world we live in today
as he uses others for his own advantage. As he throws people to the
wayside, literally to be devoured by those around them, it is clear the
point that is being made.
Also borrowing from another film, the zombies here are fast. Just like
in World War Z, they act like swarms of insects as they barrel through
doorways and windows creating a sense of urgency slower zombies often
fail to establish. They also look great. There are a few moments when
they all swarm together, where it is clear CGI was used, but for the
most part they used practical effects. The zombies move with
disjointed, quick movements that make them very terrifying. It is
almost painful to watch them contort their bodies as they converge on
their victims.
The real unique characteristic though is that they cannot see well in
the dark. This trait provides the basis for a number of intense set
pieces as characters use sounds to mislead the zombies and navigate the
claustrophobic setting from train car to train car.
Another great set piece involves the characters getting off the train.
It appears as though they have reached a safe zone, but once they
realize that they are mistaken, it becomes a race to get back on the
train. Characters are killed, people are injured, and bonds are formed
as people realize how much they need each other to survive. It is a
nice diversion from what we have seen so far and gives the audience
something different, yet equally intense, so the action doesn't get
repetitive.
In the end however, the film does fail to keep us engaged. In the last
30 minutes, the film really starts to drag. The action is not as
effective and then builds up to the disappointing emotional climax
mentioned earlier. At this point, I just wanted our characters to reach
safety, or die already. The very last scene however does work well. In
a film filled with brutal action, it was nice to end on a heart-warming
moment.
Train to Busan (2016) Directed by: Sang-ho Yeon Screenplay by: Sang-ho
Yeon Starring: Yoo Gong, Dong-seok Ma, and Woo-sik Choi Run Time: 1
hour 58 minutes
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