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Save the Green Planet!

Play trailer Poster for Save the Green Planet! 2003 1h 56m Comedy Drama Sci-Fi Play Trailer Watchlist
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88% Tomatometer 43 Reviews 88% Popcornmeter 5,000+ Ratings
Lee Byeong-gu (Shin Ha-kyun) is convinced that there are aliens from Andromeda among us, plotting to destroy Earth. He believes that Kang Man-shik (Baek Yun-shik), the head of a chemical production company, is their leader, and he kidnaps him. Holing up in his secret lair, Byeong-gu interrogates and tortures the supposed alien, hoping that he will confess to his crimes against humanity and call off the planned destruction of the planet before it is too late.
Save the Green Planet!

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Critics Consensus

A funny and wildly inventive hybrid of various genres, Save the Green Planet! is definitely a unique viewing experience.

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Critics Reviews

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Andrea Gronvall Chicago Reader 06/06/2007
Punk graphics and a snaking camera add zest to the story, which is alternately heartbreaking, suspenseful, and darkly funny. Go to Full Review
Derek Adams Time Out 02/09/2006
The film oscillates between wild humour, suspense, horror and pathos, sometimes all in one shot. It's quite something. Go to Full Review
Noel Murray AV Club 09/26/2005
Save The Green Planet has a free-ranging mood, mixing tragedy and comedy irregularly, but Jeong's film is equally free with genre, and entertains its audience openly before pouring on the astringent. Go to Full Review
Isaiah Colbert io9.com Nov 3
The director’s erratic, experimental, and expressive handheld camerawork and naturalistic framing create a kind of visual synesthesia. Go to Full Review
Sarah Vincent Sarah G Vincent Views Oct 24
Korean writer and director Joon-hwan Jang’s feature debut is an off kilter, disorienting and bonkers movie that somehow makes Yorgos Lanthimos feel respectable and comforting in comparison. Go to Full Review
Yasser Medina Cinefilia Aug 20
5/10
It's easier to save yourself from an alien invasion than from this mess. [Full review in Spanish] Go to Full Review
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Audience Reviews

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Claudio C 10h Jigureul jikyeora! / Save the Green Planet! (2003) Crazy or Genius? (12,132 – 16 Dec 2025 – Claudio Carvalho) A couple of days ago I watched the great "Bugonia" and I wrote it is a strange but original movie. Now I need to rectify the information since "Bugonia" is not original but a remake of "Jigureul jikyeora!", a.k.a. "Save the Green Planet!" (2003). The latter is one of the most original movies ever made. It is amazing how South Korean screenwriters give lesson to Hollywood ones that rip off many of their films. My vote is eight. Title (Brazil): "Save the Green Planet!" My Blog: https://maniacosporfilme.wordpress.com/ If you want to read reviews rejected by RT, visit my Blog. See more Christian M 16h Few directors dare to play. 'Save the Green Planet' is the kind of cinema I value: bold, creative, and fully aware of its own cinematic language. It is an experiment that ultimately works, even if it never completely wins me over. While not my favorite within this style, it becomes more engaging in its second half. One of the film’s strongest elements is its cinematography. The visual approach, dominated by blue tones, can be tiring at times, yet it achieves a hypnotic effect. The performances are solid and functional, convincing enough to sustain a story that can feel confusing. The narrative asks for patience and attention, eventually explaining itself while still leaving room for interpretation. Editing and montage stand out through bold choices, though the film rarely keeps tension high. It may be predictable, but its confident direction and clear identity make it worthwhile. Imperfect and uneven, it will not appeal to everyone, it knows what it wants. See more Dennui S Dec 5 Wow, that was a wild ride. It got a bit long for me, but it was a good flick. See more revolver.0 8 @Revolver08 Sep 11 violant human nature theme is mashed with over the top characters and cartoonish sequences See more jack d 05/16/2021 Totally bonkers - very Korean. See more 03/31/2021 Save the Green Planet is a mash-up of genres; it is sci-fi with light elements of horror and comedy, but most notably, tragedy. In such an over-the-top outlandish film like this, it's the human elements, the moral ambiguity, and the tragic reflection on cycles of violence and self destruction that stand out. However, without spoiling anything, I will say that my most pointed criticism of Green Planet is that the aforementioned subtleties are overshadowed--and perhaps weakened by--some late game twists that border on nihilism and are at best absurdist. An intended contrast for sure when there's such stark realities at play here, but a contrast that made the film's messages a little uneven. See more Read all reviews
Save the Green Planet!

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Movie Info

Synopsis Lee Byeong-gu (Shin Ha-kyun) is convinced that there are aliens from Andromeda among us, plotting to destroy Earth. He believes that Kang Man-shik (Baek Yun-shik), the head of a chemical production company, is their leader, and he kidnaps him. Holing up in his secret lair, Byeong-gu interrogates and tortures the supposed alien, hoping that he will confess to his crimes against humanity and call off the planned destruction of the planet before it is too late.
Director
Jang Joon-hwan
Screenwriter
Jang Joon-hwan
Production Co
Sidus Corporation
Genre
Comedy, Drama, Sci-Fi
Original Language
Korean
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 4, 2003, Original
Release Date (DVD)
Sep 20, 2005
Box Office (Gross USA)
$14.6K
Runtime
1h 56m