Kevin L
I'm loving these Korean action flicks. There's a great mix of good drama to go along with all the action/adventure content. Credit to writer/director Yoon Jae-geun for this taut, intense, clever movie, mixing fantasy and reality. It kept me pretty much riveted to the end.
Good performances overall by the key role players, though Park Ji-hwan as the homeless man was a bit hammy.
I appreciated the well-designed fight scene choreography and very narrow escapes. I also appreciate that the movie didn't make me suspend disbelief as much as a great many action movies where the protagonists(s) is getting shot at dozens of times but only gets the cliched shot in the arm or upper chest. Plenty of injuries and bloodshed to go around here, but it's not overtly gory or fetishized.
3.8 stars fantasy/action movie
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
10/25/23
Full Review
Joseph E
Amazing acting and performance from every character, felt very wrapped in the movie and leaves off on a great note. Movie started off slow and progressed smoothly from investigative to action packed with great use of emotion. Korea is really proving better than Hollywood.
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
05/24/23
Full Review
Wolfgang G
Spiritwalker ist ein südkoreanischer Mystery- Action- Fantasy-Film, von Yoon Jae-geun (Drehbuch und Regie)... Die Handlung dreht sich um einen Mann mit Amnesie, der anschließend alle zwölf Stunden in einem neuen Körper aufwacht… Mysteriöse Situationen und eine Suche nach persönlicher Identität, mit stilvoller Action wie Verfolgungsjagden und Nahkampf-Szenen… Die Leistung der Schauspieler ist lobenswert…
Rated 4/5 Stars •
Rated 4 out of 5 stars
03/20/23
Full Review
Dick C
It's an excellent and science-fiction movie...
Rated 4.5/5 Stars •
Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars
10/13/22
Full Review
Darryl M
After waking up from a car crash unable to remember anything about his life, a man begins regaining consciousness in a new body every 12 hours. Now, he must piece together his identity, all while evading attacks from pursuing agents and dangerous criminals alike. But with no memory and no allies his time is running out.
Much like Tarantino's Reservoir Dogs, the essence of the story is straightforward: a simple plan gone sideways. The uncomplicated premise of the story is bolstered by the science fiction aspect of it and all the characters that inhabit the world. Something of a cross between Memento and Total Recall, Spiritwalker is sure to confuse, frustrate, and delight as I-an races against the clock to reclaim his existence, provided he's not captured or killed first. Labeled in some places as an action film, the movie is light on viable action scenes, choosing instead to focus more on the unveiling of the narrative and less on throwing hands. Saving the best action for the final act, when the film really kicks into high gear, it's disappointing that we don't get more of the high-quality action throughout but also understandable; director Yoon Jae-geun is more concerned with mining the story's elements than glossing over them to get to the next fast paced beat.
Starring Yoon Kye-sang, Spritwalker showcases the former K-pop star's ability to be an everyman, vulnerable enough for the audience to willingly join him on his journey of literal self discovery. Kye-sang manages to sell I-an as a desperate, driven man searching for answers and holding on to every scrap of information he can find. While not always in the frame, I-an is the forefront of the story, and even when he's not on screen, Kye-sang's presence is felt. At the end of his rope, Kye-sang is at his best when I-an reaches his lowest lows and most confused moments.
Also starring Lim Ji-yeon as Jin-ah, the character serves as a focus point for I-an. As he stumbles from clue to clue, it seems that most roads lead through or to Jin-ah. Ji-yeon is magnificent in the film, playing Jin-ah as confident, clever, and tough as nails. Far from just a damsel in distress, Jin-ah is out to find her own answers and Ji-yeon brings a steel to the character that makes for excellent chemistry with I-an, albeit in scenes that are far too brief. In a more subdued role is Park Yon-woo as Director Park, the veteran actor bringing a duality to the agent that is chasing I-an throughout the film. Appearing sparsely in the film at first, and more frequently as the pieces are fitted together, Yon-woo looms in the background as a possible friend or foe.
A shoutout must be given to Park Ji-hwan's Haengryeo, the always hustling and delightfully shifty homeless man that initially finds I-an after the film's opening car wreck. The comedic relief, Ji-hwan's highlight comes in a dizzying who's-on-first routine with I-an that, thanks to director Yoon Jae-guen's nifty bit of handiwork, is both amusing and poignant to the storytelling. While disappearing for most of the third act, Haengreyo is still pivotal to the key events of the movie, and his presence on screen never disappoints.
Written and directed by Yoon Jae-geun, Spiritwalker uses every trick in the book to keep the audience off balance and guessing as the narrative threads slowly unravel. Seamlessly blending together different actors playing the same character, we're just as confused as I-an as he attempts to recreate past events to form a narrative that sheds light on his amnesia. The decision to tell a nonlinear story from the viewpoint of an unreliable narrator is the film's best selling point; Jae-geun uses that initial confusion to place his stamp on what's essentially an old school cops and robbers story. Cinematographer Lee Seong-je brings a workmanlike quality to the picture: apart from a few clever flourishes and extended tracking shots, Seong-je keeps the camera steady, letting the complex nature of the storytelling be the film's most prominent feature. When the action kicks into high gear the last 20 minutes of the film, Seong gives the audience a clear picture of what happening without excessive edits, letting the action play out on screen.
Overall, Spiritwalker is a fun sci-fi thriller that demands the utmost attention of its audience. The slow rollout of information, requiring attention to detail, makes this a phones down film that may require more than one viewing to fully grasp and understand. Yoon Jae-guen's direction is solid and Yoon Kye-sang provides a great unreliable narrator for the audience to root for. At 108 minutes, the quick pace begs the audience's awareness from the first moments to the last. A great Friday evening movie to kickstart the weekend, Spiritwalker is a worthy check out for fans of early Chris Nolan-esque storytelling who are willing to put in the work.
Rated 3/5 Stars •
Rated 3 out of 5 stars
11/23/22
Full Review
Audience Member
SPIRITWALKER is a complex thriller from the first moment the film begins. We are dropped in the midst of a story where every twelve (12) hours it seems our main character's essence is somehow transferred into a new body. His memories seem to be retained from the start of the film, but not prior to the car crash that opens the film. He does not know who he is and how he got into this situation. What he does know is that there are dangerous people trying to kill him; criminals and, possibly, intelligence agents. He just needs to reconstruct the puzzle pieces to find out why?
Director Yoon Jae-keun (Heartbeat), along with award-winning martial arts choreographers Park Young-sik and Chung Seong-Ho (SAG Awards, Best Stunt Ensemble, "Squid Game"), bring to life the action-packed thriller
While the movie is complex it is not confusing. The complexity is not superfluous. It is part of what makes it interesting. As each change occurs the layers of the onion are peeled back and we learn a little more information towards solving this riddle. Is Yoon Kye-sang's character crazy? Is there a supernatural explanation? The film converges in an exciting climax.
Yoon Kye-sang, a former K-pop singer, is very good in the lead role. So is the supporting cast, which includes Park Yong-Woo (Nailed), Lim Ji-Yeon (Obsessed, High Society) and Park Ji-Hwan (The Pirates: The Last Royal Treasure). They all do a good job of making you feel that the lead character's personage does change, even though Yoon Kye-sang, essentially, plays all of the characters in the transference.
This is a psychological thriller but it is also an action film. It has its share of well choreographed and realistic fight sequences. The climactic fight scene is riveting and fun to watch. This is top notch martial arts and action choreography. The action is engaging. This movie has a lot going for it.
This film has many of the underlying themes that are prevalent in South Korean Cinema. It is also a high quality film that rivals anything Hollywood has produced.
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
01/13/23
Full Review
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