Do yourself a favour and see this film anyway you can, preferably legally so that the
creators get their well-deserved royalties.
The Korean science fiction action film based on the French graphic novel starring an
international cast and filmed in the Czech Republic could have been a complete clusterfuck
but it is easily one of the best films of the year... well technically last year. The film
was originally released in South Korea in August 2013 and it has taken this long to
make it to Australia, and even then Perth had to petition to get it in cinemas.
In the near future, a last ditch effort to combat global warming has the opposite effect
and the earth becomes so frozen that you almost expect to see a saber-toothed squirrel
trying to get some nuts. The last remaining humans all live on a perpetual-powered train
where the passengers have been broken up into a class system where the rich bask in
excess in the front carriages, whilst the poor inhabit the tail of the train. Amongst the
poor is a reluctant leader of a rebellion, Curtis Everett (played by Captain America), who
has been planning a revolt for some time. So when the tension hits boiling point the
revolt begins and Cap and his team must make their way to the front carriages in to take
control of the train.
The film is layered with amazingly killer action sequences and deep character moments.
The most amazing scenes are actually when characters are just talking to one another
and reveal things about themselves. When you hear things like “I know what people
taste like” and what they say next then you will struggle to pick your jaw up off the floor.
But at the end of the day that is what separates this film from many other blockbusterfare:
you either get the spectacle or the character moments, very rarely do you get both
and that’s why this film is a must-see.
On top of the great fight choreography, the film’s narrative structure is propelled through
the characters making their way through the carriages, with each carriage having its
own personality. The carriages always represent a challenge for our characters, each
time in a new and inventive way, however each carriage also doubles as a mirror for
different aspects of modern society from local, national and international perspectives.
How often do you get that in a blockbuster nowadays?
The film does border on bat-shit-crazy at times but it is so beautifully shot and well acted
that those moments are fleeting and still work in the context of the film. Granted this film
may not be for everyone but if you are looking for something different, that shows what
happens when the biggest powerhouses in cinema (Korea, America, and the United
Kingdom) work together then you are in for a treat.
So once again, do yourself a favour and see this film anyway you can, preferably legally
so that the creators get their well-deserved royalties.
4 and 3 quarter out of 5 well-deserved royalty-cheques.
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