Oldboy is the second installment in Park Chan-wook's vengeance trilogy which also includes Sympathy For Mr. Vengeance and Sympathy For Lady Vengeance. Do not, however,. let this put you off viewing this incredible film. This is not a trilogy in the traditional sense, rather it is just three movies connected by a similar theme (no points for guessing what that is) and nothing more really. It is also loosely based on a manga of the same name. Oldboy is, in my opinion, the strongest movie of the trilogy and perfectly enjoyable as a standalone film.
Oh Dae Su, a seemingly normal man apart from his apparent alcoholism and being a disappointment to his wife and daughter, is kidnapped and held hostage in what seems like a hotel room for 15 years with no explanation given and no human contact whatsoever for the duration of his imprisonment. Growing bored, restless and angry at his captivity he begins training himself to fight alone in his prison, vowing revenge on whoever did this to him. Suddenly and without warning he awakens on a rooftop with a designer suit, money and five days to solve the puzzle of his imprisonment. Along the way he tests his new fighting abilities and fitness against countless thugs, falls in love and tries to get revenge for the 15 years of life that were stolen from him. And that's pretty much where I have to leave that. This movie is so full of twists and turns that to tell you any more than the basic premise could potentially ruin everything for you.
This might sound like a mindless action flick along the lines of 2011's The Raid but it really is so much more. The writing is superb with plot twists only a sociopath could predict. A mystery that apparently spans almost half a lifetime in all. The imprisonment is incredibly well done, using real world news events to give us a full insight into just how long 15 years really is. The characters are all fantastic. Oh Dae Su's transformation from buffoon to single minded vengeance machine is a joy to watch as actor Choi Min-sik slides excellently from one to the other. Hilariously silly in the opening scenes he just exudes intensity for the duration of the film. His narration lending a kind of film noir vibe to the proceedings. Yoo Ji-tae as the mysterious villain is unbelievable, lending a sort of charm as well as the much needed intimidation factor to the role. The rest of the supporting characters including Kang Hye-jung as Mi-do the love interest and Ji Dae-han as Dae Su's best friend No Joo-hwan are all enjoyable when they appear on screen (and yes I did totally have to Wikipedia like half those names).
While I said this is not a mindless action movie that does not mean this movie does not have some of the most remarkable fight scenes in film. Not least of all an incredible multi-person brawl all done in one long continuous shot that took seventeen takes to get right apparently. You will know it when you see it. It is reminiscent of old school, side scrolling beat 'em ups like Streets of Rage or Double Dragon. To be totally honest this movie can get a bit gruesome for some more squeamish viewers and I would not recommend it to anyone with a weak stomach or aversion to blood. Being a Korean movie it is subtitled though I'm sure there is probably a dubbed version available I would recommend sticking with the original Korean voices. Dubbing has a way of taking away from the actors performances. You might not understand what they're saying but you will feel the emotion.
If you are looking to get into international cinema this is a great place to start. Just try and get around to it before this year's Hollywood remake directed by Spike Lee and starring Josh Brolin which, while I am holding out hope might be good, will likely only disappoint when compared to the original.
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