MOVIE REVIEW: I am a sucker for Asian cinema, so I was super excited to check out WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER when it arrived in my mailbox a few weeks back! The film is based upon the Korean folktale of Jeon Woochi, a Taoist wizard that is crazy about the ladies and likes to pull tricks on the aristocracy. (He's kind of like Korea's version of Wong Fei-hung.)
After coming across a magical flute that holds the key to defeating a race of goblins, Woochi is framed for the murder of his master and imprisoned within a scroll for 500 years. Eventually Woochi and his human/hound sidekick Chorangyi, are released from their parchment prisons when a "rat goblin" and a "bunny goblin" appear in modern Korea. (Though they sound kind of ridiculous, both CGI monsters actually look pretty cool!)
Though he's freed in order to help capture the monsters, Woochi is more interested in wooing the possible reincarnation of an old flame from centuries ago, and is also enjoying the finer things in modern society. Will he pull himself together and become the hero he needs to be in order to defeat the goblin menace and an old enemy from his past? Well, I suppose it'd be a much shorter movie if he didn't...
WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER is one of South Korea's biggest blockbusters, and offers up some impressive CGI, especially considering that budget for the film was only twelve million dollars or so. The story is interesting, and there are some really fun moments in this movie. (e.g.Woochi "cloning" himself with the aid of his Taoist "amulets," in order to fight two goblins, is probably my favorite sequence in the movie.) However, this film is just way too long and has a really uneven pace.
Every time you think that it's building towards a big battle between Woochi and his foes, the movie kind of fizzles out; it really takes it sweet time in moving things along and lacks any real tension. There's no moment in the film that warrants an "Oh no, he won't succeed and he is sure to die! C'mon Woochi, you can do it!" reaction. It's like the heroes and villains were in no rush to see things through, even during the end when Woochi has his climactic wizard battle against the man who framed him 500 years ago.
And that's my main gripe with WOOCHI because everything else in the film works fairly well. It's an action/fantasy/comedy that contains all of the necessary ingredients of each genre (there are some great stunts and the comedic moments typically hit their mark), but what it really lacks is a "race against time" element to move things along at a brisk pace. Despite that, the film is pretty decent, though there were times I was left scratching my head because I'm not too familiar with the legend of Jeon Woochi. Maybe if I had read the Woochi folktale prior to watching this, or was at least a bit familiar with Taoism (guess it's time to hit Wikipedia), I'd probably have a better comprehension of some of the film's stranger moments. (WHY DO THE WOOCHI CLONES TURN INTO BROOMS WHEN DEFEATED?!)
I wasn't totally impressed with WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER (which is a misleading title because he doesn't slay a single demon over the course of the film), but I had fun watching the special effects and Woochi's interactions with his goofy sidekick. Along with a great soundtrack, and inventive wire-stunts, I enjoyed WOOCHI enough to grant it:
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| THREE 'RADS' |
BLU-RAY REVIEW
The Packaging: The Blu-ray cover (seen above) is generic and a bit misleading (due in part to the flying ninjas in the background) and comes in a standard Blu-ray case with a cardboard slipcover. Actually.. after looking at the original movie posters for the film, the Blu-ray cover is a definite improvement.
Audio & Video: WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER looks great in its 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen HD transfer, particularly since its a recent movie. The disc comes with four audio choices: Korean DTS-HD 5.1, English Dubbed DTS-HD 5.1, Korean Dolby Digital 5.1, an English Dubbed Dolby Digital 5.1. I switched back and forth between the Korean and English DTS-HD audio options, and the dialogue, sound effects, and music all sound great!
My only complaints are minor ones really: While watching the film in its native language, there were a few moments where the subtitles moved a bit too fast. Also, the English dubbed version is atrocious; but then again, I've never been a big fan of dubbed foreign films. (With the exception of Toho's kaiju flicks.)
The Extras: Holy cow! This disc is packed with special features which include: The original theatrical trailer, thirteen minutes of deleted scenes, a "making-of" featurette, the "Newest Korean Style Hero Movie" featurette, cast and director interviews, six production featurettes that cover everything from the training of the film's stars to the lighting and shooting of key scenes, "The Magic of CGI" featurette, and four more featurettes focusing on the CGI effects in the film! The huge amount of behind the scenes material gives you a really comprehensive look at the making of WOOCHI and I'm pretty surprised this much love was given to this movie. The only downside is that all the extras are in standard definition.
Final Ruling: WOOCHI: THE DEMON SLAYER is an OK movie with an above average Blu-ray release. The audio and video presentation is top notch, and the disc is packed to the gills with extras covering every aspect of the film's creation. If you're a fan of Asian cinema, and/or like to get an in-depth look at how films are made, then this Blu-ray disc is worth picking up. I hereby give Shout! Factory's WOOCHI Blu-ray:
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| FOUR 'RADS' |
PRE-ORDER THE BLU-RAY FOR $26.83!
PRE-ORDER THE DVD FOR $17.97!
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