My DVD for big budget Korean fantasy blockbuster Woochi is a superbly packaged two-disc presentation loaded with lavish extras; what a shame then that the film isn't really worth the attention it has received, either from the Korean movie-going public or the DVD company that has released it here in the UK.
Although Woochi boasts a high level of invention throughout, and contains a few undeniably impressive moments of action, for every positive, one can easily find several negatives: the cinematography is impressive, but the CGI is inconsistent and rapid editing leads to confusion; the story is loaded with innovative fantasy elements, but they are introduced in such a random, disjointed fashion that the inevitable result is even more chaos and confusion; a memorable score competes against the movie's incessantly loud soundtrack; and the humour is, as often seems the case with Asian comedy, very hit and miss.
Just about worth seeing for the occasional genuinely outstanding set-piece—the 'multiple versions of the hero battling a pair of goblins' scene is particularly good—but at over two hours long, with much of the action being utterly incomprehensible, Woochi is far from essential.
Although Woochi boasts a high level of invention throughout, and contains a few undeniably impressive moments of action, for every positive, one can easily find several negatives: the cinematography is impressive, but the CGI is inconsistent and rapid editing leads to confusion; the story is loaded with innovative fantasy elements, but they are introduced in such a random, disjointed fashion that the inevitable result is even more chaos and confusion; a memorable score competes against the movie's incessantly loud soundtrack; and the humour is, as often seems the case with Asian comedy, very hit and miss.
Just about worth seeing for the occasional genuinely outstanding set-piece—the 'multiple versions of the hero battling a pair of goblins' scene is particularly good—but at over two hours long, with much of the action being utterly incomprehensible, Woochi is far from essential.