Member mpm74 Posted March 7, 2011 Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 Due to a horrific event in the past, an ex-special agent named Cha Tae-sik (Won Bin) is now a depressed recluse. He makes a living by running a small pawn shop in his apartment building. His only friend is a little girl named So-mee (Kim Sae-ron), who also supports his business. Cha Tae-sik’s quiet lifestyle takes a sudden turn when he finds himself mixed up between So-mee’s mom, Hyo-jeong, a heroin addict; and a drug trafficking organization, whom she rips off. Now that So-mee and her mother are in captivity, Cha Tae-sik must dust off his killing-abilities and save them both. When I heard it was Korea’s highest grossing film of 2010, I was hesitant to check it out. Maybe I was thinking about typical money-makers in Hollywood where shit like “Twilight,” “Michael Bay,” “Will Smith’s son” and “Avatar” pop into my mind. I keep on forgetting that the majority of the American movie-going public are ball-less, soulless, spiritless little fucking puppets… (R.I.P. Bill Hicks). “The Man from Nowhere” is violent, very violent. Every sound (and visual, for the most part) of someone getting killed lurked out of my speakers: Snap, crackle, pop, bang, slice, drip, gargle, stomp, rip… you name it. It’s bloody, explicit and it pulls no punches. Someone like Len Wiseman (“Live Free or Die Hard”) couldn’t cook up a similar effect if Kate Beckinsale’s ass depended on it. The action scenes are razor sharp and shot with utmost care and creativity. We get a sweet balance of it all: hand to hand combat, gunfire and even some knife play. Much of the brutality is over the top, but stays within acceptable boundaries, without going into "Takashi Miike" land. I wouldn’t say that “The Man from Nowhere” an action-filled extravaganza, but like most good movies, there’s a nice pace to it. There’s breathing room so we get to know and understand the characters and why they’ve become who they are. There’s plot, there’s background, there’s dialogue… For all you cry babies out there who get bored after 20 minutes of non-action scenes, maybe you should stay away from movies with depth, and stick to your Collector’s Edition of “Transformers” with Digital Copy; That way, you can load it on your Iphone just in case you get stuck in a room where something like “The Godfather” is playing. “The Man from Nowhere” has been cited for borrowing elements from films like “First Blood” (1982), “Leon: The Professional” (1994), and “Man on Fire” (2004). I guess I can somewhat agree, but let's get real: If you want to talk about originality, you better get off the subject of cinema completely, because there hasn’t been an original film since 1888. What? Is it against the law to make another movie revolving around a guy with a gun and a little girl? And since he’s classified as a killing machine, he’s all of the sudden a knock-off of Rambo? With only one other film under his belt ("Cruel Winter Blues"), writer/director Lee Jeong-beom is definitely on the right track. Won Bin's ("Guns and Talks") portrayal of the tormented, but ultra-cool, Cha Tae-sik, brings his talents to the next level. I haven't seen enough of Kim Sae-ron's ("A Brand New Life") work to refer her to as Korea's "Dakota Fanning," but she is that good. Highly recommended. http://www.cityonfire.com/man-from-nowhere-the-2010/ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted March 7, 2011 Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 For all you cry babies out there who get bored after 20 minutes of non-action scenes, maybe you should stay away from movies with depth, and stick to your Collector’s Edition of “Transformers” with Digital Copy; That way, you can load it on your Iphone just in case you get stuck in a room where something like “The Godfather” is playing. Hahahha, nice... This movie rules, an action movie that builds up it's character first and shoot muthafuckas last!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 7, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 The last action scene reminded me of Kill Bill Vol 1's HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES fight. All that was missing was an Italian Western soundtrack. =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted March 7, 2011 Administrator Share Posted March 7, 2011 That was a very funny, and informative review. I'm a big fan of the movie too, and have to thank my buddy for booking it at the Philly film festival so I got to see it in style. The last action scene reminded me of Kill Bill Vol 1's HOUSE OF BLUE LEAVES fight. All that was missing was an Italian Western soundtrack. =D Whoah buddy! If you say that, I think people are going to go in with the wrong expectations! The climax of MAN FROM NOWHERE is definitely wicked cool, and features a super nasty knife fight and a great shootout. But this is on a much more personal, more realistic, and much less epic scale than the "House of Blue Leaves" fight. I just wanted to mention that so no one gets the wrong idea. But as OpiumKungFuCracker also said, this is not one of those throw-away character films that's just about the action. Figure it this way- it's a great dramatic suspense film with awesome action scenes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 7, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 Whoah buddy! If you say that, I think people are going to go in with the wrong expectations! I guess you have a point. Yeah, I know that was a bold statement, but like I said, it mainly just reminded me of it. =D But thanks for adding that... I keep on forgetting how crazy Kill Bill was. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted March 7, 2011 Member Share Posted March 7, 2011 Wow, you took a lot of cheap shots at hollywood, but I can't blame you. I loved this movie to death and if all goes well, I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 8, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 8, 2011 Wow, you took a lot of cheap shots at hollywood, but I can't blame you. I loved this movie to death and if all goes well, I'll be picking it up tomorrow. Yeah, I suppose I'm being a snob. But just remember, I like the good hollywood movies. =D Not all are bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted March 8, 2011 Member Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yeah, I suppose I'm being a snob. But just remember, I like the good hollywood movies. =D Not all are bad. I just saw the trailer to Beastly starring Vannessa hudgens and by the looks of that movie I almost slit my throat.... Summer at the movies can't come soon enough... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted March 8, 2011 Member Share Posted March 8, 2011 Yeah, I suppose I'm being a snob. But just remember, I like the good hollywood movies. =D Not all are bad. I agree. I've been anticipating going to the movies to see Sucker Punch for over a year. And that says a lot because I never go. (Too expensive, so I just watch online and buy the dvd) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted March 9, 2011 Administrator Share Posted March 9, 2011 Despite a tight budget, I had to pick up a copy of MAN FROM NOWHERE today. DVD is $14.99, and BR is only $16.99. Great, fair prices! Comes with a short "making of". Can't wait to show this one to my family (son, wife, and Dad are into seeing it. Mom... not so much. LOL ) and friends. I noticed it includes an English dub. I would NEVER watch this type of film dubbed. But I am curious just how bad it is, so I'll have to sample it. Morbid curiousity. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 9, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 9, 2011 Yeah, I generally stay away from dubs of newer movies like this. I've skimmed a few dubbed tracks, and some of them are decent. Now when it comes to any kung fu flick (from the 70's, and mostly throughout the 80's), it's all about the english dubb! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted March 9, 2011 Member Share Posted March 9, 2011 Despite a tight budget, I had to pick up a copy of MAN FROM NOWHERE today. DVD is $14.99, and BR is only $16.99. Great, fair prices! Comes with a short "making of". Can't wait to show this one to my family (son, wife, and Dad are into seeing it. Mom... not so much. LOL ) and friends. I noticed it includes an English dub. I would NEVER watch this type of film dubbed. But I am curious just how bad it is, so I'll have to sample it. Morbid curiousity. I was in the exact same position but bought it yesterday also. It was 15.99 at moviestop, and suprisingly the dub was actually very good and pretty accurate. The original is still better, but the dub still keeps a lot of the emotion and spirit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Administrator KUNG FU BOB Posted March 10, 2011 Administrator Share Posted March 10, 2011 Yeah, I generally stay away from dubs of newer movies like this. I've skimmed a few dubbed tracks, and some of them are decent. Really? It's been years since I listened to the newer dubs. Maybe they're improving? Still, I'd always go for the subs on this type of film. Now when it comes to any kung fu flick (from the 70's, and mostly throughout the 80's), it's all about the english dubb! I do enjoy some Chiba STREETFIGHTER and some classic SB dubs. I was in the exact same position but bought it yesterday also. It was 15.99 at moviestop, and suprisingly the dub was actually very good and pretty accurate. The original is still better, but the dub still keeps a lot of the emotion and spirit. No kidding? I'll check it out. I rewatched the climactic battle. F**king awesome. Also watched the "making of". It's not really a proper doc, but it has some great BTS footage and brief interview bits. About a half hour long I think. Very enjoyable. Also, they included both the teaser and the trailer (which I love having), and the subs look wonderful. Great job WellGo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member OpiumKungFuCracker Posted March 10, 2011 Member Share Posted March 10, 2011 Guys it's 13 bucks on AMAZON, WOW!!!!!! As for the English Dubb, I didn't like it much, it threw me off a couple times and had me giggling like a sorority cunt... There's one scene in the movie where the little girl was very enthusiastic about sausages, LOL... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 10, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 10, 2011 Well Go, Magnolia and others have a shit load of ASIAN movies coming out. This is just the beginning... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted March 10, 2011 Member Share Posted March 10, 2011 Well Go, Magnolia and others have a shit load of ASIAN movies coming out. This is just the beginning... Well after Dragon Dynasty went downhill those two are like the best us American audiences have for decent asian releases. I'm still annoyed at how long its taking Clash to get here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 11, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 11, 2011 Clash? Fill me in please. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Lionclaw Posted March 11, 2011 Member Share Posted March 11, 2011 Clash? Fill me in please. Clash or "The Clash"/Bay Rong with Johnny Tri Nguyen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member mpm74 Posted March 13, 2011 Author Member Share Posted March 13, 2011 Just checked out the trailer. Looks decent. =D Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest crica888 Posted March 14, 2011 Share Posted March 14, 2011 I like it very much... it was my favorite movie. He deserve at least one Oscar for the best scenario... of course: it is my personal opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Member Morgoth Bauglir Posted July 11, 2011 Member Share Posted July 11, 2011 A decent "new" English dub?? You have me curious.. Totally agree on this movie. I'm stuck whether this or Oldboy is my favorite Korean movie. And Dragon Lee's Martial Monks is of course a contender as well... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.