Starring
Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-seok, Jung Yu-mi, Kim Su-an, Kim Eui-sung, Choi
Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee. Directed by Yeon Sang-ho. (2016, 118 min).
I've
seen countless zombie movies over the years. These days, to say it's
an oversaturated genre is an understatement. Though I've had a soft
spot for the genre ever since the original Dawn of the Dead
blew me away as a kid, I can acknowledge most of them are either
utter crap or so derivative they might as well have a “Part 2” in
the title. Still, I seldom pass them up because every now and then I
come across one that justifies my love for the undead in the first
place. Like Train to Busan.
But
Train to Busan isn't simply a great zombie film. It's easily
one of the best I've seen because it transcends its genre like
few others ever have. I'd even be willing to wager that those who don't
typically go for this type of entertainment might find themselves
enthralled. Mostly forgoing the usual gut-munching and gore
associated with the genre (though the violence is still pretty
potent) this plays like a crazy hybrid of 28 Days Later, World War Z
and a disaster movie.
 |
| "Are you talkin' to me? Are YOU talkin' to me?" |
Train
to Busan wastes little time explaining the cause of the outbreak,
opting to focus on its characters' situation: They're stuck on-board
a bullet train as a deadly virus – turning its victims into
ravenous undead – rages across the country. However, when the
infection begins to spread throughout the train, some passengers
learn to work together for their own survival. Others, led by the
increasingly hateful Yon-suk (Kim Eui-sung), let fear overtake reason
as they isolate themselves in one of the cars, despite desperate uninfected survivors trying to get in.
 |
| To the surprise of all, this train unexpectedly left on time. |
The
film is fast-paced, intense, smart, scary, suspenseful, funny, loaded
with action and, surprisingly for this genre, often poignant. My youngest daughter is a zombie fan and we often
watch these films together. Afterwards, she started getting misty
once again while telling her mother how the movie gave her “the
feels.” Aside from a remarkably fresh take on a tired subgenre,
“the feels” is a huge part of what makes this film unique. The
attention to its well-rounded characters is what creates many of its
funny and heartbreaking moments. We get to know and empathize with
Seok-woo (Gong Loo), a divorced workaholic who reluctantly agrees to
escort his young daughter (Kim Su-an) to her mother's for her
birthday. While this father-daughter relationship provides the film's
emotional crux, all the major characters are so sharply-written and
performed that we have a serious stake in who lives and dies.
There's
also some timely - and not so subtle - social commentary on how
baseless fear of others can make people think and do terrible things
(and not just in South Korea, if you get my meaning). But mostly,
Train to Busan is slam-bang entertainment, the smartest movie
since Dawn of the Dead and emotionally exhausting in the best
possible way. Of all the films I watched in 2016, this was the best
of them, regardless of the genre.
EXTRA
KIBBLES:
FEATURETTES:
“Behind the Scenes”; “That's a Wrap”
ENGLISH
LANGUAGE OPTION
TRAILER
KITTY CONSENSUS:
MEE-OW! THE BEST MOVIE OF 2016
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