33
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The Butterfly
This review may contain spoilers
"It's a trap!"
Hansan: Rising Dragon is a prequel of sorts to Admiral: Roaring Currents, with the events taking place five years earlier. The battle we are told was a war of the righteous against the unrighteous as Hideyoshi of Japan sought to put both Joseon and China under his heel. To protect his country, the shrewd and stoic Admiral Yi Sun Sin took on the ambitious and cocky General Wakisaka in a deadly game of oceanic chicken.
The film begins with Joseon having suffered several humiliating defeats. In a battle of spying and strategizing, both sides seek to gain the upper hand for the inevitable sea battle. Yi's ship designer has developed plans for a new and improved turtle ship which the Japanese promptly steal. The first three quarters of the film deal with spying, coordinating or killing allies, and preparing for the fights for survival on land and sea.
Having watched Admiral: Roaring Currents I was underwhelmed with this film. It was lacking in the same tension and energy. Much of the first half of the film bounced around so much that it was hard to keep up, much less emotionally connect with any of the characters. I was surprised to discover the same man directed both. I suppose the difference was that The Admiral had a different screenwriter. The pacing and character development were noticeably lacking in comparison to the previous film.
Overall, the acting was serviceable. Park Hae Il played Yi so stoically that the famous admiral seemed devoid of any personality. He held the same expression throughout the film regardless of what was going on around him. The only character who drew me in was a samurai who pledged his allegiance to the great Joseon admiral. Kim Sung Gyu gave a compelling performance as the double agent who chose to fight on the side of righteousness. The bloated cast had many a familiar face if you could make them out behind the beards.
The water battles and CGI were spectacular giving you the claustrophobic experience inside a ship all while showing the full scope of battleships with their canons firing and splintering the opposing ships. The water sequences worked well with the varying currents as did the fog and wind elements. The land skirmishes lacked any weight to them and seemed very small scale in comparison to the sea battles.
The final fourth of the film was engaging as Admiral Yi showed why navies around the world have studied him even centuries later. Outnumbered and outgunned he outfoxed Wakisaka in a game of Crane Wing vs Fish Scale. This was a man you did not want to play chicken with, especially when death was on the line. I only wish the first three-fourths of the film had been remotely as captivating as the final showdown.
6/10/23
The film begins with Joseon having suffered several humiliating defeats. In a battle of spying and strategizing, both sides seek to gain the upper hand for the inevitable sea battle. Yi's ship designer has developed plans for a new and improved turtle ship which the Japanese promptly steal. The first three quarters of the film deal with spying, coordinating or killing allies, and preparing for the fights for survival on land and sea.
Having watched Admiral: Roaring Currents I was underwhelmed with this film. It was lacking in the same tension and energy. Much of the first half of the film bounced around so much that it was hard to keep up, much less emotionally connect with any of the characters. I was surprised to discover the same man directed both. I suppose the difference was that The Admiral had a different screenwriter. The pacing and character development were noticeably lacking in comparison to the previous film.
Overall, the acting was serviceable. Park Hae Il played Yi so stoically that the famous admiral seemed devoid of any personality. He held the same expression throughout the film regardless of what was going on around him. The only character who drew me in was a samurai who pledged his allegiance to the great Joseon admiral. Kim Sung Gyu gave a compelling performance as the double agent who chose to fight on the side of righteousness. The bloated cast had many a familiar face if you could make them out behind the beards.
The water battles and CGI were spectacular giving you the claustrophobic experience inside a ship all while showing the full scope of battleships with their canons firing and splintering the opposing ships. The water sequences worked well with the varying currents as did the fog and wind elements. The land skirmishes lacked any weight to them and seemed very small scale in comparison to the sea battles.
The final fourth of the film was engaging as Admiral Yi showed why navies around the world have studied him even centuries later. Outnumbered and outgunned he outfoxed Wakisaka in a game of Crane Wing vs Fish Scale. This was a man you did not want to play chicken with, especially when death was on the line. I only wish the first three-fourths of the film had been remotely as captivating as the final showdown.
6/10/23
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