Byung Gu is an ordinary young man living in Korea. He believes that all of the earth's social ills are the evil doings of aliens. That's why he knows that unless he can meet the prince from Andromeda before the total lunar eclipse, planet Earth will be in grave danger. In order to meet the prince, he must find an extraterrestrial living on earth. So Byung Gu kidnaps the most logical suspect, Kang Man Shik, the president and CEO of Yoojae Chemical Company. Thus starts the battle between Byung Gu, who's trying to uncover a secret alien plot to destroy the Earth and CEO Kang Man Shik, who thinks Byung Gu's nuts and is trying desperately to escape. Only four hours until the total lunar eclipse. When the eclipse is over, the time will run out for planet Earth. Can Byung Gu singlehandedly save the planet? (Source: AsianMediaWiki) Edit Translation
- English
- Español
- magyar / magyar nyelv
- dansk
- Native Title: 지구를 지켜라!
- Also Known As: Jigureul Jikyeora!
- Screenwriter & Director: Jang Joon Hwan
- Genres: Action, Thriller, Comedy, Sci-Fi
Cast & Credits
- Shin Ha Kyun Main Role
- Baek Yoon ShikKang Man ShikMain Role
- Lee Joo HyunInspector KimSupport Role
- Won Woong JaeJang [Detective]Support Role
- Park Sung MinAdamSupport Role
- Jung Jae JinNoahSupport Role
Reviews
A Smart, Funny, Wildly Original Cult Classic
I can see why this flopped in Korea when it came out 20 years ago, just as I can see why it was a huge success on the American College circuit back then. Indeed, it still plays at some colleges due to its strong cult following. It appeals to a certain crowd because it's smart, funny, original and, finally, wildly creative in the way it criticizes how capitalism tramples on both human rights and environmentalism. More than anything, it's just plain weird. And that's its charm.The set up is pretty simple. A beekeeper thinks aliens are going to destroy the earth in 2 weeks during the lunar eclipse and that the alien leader hides among us disguised as the CEO of a vast chemical corporation. The beekeeper kidnaps the CEO and, together with his dimwitted girlfriend (who happens to be a circus tightrope walker), he commences to torture the CEO to glean information on how to save the planet from impending annihilation. The next 2 hours are a cat and mouse game between the beekeeper and the kidnapped CEO, while detectives search for them.
While one might think the film did not always succeed in tonal evenness because it vacillates between humor and violence, this was part of its brilliance. The viewer is not ever quite sure if they are supposed to be laughing at the hero for his ideas about aliens, alarmed by his violence, or sympathizing with him. But it's precisely this uncertainty that keeps us on our toes and gives an extra frisson to the viewing experience. We also don't know who to root for because as much as the CEO whom the hero kidnaps is a "victim" he is also the CEO of a chemical company notorious for polluting the environment. Moreover, he was shown in an early scene to be a rich jerk who stiffs poor working people like a cab driver. So we can't feel too much pity for this schmuck.
However, it's also hard to root for the hero because we simply are not certain of his sanity for most of the film. We don't find out if he's sane or not until the final 2 minutes. Keeping your viewer in doubt that long is a real risk, but the payoff was there when we got the answer at the end. I noted that some disliked the ending because it was simply too darn weird. But I see it as just one more of the film's riskier, wild, and out there twists. Besides, it afforded the single funniest line in the entire film when the guy said, "Of course I couldn't signal you, I had no hair!" You'll get the joke if/when you watch the film.
The film took a number of risks and nothing about it was formulaic. Indeed, I'd give it a 9.5 for sheer audaciousness alone. There must be others who agree, because Variety reported in February of 2024 that a Hollywood remake is in production with Emma Stone cast so far. I doubt it will be as good, so catch the original Korean version first.