kj2017
United states
This review may contain spoilers
It was a good movie however, it's clear it was only meant to set the stage for part 3.
When this was initially released, I tried to watch it. But for some reason, I couldn't seem to follow the story and it honestly felt boring without KJY. However, after watching the movie Midnight (10/10, I recommend checking it out) I came across part 1 on PrimeVideo. I thought it would be the perfect chance to attempt part 2 again so I jumped at the opportunity . I have to say, it made a world of a difference.
The critiques of other reviewers definitely hold true, part 2 falls flat when compared to the first movie. This might in part be due to my own confusion over the beginning of the movie as well as the constant introduction to and switching between of new characters. Although they were choreographed well and were further enhanced by cgi, the fight scenes (which were a huge reason why I appreciated part 1) seemed less like action sequences and more like stages to meant to present and differentiate the level of power each generation possesses. I also saw others commenting on how boring the mc's character was and while I cannot deny that this characterization is incredibly common for heroines, I think the only body of work this movie should be compared to is part 1. For anyone who chooses to watch this movie, I implore you not to compare the mc to anyone other than Kim Dami's character in part 1 and the other second-generation super-humans. Please remember, we have no information on the girls's upbringing, her being a "blank slate" (as others have referred to her as) is done deliberately as we have no background on how she was groomed by the researchers and now have crucial information on the second generation that we did not get in part 1. However, much like Kim Dami's character in part 1, the mc is presented differently than others of her generation and it is done to an even greater extent for a reason— one that I hope we all come to learn of and appreciate upon the release of part 3.
I think a lot of people went into this thinking that we would be focused on Kim Dami's character, this not being the case made it difficult to appreciate this movie for what it was: an opportunity for world building. While there is still much to be revealed, not only were we given a glimpse of the first generation, who by the way were only mentioned once (I can't quite recall) in part 1, we also got more information on the origins of the second generation as well as what separates them from their predecessors. If you found yourself wanting to learn more about the super-humans, Kim Dami's character, and why she was so much stronger than the others while watching part 1, then this is definitely something to check out. If not, then please take what I've said in mind and just have a bit of patience. Also, remember that as usual any acting done in english will leave you questioning your sanity.
SPOILERS AHEAD
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With that being said, I think that there are two main groups of super-humans. Both of which were introduced in part 1. My understanding may not be entirely accurate as I can only work with the information we've been given in each part. Despite our love for it, I think we all know that part 1 didn't give us much beyond KJY's story and whatever vague information we got from the conversations of Dr Baek and other individuals involved with the company and its experiments. Moreover, part 1 failed to give any really understanding of the second generation's powers beyond their violent nature and speed. To add on, the telekinesis and healing abilities we witnessed were minuscule in comparison to what was presented in part 2. This may be due to an increased budget after the success of part 1 or simply the Chinese group belonging to whole other category altogether but I honestly would not know.
I believe the Chinese group hired by KJY in part 2 is of the same generation as Choi Wooshik's character in part 1. Although we weren't able to see extensive fight scenes between super-humans in part 1, their violent nature which is what categorized them as monsters by others involved in the company remains true in part 2. As for Lee JongSuk's group, as well JH's group (Seo Eunsoo's character) and the agents tailing them, they are all apart of the first generation. While their cognitive and fighting abilities are strong, their healing abilities are incredibly weak in comparison and their speed seems to fall behind what was shown by the Chinese group. As for KJY and ADP/the girl, while they may be a part of the second generation, they are much stronger than their counterparts. This is most likely because their mother was actually pregnant with them because aside from their strength, the only difference given between them and others belonging to their generation is that their mother (the girl shown in the beginning) carried them in her womb.
The beginning of part 2 reveals that their mother was used to create their entire generation. And when she was kidnapped by Jo Minsoo's characters (Dr Baek and her sister) she was already pregnant with whom I presume to be ADP. This can easily be deduced based on the fact that KJY said their mother only ever "reached out" to ADP. In addition, while KJY relies on the injectable serums to use her powers in their entirety (much like others of their generation), ADP does not have the same weakness. As they were both carried by their mother, the only likely reason for this difference in strength would be ADP being the first twin and KJY being the implanted one. Which, is also why until part 3 releases, I believe that ADP is stronger than KJY. Most likely, KJY's birth not being 'naturally' occurring makes her weaker than her sister. While its possible this weakness stems from her need for the serum, it could also be that her abilities are simply weaker than ADP's. However, until each aspect of KJY's powers are presented in the same manner as her sisters and she finds the "permanent" solution to her need for serums, I will continue to hold this belief.
And on the subject of KJY and ADP's mother, there is a strong possibility that she was also a part of some experimentation or screening and was either released or managed to escape much like ADP and KJY. This likely led to Dr Baek and her sister's desire for her DNA and her subsequent kidnapping. I think part 3 will likely include tidbits (maybe even more than that) surrounding her story and I honestly hope to learn more about her.
I look forward to the eventual release of part 3. I hope the pacing is a little better and that I don't get whiplash trying to follow any new characters. I plan to do the same next time and watch parts 1 and 2 before starting part 3 so I can refamiliarize myself with the story once again. It probably won't be released until 2024 or 2025 and I don't plan to religiously follow updates or information regarding its release, but I do think I'll find news of its release as a happy surprise.
The critiques of other reviewers definitely hold true, part 2 falls flat when compared to the first movie. This might in part be due to my own confusion over the beginning of the movie as well as the constant introduction to and switching between of new characters. Although they were choreographed well and were further enhanced by cgi, the fight scenes (which were a huge reason why I appreciated part 1) seemed less like action sequences and more like stages to meant to present and differentiate the level of power each generation possesses. I also saw others commenting on how boring the mc's character was and while I cannot deny that this characterization is incredibly common for heroines, I think the only body of work this movie should be compared to is part 1. For anyone who chooses to watch this movie, I implore you not to compare the mc to anyone other than Kim Dami's character in part 1 and the other second-generation super-humans. Please remember, we have no information on the girls's upbringing, her being a "blank slate" (as others have referred to her as) is done deliberately as we have no background on how she was groomed by the researchers and now have crucial information on the second generation that we did not get in part 1. However, much like Kim Dami's character in part 1, the mc is presented differently than others of her generation and it is done to an even greater extent for a reason— one that I hope we all come to learn of and appreciate upon the release of part 3.
I think a lot of people went into this thinking that we would be focused on Kim Dami's character, this not being the case made it difficult to appreciate this movie for what it was: an opportunity for world building. While there is still much to be revealed, not only were we given a glimpse of the first generation, who by the way were only mentioned once (I can't quite recall) in part 1, we also got more information on the origins of the second generation as well as what separates them from their predecessors. If you found yourself wanting to learn more about the super-humans, Kim Dami's character, and why she was so much stronger than the others while watching part 1, then this is definitely something to check out. If not, then please take what I've said in mind and just have a bit of patience. Also, remember that as usual any acting done in english will leave you questioning your sanity.
SPOILERS AHEAD
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
*
With that being said, I think that there are two main groups of super-humans. Both of which were introduced in part 1. My understanding may not be entirely accurate as I can only work with the information we've been given in each part. Despite our love for it, I think we all know that part 1 didn't give us much beyond KJY's story and whatever vague information we got from the conversations of Dr Baek and other individuals involved with the company and its experiments. Moreover, part 1 failed to give any really understanding of the second generation's powers beyond their violent nature and speed. To add on, the telekinesis and healing abilities we witnessed were minuscule in comparison to what was presented in part 2. This may be due to an increased budget after the success of part 1 or simply the Chinese group belonging to whole other category altogether but I honestly would not know.
I believe the Chinese group hired by KJY in part 2 is of the same generation as Choi Wooshik's character in part 1. Although we weren't able to see extensive fight scenes between super-humans in part 1, their violent nature which is what categorized them as monsters by others involved in the company remains true in part 2. As for Lee JongSuk's group, as well JH's group (Seo Eunsoo's character) and the agents tailing them, they are all apart of the first generation. While their cognitive and fighting abilities are strong, their healing abilities are incredibly weak in comparison and their speed seems to fall behind what was shown by the Chinese group. As for KJY and ADP/the girl, while they may be a part of the second generation, they are much stronger than their counterparts. This is most likely because their mother was actually pregnant with them because aside from their strength, the only difference given between them and others belonging to their generation is that their mother (the girl shown in the beginning) carried them in her womb.
The beginning of part 2 reveals that their mother was used to create their entire generation. And when she was kidnapped by Jo Minsoo's characters (Dr Baek and her sister) she was already pregnant with whom I presume to be ADP. This can easily be deduced based on the fact that KJY said their mother only ever "reached out" to ADP. In addition, while KJY relies on the injectable serums to use her powers in their entirety (much like others of their generation), ADP does not have the same weakness. As they were both carried by their mother, the only likely reason for this difference in strength would be ADP being the first twin and KJY being the implanted one. Which, is also why until part 3 releases, I believe that ADP is stronger than KJY. Most likely, KJY's birth not being 'naturally' occurring makes her weaker than her sister. While its possible this weakness stems from her need for the serum, it could also be that her abilities are simply weaker than ADP's. However, until each aspect of KJY's powers are presented in the same manner as her sisters and she finds the "permanent" solution to her need for serums, I will continue to hold this belief.
And on the subject of KJY and ADP's mother, there is a strong possibility that she was also a part of some experimentation or screening and was either released or managed to escape much like ADP and KJY. This likely led to Dr Baek and her sister's desire for her DNA and her subsequent kidnapping. I think part 3 will likely include tidbits (maybe even more than that) surrounding her story and I honestly hope to learn more about her.
I look forward to the eventual release of part 3. I hope the pacing is a little better and that I don't get whiplash trying to follow any new characters. I plan to do the same next time and watch parts 1 and 2 before starting part 3 so I can refamiliarize myself with the story once again. It probably won't be released until 2024 or 2025 and I don't plan to religiously follow updates or information regarding its release, but I do think I'll find news of its release as a happy surprise.
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