Fantastic Fest 2008 Favorite
THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE WEIRD
Opens Friday, April 30th at S. Lamar
Get tickets now HERE!
We of course think it’s every movie-lovers’ duty to check it out on the big screen, but if you don’t trust us as a reliable source, check out what some of the critics have been saying…
“A FULL THROTTLE THRILL RIDE.” V.A. Musetto, New York Post
“CRITICS PICK! Has an eye-popping energy all its own.” Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine
“****! Unadulterated guns-and-guts fun!” David Fear, Time Out New York
“RIDICULOUS FUN…A MUST SEE. Make the effort. You’ll be glad you did.” Anton Sirius, AINT IT COOL NEWS
“Like John Wayne and Quentin Tarantino’s love child, “The Good, The Bad, The Weird” is pulpy, schlocky fun—a violent neo-Western that’s less interested in verisimilitude than it is in making sure you have a wickedly bang-up time.” Alexis Loinaz, The Chicago Tribune
THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE WEIRD, at face value, is a Korean remake of THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY. However, updated with eye-popping colors, fast-paced editing, explosive action and a slightly different twist on the story, it stands on its own two feet quite nicely.
Set in 1930’s Manchuria, the intricate plot pits three outlaws against the entire Japanese army and a mob of Russian gangsters in a race to find the “treasure” that will define the outcome of the Sino-Japanese war. (The story is complex; expect to read lots of complaints that it makes no sense, but trust me, it’s all there.) Jung Woo Sung is “The Good”. While not quite as iconic as the unforgettable Clint Eastwood, he is nonetheless handsome as hell and unflappably suave. He stands for the Korean resistance, determined to use every weapon at his disposal against the Japanese invaders. Lee Byung Hun is “The Bad”. More widely known from JSA, A BITTERSWEET LIFE and HERO, he’s as bad as villains come and also icy smooth. Employed by a treacherous warlord to waylay the treasure, he has no intention of sharing any of the profit with his employer.
The stand-out is Song Kang Ho, who won my heart irrevocably in THE HOST and is also well known from JSA, SYMPATHY FOR MR VENGEANCE, MEMORIES OF MURDER and LADY VENGEANCE. His turn as “The Weird”, for my money, outstrips Eli Wallach’s Tuco for sheer fun quotient and is a stellar three-dimensional performance that provides most of the buoyancy of the film that sustains the 2-hour plus run time. Apparently just a solo bandit out making a living, he stumbles across the prize and fights off all comers to hold on to it.
Last but not least, the desert filming location is a major star. This is a fantastic Wild West location, with an Asian flair. Magnificent scenery and set pieces are beautifully shot and squeezed for every ounce of spectacle. (Karrie League)
Starts Friday, April 30, at Alamo South Lamar. Get your tickets here.
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