Train To Busan

Someone recommended this movie to me years ago, but it remained on my backlog. However, I finally got around to watching it and it is amazing. I've seen dozens of Zombie-themed Horror movies and this one is in the top-tier among them. Very tense, great story, and some emotional moments.

This is so different than the generic zombie movies, and even world war z. This really makes you invested in the characters and their means of survival. It's so much better than american takes on what a zombie apocalypse would look like. I highly recommend it, you won't be disappointed.

Very good movie. Great acting and direction. Nonstop action. Wish the ending had been better. One of the best zombie movies I have seen. Korean language but subtitles were good.

Let me first say that zombie movies are NOT my cup of tea. I tried World War Z, and I thought it was absolute dreck, despite the rave reviews. The only one I've liked is 28 Days Later, but its "infected" were not actually zombies. Anyway, "Train to Busan" breaks the mold. To be honest, I wouldn't have believed a true zombie movie could be this good. It's not your typical horror flick, despite the moderate gore, so I wouldn't go in expecting to be scared much. It's non-stop action, and it certainly delivers in that category. The tension is handled superbly, in scene after harrowing scene, but the fear factor was on par with my favorite action movies, not horror. I found myself laughing at a couple of scenes that were (presumably) supposed to be scary, but I don't mind that - it's a zombie movie, after all, and I figure that goes with the territory. But...the last 10 minutes were truly terrifying. The ending packs quite an emotional wallop. One key difference in this story vs. less effective ones may be that virtually all the protagonists are (or become) genuinely likable. The main character's foil, the ordinary man who calls him out on his selfish BS, has an authentic charm we rarely see in movie characters today. He and his pregnant wife are a riot, and probably a couple of the most endearing characters I've seen on screen in quite a while. If only Hollywood still knew how to write characters like this! I'd pay to see them in other movies. LOL. The little girl is a darling, too, and I was surprised by her skills as an actress. Everyone nails their role, including the deplorable villain of the story. The direction was spot on, and the movie unfolded at breakneck pace without missing a beat. It's also a very Korean story, in its messages and its concerns, and I mean that in the best way. Made me nostalgic for my time there, and eager to return. Once our own current pandemic is contained...The minor gripe that made me remove half a star: too little is explained! We see helicopters *dropping zombies among ordinary citizens,* and this AIRS ON THE NEWS, but nothing is said about it?! Wha....? The news says they should trust their government, and that seems to indicate that they should do the exact opposite, but did the gov't actually orchestrate such a thing? Seems maniacally destructive beyond even the worst gov'ts in history, but who else would be dropping them from helicopters...?Still, I rounded up instead of down because, aside from the lack of adequate back story, "Train to Busan" is astonishingly well done. I'm not even grading on a curve because of its genre. It's just a damn good movie, fun, engrossing, and satisfying. Enjoy!

tears

Seok-Woo is a successful and ruthless financial manager who recently divorced his wife. He doesn't have time to spend with his daughter Su-an and she longs to visit her mother in Busan for her birthday. Feeling guilty and figuring it would only take a few hours, Seok-Woo decides to escort her to her mother by train. Just as it's about to leave, a sick, bleeding woman boards and finally dies due to her injuries, but reanimates soon after, attacking anyone who comes near. As the amount of infected grows, the number of safe cars shrinks down and stops along the way become impossible due to being overrun by the infected. Their only hope is Busan, a city rumored to still be open to survivors, but how many will survive to the last stop?I didn't really know what to expect going into Train to Busan because I'd never seen a Korean zombie film. It didn't disappoint. It's a fairly formulaic zombie film with a couple of interesting twists. The zombies are the result of some sort of infection. It doesn't go into great detail, but the cause is connected to a leak at a nuclear power plant. Patient zero is a deer that's hit by a car and gets up again with a clearly broken neck. The zombies can move incredibly fast and prove to especially be deadly in large swarming groups. Their appearance is a little different than the usual. Their skin is patterned with livid veins and their eyes have a milky film over them. When it's dark or there are no humans around, they become relatively peaceful. They seem to rely more on sight and sound than on smell. The zombies move in a jerky, convulsive way that is incredibly creepy and unnatural. These zombies aren't outlandish, but they have some definitive differences that set them apart from others.The human characters are split into two factions: the ones willing to help others and the ones only out for themselves. The first faction includes Su-an, Sang-hwa and his pregnant wife Seong-kyeong, a group of high school students, and two elderly sisters. The other factions at first includes Seok-Woo and Yong-suk, an older businessman unafraid of voicing demands, plus the rest of the nameless people on the train easily influenced by him. At first, Seok-Woo thinks it's necessary to look out for himself over all others even if it would take little effort to save them. After he risks his life multiple times to save his daughter, he sees that it's important to save others and work together for survival. Eventually, Yong-suk influences the rest of the train to go against the other faction in an effort that necessitated the abuse of a teenage girl and the near deaths of everyone on the train.The two factions represent the rich and everyone else. The rich do anything to stay rich, no matter what the effect is on others or society. This is seen with Seok-Woo at the beginning of the film with his cutthroat business tactics and how he callously slammed and locked a door with Sang-hwa and Seong-kyeong on the other side of it. Yong-suk also throws anyone and everyone in the path of the zombies so he will survive. These older men want to stay in power forever, but risk their future by not protecting the children, younger people, and pregnant woman who are also the more vulnerable members of society. The second faction does whatever it can to preserve their future, even sacrificing themselves for the greater good. This is obviously the more healthy side and the side that will live on instead of self destruct.Train to Busan is a formidable zombie film that makes into my list of favorites. It has emotional gravitas at times, suspense, and some touching moments. My only problem with the film is near the ending. I felt the zombies didn't stay consistent in their rules for one character to make a point, but why not make it consistent beforehand? For a film with such a small budget, the effects were very well done with the exception of a moment or two. Other than that, it was an enjoyable film that takes an intriquing concept similar to Snowpiercer and executes it well within the zombie genre.

If you are a fan of the zombie genre or are an action movie junkie that can handle a lot of gore, then Train to Busan is for you. It is also a redemption story with heart, leading you to care about what happens to the main players even if you've only known them for a short while. It highlights both the good and bad in humanity when the unthinkable happens and survival isn't guaranteed. A father struggles to save his daughter, another man protects his pregnant wife, and young love amongst school kids are some examples.This is a Korean film with subtitles, but they didn't overly distract me. The only drawback is that it took some of my attention away from the fantastic graphical elements of the film. The cinematography is amazing and the action pulse-pounding. Fans of the "fast zombie" genre will likely love Train to Busan. I look forward to re-watching it. Pua 'ahihi lehua o uka.~ Kort