Train To Busan

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!

Yeah, this is a zombie movie. But it is also so much more!The characters have depth. They resonate. With just little glimpses into them, it gives us insight into the characters and makes you care. Without a bunch of "fill me in" narration, the movie tells the entire story. From the first glimpse of what's going on, it kept my attention.The movie was very pretty, with beautiful vistas, nifty trains, and disgusting zombies. It had great cinematography that, while gruesome, was not over the top. The special effects were seamless. The pacing was perfect, going from breathtakingly fast to slowing down to catch our breath seamlessly.Zombie movies are a fun romp, but this one also had a lot of heart. I've watched most zombie movies at one time or another. I really enjoy the "turn off your brain and enjoy" aspect of them. However, this one was different. Not since I watched "Dawn of the Dead" when it first came out has a zombie movie held my attention so well. And it did a great job of tugging at my heartstrings and making me know and care about the characters.It's a good movie. All on its own. And as a zombie movie, it's GREAT!

Film was fine.

I am truly astonished that I haven't read more about the quality of this release in 4K-UHD! In fact, whenever someone asks to see what the format can do for films, this is the one I choose to show them (unless they have an aversion to horror films).The amazing quality and creativity of this film had impressed me from the start. In fact, the first time that I saw it was on a Netflix disc rental some years ago. I loved the show so much that I was literally on my iPad ordering the Blu-ray copy while the end credits were still running! TRAIN TO BUSAN has an incredibly taut story along with some of the best character development I've seen in the genre.The 4K-UHD release is one of the best I have seen in that format. The image quality was so incredibly vivid throughout that it looks like it was made to be shown only that way. For those who have a large screen home theater with a sound system to complement it, the experience is exceptional. Even my friends who have seen it before were noticeably both impressed and emotionally immersed.If you are wondering if TRAIN TO BUSAN is worth buying again in 4K-UHD, my sincere advice is not to hesitate. It makes an amazing film even more powerful.

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.