I must admit that it with with a certain level of anticipation and expectations that I sat down to watch "Typhoon", because it had gotten fairly good reviews and it said "a first rate thriller" on the DVD cover. And being a big fan of Asian cinema, I am always thrilled to see a movie that I haven't seen already."Typhoon" is a fairly standard formula thriller, as where the 'good guys' have to catch the 'bad guys' before they manage to unleash some kind of malevolent threat upon humanity. And in this case it was a North Korean who wanted to wreck vengeance upon all of South Korea because he believe they took away his chance for a good life in South Korea and took away first his father, then his mother and finally his sister. And it is up to a special government undercover agent from South Korea to stop him before he can execute his plan.The acting in the movie was actually quite good, especially the performances put on by Dong-gun Jang (playing Sin) and Mi-yeon Lee (playing Choi Myeong-ju). And the scene where they become reunited after twenty years, well, that was just spectacular. It was really nicely acted and came off as believable and emotional.There was a great deal of good action in the movie and also some exciting enough thrills throughout the movie. However, it just never really managed to raise itself out of a stereotypical formula, and it was something that had been seen before. And on that account, the movie was somewhat of a disappointment. However, if you just watch the movie for the sheer entertainment, then "Typhoon" will actually entertain you quite nicely for the approximate 104 minutes it is running. Just don't expect to see anything new or groundbreaking.For a Korean action movie, then "Typhoon" was a little bit tame and stale, and there are far more impressive and action-packed Korean action movies available out there. I will say, though, that "Typhoon" is good the first time you watch it, however, I doubt that the movie actually have enough contents to support a second watching.

If this is the "average Korean blockbuster" show me more! It is an imperfect movie but compared to most of the crap from Hollywood USA these days, it is a superior effort. The steely-eyed, hero that never quits and still has a heart has been abandoned by Hollywood as hopelessly out of date. Yet, these men still exist and the public still craves to see them fictionalized on the movie screen. Add a bad guy that you eventually come to feel some real sympathy for and you've got the conflict that powered hundreds of Westerns in decades past. Mix it up with some high-tech Clancy-istic plot settings and you have...an enjoyable movie. The acting is above average and there is enough depth to the story to keep one involved to the end.It helps if you can appreciate the Korean sensibilities. All I can say is try to open your mind. If it seems "Corny" ask yourself if you are not just a little to hip (jaded) to enjoy it.I hope this is a harbinger of a rapidly developing Korean cinema. In a few more years they may be the equal of anyone.

This new film by Kwak Kyung-Taek is dubbed a blockbuster, having used up the most expensive budget in Korean cinema history. The money does show up on screen and the locations are nice and exotic. But the movie is somewhat disappointing in other respects.The first hour is very boring, one that had me restless. The music sounded like something from an expensive video game and many scenes dragged on far too long. After witnessing the most uninspired car chase I've seen in a while, I was ready to give up on this movie. However, Lee Mi-Yeon managed to save the film single handedly with an incredible performance. It's a shame she's on screen for such a short time but with her introduction, the film suddenly finds energy and was entertaining from then on. The film could have used some better characterization and more interaction between the two protagonists. It is mostly the flawed screenplay that is the blame here concerning our lack of emotional attachment to the main characters not the actors themselves; they both do a suitable job. More of Lee Mi-Yeon could have always helped as well. As it is, this movie delivers somewhat as entertainment but it could have been much better.One scene that will remain in my mind from this film is when the two protagonists meet at the train station. This is one of the few times when the music complemented the scene and the result is truly cinematic. Only at this turning point does the movie find its mark but when it does, it's more than watchable.

Many of the tearjerkers and romantic dramas by Korean film-makers have definitely been appealing to many Asian movie fans. Winter Sonata, Autumn Fairy Tale, Lovers in Paris, First Kiss, just to name a few. Koran actors and actresses appeared in those movies have enthusiastically been accepted in Japan, Hongkong, China, Singapore and in other Asian countries. Jiwoo Choi, Yongjun Bae, Hyegyo Song, Bin Won, Jeongeun Kim, Shinyang Park, Jaewook Ahn, Byunghun Lee are such celebrities, or rather, idols in those countries.Bun it's quite a different story in the U.S., where 'a man carrying a big stick' is respected. They don't go much for some ticklish romantic episodes played by Asian performers.Typhoon is an answer to this situation. It has daring hoopla, alertness, conspiracy, betrayal, red-blooded revenge and heartbreaking family tragedy stemming from the tragedy of divided two Koreas. For Dongkun Jang, a North Korean escapee as a child, politics has no meaning at all. His parents were killed when his family were escaping from North Korea to South Korea seeking freedom, by way of China. He and his sister survived the massacre by the North Koreans, but separated---separated for 20 years. All he wants is to find his sister and save her from the hand of North Korean and Chinese 'bandits'. Any means justifies the end for him. He would gladly steal secret weapon from South Korea and the U.S. to trade his sister with it.His wrath and fury was well and timely expressed in his retort to his opponent: "Comrade, have you ever eaten human flesh?" Jungjae Lee, South Korean navy officer, has a mission to stop him and retrieve the weapon from his hand. Inevitably, the two has the fate to tackle with each other. But Jungjae Lee feels for him and says: "Tonight we will fight to the death, but in another life I would have liked to have been his friend." All the emotions and feelings are melted down to the electrifying scene when Dongkun Jang finally meets his sister and shouts: "(20 years ago) Didn't I tell you to just stay where you were!" Tight and tighter embraces follow.Fast change of sequences, realistic plot, almost zero-defect photography, compact movements of actors, especially those by Dongkun Jang and Jungjae Lee. Hey, you both are great, Jang and Lee! Not many goofs could be found in this film.