DVD Review: Old Boy

While writing up my article on the 25 Most Ass-Kickin’ Scenes on Film, I came across a scene from Old Boy, that was just amazing to watch, but more on that later. As I was watching the film, I couldn’t help but think the show seemed familiar in some way and as it came to the movie’s final moments, it all clicked. The scene I was watching had been featured on Bravo’s “100 Scariest Moments.” I am very glad I finally took the time to watch the film as it is very powerful and emotional, in a way that few film makers are able to capture.

After being taken and held captive for 15 years, Dae-so Oh (Min-Sik Choi) vows to find his captors and seek revenge for framing him of killing his wife, forcing his daughter to live with foster parents and  stealing the life he will never gain back. In doing so, he meets  Mi-Do (Hye-jeong Kang) who promises to help him in his search. What he Dae-su Oh discovers, however, is something that is disturbing and gut wrenching at the same time.

The story is well conceived and well acted and I was quite startled by the ending of the film; not something I would have predicted. The film is raw, in a Tarantino kind of way, which is quite fitting for the story and it’s characters. Speaking of characters, Min-Sik Choi surprised me with his role. From the looks of him in the open moments of the film, you wouldn’t expect the ability that he has. I previously mentioned a fight scene that was featured on my list of the best and it deserves it’s place. It was filmed in a small hallway with him using a claw hammer as a weapon. The result is nearly five minutes of incredible, violent goodness. Oh, and it was filmed continuously, all in on shot. Simply amazing.

Over all, the film is dark and twisted, gritty and raw, but it is two hours of pure, unadulterated fun that everyone deserves to take part in. You’d be hard pressed to find an American film maker who would take on a topic like this and have the result be this damn good. If you haven’t seen this one, add it to your list, you won’t be disappointed.