The City of Violence (Jjakpae) (2006)

Featured Audience Ratings

• xGary X

  
  A Seoul cop returns to his hometown for the funeral of a boyhood friend but when he finds that one of their own is responsible, the remaining two friends unite and declare war on those responsible. City Of Violence looks like a gangster thriller on the surface, but its lack of depth… More
  A Seoul cop returns to his hometown for the funeral of a boyhood friend but when he finds that one of their own is responsible, the remaining two friends unite and declare war on those responsible. City Of Violence looks like a gangster thriller on the surface, but its lack of depth and grittiness in the story and characterisation, combined with virtually non-stop fight sequences mean it is actually a pure martial arts film. The narrative is a little too reliant on montages and flashbacks, and we know little about the characters apart from the fact that they look cool and are hard as nails. The action is actually brilliantly handled and the direction is very stylish, the final showdown (which is very similar to that of Kill Bill Volume 1) in particular is supremely exciting and well done. The emaciated script means it will never win any awards for high drama, but its a fun ride for those who enjoy slickly choreographed, bone-crunching martial arts mayhem.

• Luke B

  
  What seems like it may be a cross between Stand By Me and any number of revenge films underminds itself by being too lighthearted. A serious plot and wonderfully characterised friendships are ruined by the music video style editing. The fight scenes are spectacular but don't make… More
  What seems like it may be a cross between Stand By Me and any number of revenge films underminds itself by being too lighthearted. A serious plot and wonderfully characterised friendships are ruined by the music video style editing. The fight scenes are spectacular but don't make too much sense, which wouldn't matter in a balls out action flick. The film is short and considering the last 20 minutes is an epic showdown the story moves fast and furiously. Of course like so many martial arts films it's a good job everyone knows martial arts or the fights would be dull. Very entertaining and certainly worth a watch.

• Tsubaki S

  
  I have to say i was expecting a bit more from this one, especially after seing such a character-driven film like it was Crying Fist, the previous film from the director. Here the characters are hardly explored, the friendship of the five main characters and what motivated their future… More
  I have to say i was expecting a bit more from this one, especially after seing such a character-driven film like it was Crying Fist, the previous film from the director. Here the characters are hardly explored, the friendship of the five main characters and what motivated their future actions are left a bit in the dark. Considering what a vital role their relationship has in the plot i wish the director would had included a bit more about them, especially about the 3 main characters. Seems that Ryu just exhausted himself too much while making this (he's writer,director, co-star, edited and what not) Of course, some would say the character development in a film focused in martial arts will always be limited, but i truly disagree on that one. There are several MA films that contain enough character development to sustain themselves, and more importantly, to real make you care about what's happening to them. Because at the end that's what can make or kill an action film, the characters. No matter how flashy the action is, if you don't care at all about the characters then it's a total waste of time. That said The City of Violence is not a total waste of time at all, Ryo Seng Wan's direction is good in the right places, the soundtrack is groovy as hell and fits perfectly, and the fight sequences are well coordinated. Maybe this film needs some rewatching, still, i can't help to feel it could have been much more. Neverless, a safe watch to any action fan.

• Justin Y

  
  This Korean action movie was somewhat what I was expecting, but it wasn't enough to be considered a really great movie.<p>The story starts out pretty interesting and is told really well. The back story and the jumps in time is done quite nicely and with the help of some… More
  This Korean action movie was somewhat what I was expecting, but it wasn't enough to be considered a really great movie.<p>The story starts out pretty interesting and is told really well. The back story and the jumps in time is done quite nicely and with the help of some interesting scene transitions this film is hardly boring. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie doesn't stay this way. By the middle of the movie the story becomes a little choppy and this is where the action starts to come in. The movie then continues in this direction to the end where the story is pretty much fizzled out and it is all action.</p><p>The acting is OK at best. Most of the characters showed little emotion, but that could have been in part to the way the story was going.</p><p>The action, or should I say martial arts, comes a plenty depending on your point of view. As I said earlier, most of the fighting comes in the second half of this film, with the last 20 minutes being the non-stop, bloody grand finale. Long action sequences are good, but I would have enjoyed this film more if the fighting was spread out more throughout the film. In fact, I would have liked more if it, considering this is <i>The City of Violence</i>.</p><p>All the action in this film is pretty much all martial arts fighting. I don't even think there were guns in this film. Anyway, the fights are better than you would think. Doo-hong Jung of <i>Arahan</i>, once again, shows me why he is one of the greater martial artists to come out of Korea. Fast and furious.</p>Its just too bad that this film couldn't keep the great storytelling from the beginning and incorporate it with the action from the end. This really could have been a great action film. Nevertheless, martial arts fans will want to check this out.

• Lesley N

  
  Four childhood friends reunite at the funeral of the fifth, and 50% of them start to uncover the truth. With lots and lots and lots (and lots) of fighting including an amazingly choreographed two men v's a shopping centre. of basball bat- , BMX bike-, hockey stick- toting… More
  Four childhood friends reunite at the funeral of the fifth, and 50% of them start to uncover the truth. With lots and lots and lots (and lots) of fighting including an amazingly choreographed two men v's a shopping centre. of basball bat- , BMX bike-, hockey stick- toting teenagers <img src="http://s.tf1.fr/mmdia/i/99/4/3917994gnlwi.jpg?v=1">.

• Jonny C

  
  Great action movie from Korea. The City of Violence is about a pair of high school friends who reunite to investigate the murder of one of their own. The action in this movie was spectacular, fast paced, and beautifully shot, with plenty of memorable fight scenes. And even the story… More
  Great action movie from Korea. The City of Violence is about a pair of high school friends who reunite to investigate the murder of one of their own. The action in this movie was spectacular, fast paced, and beautifully shot, with plenty of memorable fight scenes. And even the story was a little predictable, it was well acted and always watchable.

• Anthony V

  
  When they say the stunt work in this is "eye-popping", they ain't kidding. The stunt work in this makes any film in recent memory pale in comparison, but surprisingly enough, the story is good and the direction stand their own also.

• Christopher B

  
  Fun film with a great story. The fight scenes are fantastic and the characters are cool. I've heard people complain about this film not being "all that" after seeing Ong Bak and The Protector, but that's like saying Jaws sucks because it's not Psycho.

• Kevin "

  
  Maybe I let myself down thinking maybe I'm about to watch the next Exiled or Bittersweet Life? Again, that wasn't the case, but...City of Violence is still a good movie. A good story, but the way it is told is weak at times. But, if you are watching a movie called "The… More
  Maybe I let myself down thinking maybe I'm about to watch the next Exiled or Bittersweet Life? Again, that wasn't the case, but...City of Violence is still a good movie. A good story, but the way it is told is weak at times. But, if you are watching a movie called "The City of Violence," odds are you aren't in it for the story, you want the "violence" or should I say action? Well, this movie does do that, not as much as I thought it would though. The city-wide fight though did some things I haven't seen a fight sequence do before and well, break dancers can be lethal apparently. The big fight of the movie is a good one and nicely shot. I do have to say I felt at times during this fight I was watching a Tarantino movie, little Kill Bill-ish at times, not a bad thing though. I would say this is just your standard action movie and fans of this should check out <a href="http://www.flixster.com/movie/sha-po-lang">Kill Zone</a> and vice-versa.

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