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Plot:
An ordinary man named Oh Dae-su, who lives with his wife and adorable daughter, is kidnapped and later wakes up to find himself in a private makeshift prison. Dae-su makes numerous attempts to escape ...( read more 
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Recent Reviews
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MCT:October 3, 2008park chan wook's master peace with so many great twists and turns and violents just wonderful and what a fucking ending! i have no fucking blue how america is going to remake this and to be honest i dont care becuase its just a bad idea leave this great film alone...
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MCT:October 3, 2008Some people called this movie is A Masterpices, others said this movis is Powerfull, and I said Overrated.
Yes, yes this is a good film with a great script, great performances, specially by Min-sik Choi, and the Excellent direction by Chan-wook Park, and has some really good actions and bloody scenes...
But what was the problem? the main problem with Oldboy is that this film didnīt caught me, I didnīt feel the characters. The twist ending? yes it was unexpected but what I loved was its ambiguous ending. -
MCT:September 30, 2008
Don't read anything prior watching this. No reviews or friend opinnions, nothing, just go straight for it. It will keep pissing off lots of people over the years, and for the right reasons that is. An exploration of human emotions done in a crude but always smart way. Are you still reading this and haven't seen the film? I told you not to! Go watch it right now.
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MCT:September 28, 2008
Finally! out of the vengeance trilogy, Oldboy is obviously the best. Or perhaps it's tied with Lady Vengeance. This is what a condensed soap would be like... full of taboos, twists, turns and gore. Although it kept me wanting for more, I can't help...(read more) but think that it's similar to Ichi the Killer in a way... won't mention it as to not spoil either movie for you, in case you've watched neither. But... Even the guy looks similar... anyways... fucking excellent
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MCT:September 28, 2008Repellent characters populate this overrated revenge story about a man trying to figure out why he was imprisoned. Viewers are subjected to scenes of revenge, incest and torture designed to only shock the audience and apparently nothing more. At the least it's incoherent and at the worst, it's vile. By the denouement, the "reveal" is so off-putting you feel regret for having watched this stylishly filmed trash. However, stylishly filmed trash, is still trash.
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MCT:September 25, 2008
OMG this movie is stunning. It is sick and twisted, but I loved it. The movie is just gorgeous. There is a fight scene where Oh Dae-su is fighting about twelve men at once and it is all one continuous shot... words can't even describe how beautiful it is. The plot is amazing. I found myself intrigued from the very first scene of the movie to the very last scene of the movie. It seriously takes you through every single emotion you can think possible. I think everyone should view this movie because of the message of humanity that the plot delivers at the end... and because it is the best shot movie I have seen so far!
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MCT:September 24, 2008
Daesu Oh is a drunk and a philanderer, but otherwise a fairly typical husband and father. That is until one day he is kidnapped and imprisoned in a cell for 15 years with only a TV set for company and no word of explanation. One day he wakes up on the outside with only a wallet and a phone, and he sets out on a single-minded quest to find out why he was imprisoned and extract bloody vengeance on those responsible. The second part of the Vengeance Trilogy by Chan-wook Park, Oldboy is a bizarre and brilliant film. It constantly wrong foots you and messes with your perceptions, and contains the kind of revelation that makes the kind of so-called plot "twists" of most films look gimmicky and inane. This is the kind of film that blows you away and makes you realise you've been watching the WHOLE THING from the wrong standpoint. As for Min-sik Choi's performance, astonishing is the only word for it...the way such intense emotions and motivations are constantly shifting without ever feeling contrived or forced is just spellbinding. It combines art and extreme violence in a way that reminded me of A Clockwork Orange, but BETTER. It's also stylistically on the same level as Fight Club and is absolutely riveting from beginning to end. A totally flawless modern masterpiece.
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MCT:September 15, 2008
Its Hammer Time!!!!
This movie is off the hook,i was amazing at just how cleaver it is.I've been telling all my mates about it and driving them nuts. -
MCT:September 13, 2008
Instant classic that I will continue to recommend to everyone. This movie helped peak my interest in Korean cinema. See it, love it.
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MCT:September 13, 2008
Beautifully shot. but the plot holes are so big. It's like he wrote a great script. Through it up in the air and shot it with a shot gun. Then said OK now I'm ready to shoot this thing. Saw the end coming to.
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MCT:September 11, 2008
Truly a visceral film experience. A tale of dual obsession, two men at odds with eachother, neither willing to budge an inch.
The film's final reveal left me cold (as a psychologist....you'll know what i mean when you see it) but everything leading up to it and everything that happens after did not.
Rarely has single-minded determination been portrayed so thoroughly on screen, all the way through. -
MCT:September 2, 2008
My 2nd favourite of the Vengeance trilogy, but it is a more watchable film, definately not as good as Sympathy For Mr Vengeance, but that's not as fun as this.
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MCT:August 31, 2008
A man is imprisoned for 15 years by an unknown enemy; when he is released, he's obsessed with finding the man who wronged him, and the reason why. A stylish, complicated and sadistic warning about the consuming power of revenge.
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MCT:August 29, 2008
I must say this is the best korean film I have ever seen (maybe because is also the only one). How would you feel after you have been kept prisoned for 7 years in a room by unknown people and for unknown reason?
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MCT:August 18, 2008
The best of the Vengeance trilogy and one of the best revenge stories ever told. Brilliant, brutal and twisted.
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MCT:August 15, 2008
Of the Chanwook Park Vengeance trilogy, Oldboy is the middle piece, the one with the least subtext and the most predictable, and not surprisingly the one with the most orchestrated glorified violence that the American market devours. And the one with the most pointless "twists" may I add, whereas plot "twists" in the other movies unravel like a perfectly dropped ball of yarn cascading in a straight line down a staircase.
This is the weakest movie of the trilogy, and anyone wishing to understand the subtext of Chanwook''s vision should at least do him the courtesy of watching Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance before taking to analyze this is terms of theme because the movies are meant to be like a chord. One note - nothing but repetitive sound. Three notes- a chord. And Oldboy is an annoying note. It's a great movie but it's just not anywhere as good as the other two.
"So Fucked Up" highlight:
Dae-su chokes on real live octopus -
MCT:August 11, 2008
"Laugh and the world laughs with you. Weep and you weep alone."
Chan-wook Park's Oldboy is an intense, gut-wrenching Korean thriller. The film has received continuous accolades since its initial release in 2003 and its more global release in 2005.
Oldboy is perhaps best remembered due to its heavy content: the violence, torture and themes are unflinching and far more uncompromisingly pungent than any American thriller. Instead of the customary over-the-top martial arts, the filmmakers opt for far more brutality. Witness a five-minute shot depicting the central character confronting a gang of thugs in a corridor. This is a nasty, vicious conflict without any fancy Jackie Chan-style choreography: this is dirty street fighting as men assault each other, sometimes falling, sometimes missing. Objects are utilised as men are stabbed or beaten. People bleed and show vulnerability as well as weakness. The punches sound like actual punches...men get tired, men lose energy and collapse after growing out of breath. It's this impressive edge that elevates Oldboy higher than most Asian productions.
Personally, I've never had a fondness for Asian cinema. Films such as Hero come across as convoluted and confusing but with beauty in the visuals. These visuals, however, generally seem over-the-top and suspending disbelief is too difficult. Oldboy is far more down to earth and believable. The visuals are impeccably constructed: each shot engages an audience with its panache and elegance. The grimy streets, filthy characters and engrossing scenarios are more effective. Below its face value the film is a deep, thematic character study regarding a heart-stopping journey of one man's quest for vengeance.
Oldboy opens with a bang. As engaging music absorbs the viewer, the visuals depict a wild-haired man dangling another man off the edge of a building by his tie. This wild-haired man is Oh Dae-su (Min-sik). In a flashback his story is revealed: Dae-su is a regular man with a loving family. Under perplexing circumstances, he is kidnapped and incarcerated in a secure hotel room for a total of 15 years. Over the course of these 15 years, he has had nothing but dumplings to eat and his only window to the outside is a TV. He learns that his wife has died, and he has been framed for the murder. From this point forward he vows to escape and acquire his revenge. His captors eventually free Dae-su. He is given a wad of cash and a cell-phone. The mastermind behind his capture challenges Dae-su to find him within 5 days...if Dae-su does this, he will learn the reason why.
This is the mystery that drives Oldboy so effectively: it isn't long before the villain is revealed, but the ambiguity clouding the "why" is what fuels the proceedings. This builds to the film's shocking climax. This final confrontation presents an audience with a succession of astonishing twists.
The production values are first-rate considering the genre and origin. The torture scenes feel so realistic that one will be squirming in their seat. And the action scenes...are phenomenal! On top of this the director's style is enough to keep one engaged for the dialogue and the action. The cast competently tackle their characters as this established realism is further retained. The highlight of the film is undeniably its music. The main theme is haunting and evocative. This theme is repetitive and is used constantly. The music simply cannot be faulted. The tone is continually established with each new segment of music.
However, there is one lethal flaw: the film is very difficult to follow and keep up simply due to the appalling distinguishing of key plot points. From the film's beginning I struggled to find a coherent succession of scenes. Only with repeated viewings can one entirely understand the movie. This flaw is present in virtually every piece of Asian cinema I've seen so far. Oldboy is just superior because with its stylish visuals and brutal tone, we're compelled to be swept along with the proceedings.
Overall, Oldboy is a stunning Korean film that has earned an enormous fan base since its initial release. The film is a visceral cinematic experience created by a masterful group of filmmakers who excel at their art. It's hard to follow at times, but still mighty entertaining and extremely violent! -
MCT:July 31, 2008
A great action thriller by Chan-wook Park. The acting in this is really good, if you ignore the bad dubbing, and the last 20 minutes of the movie just leave you stunned until it's over.
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MCT:July 27, 2008
Amazing film. The second film in Chan Wook-Park's "Vengeance Trilogy." If you are a fan of David Fincher or Quentin Tarantino's works, you absolutely must see this. Choi Min-Sik is incredible.
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MCT:July 27, 2008
One of the first movies i watched with subtitles and i was not not diaspointed, fanatasic plot and a very intense film
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MCT:July 19, 2008Once all of the pieces of this twisted puzzle get put together you won't believe what you are seeing.
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MCT:July 13, 2008
Tarantino who???Park!!! just excellent...no blood just for blood...but blood for revenge with an accurate dose of black humour when it needs!!great direction,great perfomances..a perfect movie!
My Friends Said...
Oldboy Recent Reviews
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Comments
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showbiz101posted 238 days ago -
It wasn't the trapping of the man that excecuted brilliances, it was the events following that, especially the end.
But I thought the movie was deftly prepared, and I was "wowed" at the end. It the movie is a tad slow paced, but I kept watching because I was trying to dicern the wacky scenes and parts of the film.posted 469 days ago -
Oldboy is one of the most overrated pieces of crap I've ever seen and I hate it more than life itself. Taking up a heroin habit would actually be more constructive than watching this movie. I won't dispute that it started off strong enough and had me intrigued for the first hour, but once the hammer came down it didn't even make a dent for me.
I don't know if there were some cultural differences that didn't translate well ot what, but it started off brilliantly and ended in the most pathetic of ways. And I understand and appreciate that it didn't follow a formula, but you've got to understand as a filmmaker that if you lock someone in a room for 14 years there won't be a reason on earth that's going to leave an audience paralyzed with brilliance.
And this is all just my opinion. I say this because everyone on this site seems to have a boner for this movie and I can't understand why.posted 512 days ago -
The second film in the Revenge Trilogy, Olboy pacts a punch! The key is identifying the actual protagonist... only then will you understand the meaning of vengeance in this movie. A must see!!!
posted 523 days ago -
So far the only review of the film i had read that sums up everything about it:
http://www.thegline.com/dvd-of-the-week/2004/05-24-2004.htm
Must read, for both fans and detractors of the film.posted 614 days ago -
my wifey got me the 3 disc set for Xmas. Color me overjoyed. Best movie of 2005.
posted 620 days ago -
Fans of Oldboy should definetely get the Deluxe 3 disc DVD, it's packed with Greatness.
posted 679 days ago -
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