Typhoon (2005)
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22% of critics liked it
(32 reviews) -
49% of users liked it
(1,249 ratings)
A would-be North Korean defector still reeling over the killing of his family by the communist government when he was just a child determines to destroy the Korean peninsula in a tense, politically minded action thriller directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and starring Jang Dong-gun, Lee Jung-jae, and Lee… More A would-be North Korean defector still reeling over the killing of his family by the communist government when he was just a child determines to destroy the Korean peninsula in a tense, politically minded action thriller directed by Kwak Kyung-taek and starring Jang Dong-gun, Lee Jung-jae, and Lee Mi-yeon. When a vessel sailing a few hundred kilometers off the northeast port of Jt Long in Taiwan is hijacked by pirates and the National Intelligence Service learns that a nuclear guidance kit has been stolen, they quickly dispatch naval lieutenant Kang, Se-jong (Lee Jung-jae) to find out who was responsible for the deed and to bring him to justice. The criminal mastermind in question is Sin (Jang Dong-gun), a man who harbors a deep-rooted hatred for the Korean government due to a tragic event that took place in his childhood. As a young boy, Sin's family had tried to defect to South Korea. When they were turned away by a government who feared complicating their relationship with China, however, Sin watched as his parents were brutally executed and his only sister, Choi, Myung-ju (Lee Mi-yeon), was taken away. Upon learning that Sin currently resides in Russia, Lieutenant Kang travels to the Eastern European republic as the tragedy of Sin's past slowly comes into focus for the sympathetic military man. His mission to apprehend Sin is clear, though, and despite his personal feelings Lieutenant Kang remains determined to get his man by any means necessary. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi
- Rating, Runtime
- R, 2 hr. 5 min.
- Directed By
- Kyung-Taek Kwak
- Genres
- Drama, Action & Adventure, Art House & International, Mystery & Suspense
- In Theaters
- Jun 2, 2006 Wide
- On DVD
- May 27, 2008
- Studio
- Paramount Classics
Critic Reviews
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Derek Elley, Variety
Caught up in a triple vortex of poor scripting, unexciting action and leads you couldn't care less about, the pic boasts good production values but little else.
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Laura Kern, New York Times
Typhoon aims high but misses the emotional mark in most instances, resulting in some awkward melodramatics.
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Steven Rea, Philadelphia Inquirer
Director Kyung-Taek Kwak orchestrates all this with flair, but leading man Lee doesn't have much to offer beyond a steely stoicism, and Jang's histrionic villainy borders on the parodic.
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Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
The movie delivers the same old American action-flick themes of catastrophe narrowly averted, but the Korean version alters the meaning from triumph to sorrow.
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Stephen Hunter, Washington Post
It has a fair sense of documentary reality, and the action sequences -- from shootout to car chase to a commando takedown of a tanker on the high seas to a final knife fight -- are extremely well managed.
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Fresh (60% or more critics rated the movie positively)
Rotten (59% or fewer critics rated the movie positively)
