The
Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014/CJ Entertainment Blu-ray)
Picture:
A Sound: A Extras: C Film: A-
The
year is 1597, Japan's has invaded Korea. Only 17 ships remain to
fight against Japan's 300 ships. Out numbered and out gunned,
General Yi (Choi Min-sik from Oldboy) is last line of defense
for Korea, but his commanders, their captains, their men, all believe
they are doomed. How can 17 ships stop 300?
In
Kim Han-min's The Admiral: Roaring Currents (2014), General Yi
is a fallen and disgraced general, ordered to fight a hopeless
battle, he has more problems with his own men than the invading
armada. His own men are deserting left and right, even destroying
their own ships in fear and saying they might as well surrender. Yi
is forced to behead any soldier that runs away, he then burns his own
fortress to force his men to fight. His only hope is to lure the
enemy ships into a narrow straight where their numbers mean nothing.
As he leads by example, he show what desperate men can do, that even
fallen enemies should be feared, and turns his men's fears into
pride, then rage and finally courage.
This
movie was like watching 300 with Navy ships. A few against
hundreds, there were plenty of heroic last stands. The whole story
was about how one General inspires his remaining men and people to
make a stand, that there is hope if one is determined and remains in
a strategic position. This is one of the best Korea epics set in the
past of late and has a fine supporting cast with a budget to match,
becoming one of the biggest hits in all of Korean cinema history.
The
1080p 2.35 X 1 digital High Definition image was shot on RED cameras
and is as good a shot as we have seen with that brand of HD camera to
date, while the lossless DTS-HD MA (Master Audio) Korean 5.1 mix may
not be from an 11.1 soundmaster, but it is fantastic throughout. The
combination impresses throughout. Extras include highlights and
trailers, but this deserves much more.
-
Ricky Chiang
