Review of My Way (2011) by Michael L — 08 Oct 2012

Even though there were some serious flaws in the plot, I didn't realize that there were any until after the movie was over. The intensity of the acting, special effects, and the plot kept me very engaged even though I had to follow the dialogue using the subtitles.

Although only 1/4 of the story is true, this "war is hell" epic takes you to a place beyond a typical South Korean film that is partially a hit piece on the Japanese. I was surprised by the ending, but the overdone melodrama nearly wrecked it for me.

On the other hand, I've never experienced anything like (spoiler alert!) being forced to fight in the Japanese Army, having my side defeated by Soviet tanks, surviving a Soviet gulag, and then surviving the Allied Invasion of Normandy as a soldier in the German army.

So maybe in this movie, the melodrama was probably fitting. Some of the scene set pieces seem like familiar copies from other war flicks. There was also an amusing homage to the Band of Brothers mini-series that a sharp eye might catch.

It's easy to see how this can be the most expensive movie in South Korean history by the really high production values(thousands of extras, great CGI). One thought that lingers in my mind is that I hope that the stunt guys who got run over by the tanks are going to be ok.