Review of Oldboy (2013) by Drderu — 03 Apr 2014

OLDBOY REMAKE FLOPPED BECAUSE IT’S A REMAKE THAT SHOULDN’T HAVE HAPPENED IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Weren’t we all a bit skeptical after learning that the infamous Spike Lee is directing the international cult classic Oldboy? And am I glad I didn’t get the chance to witness the embarassing Hollywood remake of it in the theaters. Everything about this Hollywood remake is borderline reductive. From the miscast leadstar Josh Brolin who struggled to portray any type of emotion and is almost too geriatric to play the exuberance that the character demands, to the many remarkable and almost blasphemous omitted scenes from the original. Not even the ever likable Elizabeth Olsen is able to redeem this remake that is comparatively pedestrian to the Korean classic. Hollywood seems to be running out of good material for an action movie that they have succumbed to bring ruins to foreign action films (a remake for The Raid is next). But to give credit to where it’s due, the Oldboy remake is a far cry from the creativity-deprived, badly written action films that Hollywood’s been producing lately.