Review of Tae Guk Gi: The Brotherhood of War (2004) by Jy S — 18 Feb 2008

A dramatic and emotional story thrown into the setting of your typical war movie. The only problem with these types of movies is you really need to be a fan of the genre to get the most out of it. At least we get a taste to see how Korea does it.

The start of this movie is similar to Titanic. A few minutes in the present to set up the story of the past. While it is nice to use the time travel element like this, it does give away the ending. I guess the reason to continue watching a film like this is to see how the ending comes to be.

Fortunately, for this film the how is quite good. The concept for this story deals with 2 brothers that end up in the war and although that may not sound original, the story is told nicely. You get to see how war can change a man.

You have your typical flow of drama, fight, drama, fight, drama, etc. There are a ton of fights in this film, which is nice, but at the same time this film is just a little bit too long. Seeing people get shot, blown up, and killed can be entertainment, but seeing if for a good part of 2 and a half hours is a bit much.

With that said this movie is bloody and gory, which it should be. Blood and gore are definitely appropriate in the telling of a war tale.The acting is good. The main actors express the right emotions at the right time and they make you feel the bond of brotherhood.

If you want a nice emotional story and don't mind the war genre this should be on your must see list. Just make sure you can stand the violence.