Action Boys (DVD) (First Press Edition) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3

The documentary revolves around five students who manage to pass the tough training course at the Seoul Action School and begins with a statement that they were among the only eight to do so out of an initial class of thirty six. Despite coming from different backgrounds and having different motivations, they all share the same dream - to become stuntmen in the Korean film industry. However, their lives get even harder as they try to make names for themselves, suffering all manner of injuries and discouragements. As time goes on, some drop out while others succeed, with the film following them every step of the way through footage and interviews.

Although it takes its subject matter seriously, Action Boys has a winning sense of humour that really helps the viewer to identify with the young men as they endure countless hardships. The narration, which was actually provided by the girlfriend of one of the stuntmen, is frequently amusing, though without ever undermining the real life drama or making too much fun of their many mishaps. There are quite a few moments of overt comedy, such as during the screening of some audition tapes for failed applicants, some of which are genuinely hilarious, albeit in an almost tragic fashion. Director Jung does a great job of delivering an intimate, though not intrusive experience, with plenty of candid interviews and moments of painful openness. Inevitably, the film covers some pretty rough times for the stuntmen, and is at times both sad and inspiring in equal measures.

All of this aside, what really makes Action Boys such a fascinating film is the behind the scenes footage, which goes into great detail regarding the complex planning and execution of stunts. The film features some awesome stunt footage, including car chases, martial arts battles and more, most of which is arguably even more exciting and impressive than the final product which ends up on screen. There is a real sense of danger to most of the scenes, not least since the film shows many brutal and life threatening injuries. The film goes behind the camera on a number of high profile productions on which the stuntmen worked, including The Host, Crying Fist, and The City of Violence with the latter in particular providing some great anecdotes. Perhaps even more interesting, and showing the real passion behind the making of the documentary, is the account of how Jung and his crew spent an incredible amount of effort trying to get onto the set of The Good, The Bad, The Weird to film one of their friends, only to be thwarted after travelling all the way to China.

It's this kind of drive which really brings the subject matter to life, and which makes Action Boys such engaging viewing. It stands as a must see for anyone even with only a passing interest in the film industry or action films, shining the spotlight as it does on the men who really make the magic happen. Containing more thrills and exhilarating scenes of carnage than the majority of recent big budget action films, it should also be enjoyed by those not normally attracted to documentary features, as it shows the very best of the form, being both informative and highly entertaining.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com