Haeundae (DVD) (2-Disc) (First Press Limited Edition) (Korea Version) DVD Region 3

The film mainly takes place around the titular beach area of the southern port city Busan, where an honest fisherman called Man Sik (Sol Kyung Gu, Public Enemy) bashfully hides his feelings from restaurant worker Yeon Hee (Ha Ji Won, Closer to Heaven) while harbouring a wholly unsurprising secret about her father's drowning some years back. Meanwhile, his equally honest, though somewhat dim lifeguard brother Hyung Sik (Lee Min Ki, A Million) attempts to court a possibly untrustworthy big city girl (Kang Hye Won), whose violent ex-boyfriend isn't too happy about the situation. Needless to say, a geologist (played by acclaimed actor Park Joong Hoon, Nowhere to Hide) works out that the killer tsunami is on its way, and heads to Haeundae to try and rescue his ex-wife Yu Jin (Uhm Jung Hwa, recently in Insadong Scandal) and young daughter (Kim Yu Jung). As is always the case, no one listens to the quite obviously sensible man, and the authorities steadfastly refuse an evacuation, conveniently leaving most of the cast in harms way when the special effects are unleashed.

Although its easy to be flippant about the plot of Haeundae which, as should be glaringly obvious from the above synopsis, follows the Hollywood disaster formula to the letter, it does make a genuine effort to make the viewer care about its sprawling cast of characters and their various relationships and struggles. Director Yoon certainly does have the common touch, and while the film never really manages to transcend basic, by the dots melodrama, it still engages beyond the expected level of placing bets on who is going to die first, or in the most satisfying fashion. Certainly, the film is no worse an offender in this arena than other efforts from around the globe, and it does at least show more of a sense of humanity than the utterly lifeless recent US blockbuster 2012. As such, the film engages throughout, and even the first hour or so before the fury of nature is felt is reasonably entertaining, if quite often in an unintentionally amusing fashion. The cast are generally likeable enough, and whilst the script is resolutely middle of the road, all emote, cry and fight for their lives as required, with only Park Joong Hoon looking vaguely embarrassed at times.

Obviously, the main reason for watching is the action, which once the tsunami strikes do get suitably exciting as the film basically becomes a non-stop barrage of special effects, most of which are of a very high standard and are some of the best seen outside Hollywood. Yoon's investment in character sort of pays off, whether the viewer actually cares for the cast or simply laughs cruelly as they meet their fates, and he earns a few extra points for declaring open season, with even some of the traditional survivor types hurtling towards watery graves. Almost all of the set pieces are well handled and the film achieves the all-important open mouthed wow factor as the city is destroyed, without ever becoming too cartoonish or unbelievable. Without wishing to suggest any sense of realism, the film is more grounded than others in the disaster genre, and as a result enjoys more of an impact when everything finally goes to hell.

As such, Haeundae is not only a credible Korean genre entry, but also one of the better and most entertaining recent examples of the form from anywhere. Although melodramatic and corny, it does show a creditable amount of heart, enough so for its characters not to grate, and the effects are spectacular enough to please all fans of mass destruction.

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com