Typhoon (US Version) DVD Region 1

The plot follows Sin (Jang Dong Gun, who also played the lead role in Friend), a North Korean who as a child attempted to defect to the South with his family but was betrayed, resulting in the deaths of his parents. Plotting genocidal revenge, Sin takes up with a group of Thai pirates, and steals a U.S. ship carrying nuclear devices which have been secretly manufactured in Taiwan. He is pursued by Kang Se Jong (Lee Jeong Jae, also in the 2000 romantic hit Il Mare), a naval officer who attempts to bring Sin to justice, but gradually comes to understand, and even sympathize with his foe.

Although from the above synopsis Typhoon may sound like a simplistic thriller, it is actually a complex and densely plotted affair, gradually revealing its secrets after a bewildering first act. The film does tend to jump around a great deal, with a large supporting cast of minor characters and the action taking place in a number of different countries. Once things settle down, this works well, giving the proceedings an almost epic feel. Although it does fall back upon what is a fairly unconvincing plot device, which seems to have been included mainly as a set up for the climatic scenes, the film is mostly intelligent and gripping.

It is not too hard to see why Typhoon failed to set the box office alight. It is a fairly dark and depressing film, and far from the Hollywood-style blockbuster many may have expected. Although, like previous Korean hits Silmido and Taegukgi, it focuses on the North/South Korea conflict, it treats violence and bloodshed as an inescapable, disastrous outcome, acting more as a guilt-soaked tragedy or cautionary tale. The film has a bleak, nihilistic view of governments of all countries, particularly those of South Korea and the U.S. (who are, as usual, portrayed as hell-bent on simply blowing everything up to solve problems), with politicians held responsible for the suffering of the Korean people.

Director Kwak spends most of the film exploring the character of supposed villain Sin, with numerous flashbacks depicting his ordeals and the sad fate of his family. Unfortunately this makes Sin the only fully fleshed out role in the cast, so the viewer naturally comes to sympathize with him, especially since the nominal hero Kang is a blank-faced and indistinguishable robot who mainly just follows orders and spouts the odd line of patriotic dialogue. This does leave the viewer in a fairly uncomfortable position, since, despite his undeniable humanity, Sin is quite obviously a homicidal psychotic with a frankly daft nuclear scheme.

As such, the film is devoid of the usual heroics, and Kwak wisely eschews explosive action and shootouts, opting instead for slow but intense espionage scenes and sudden bursts of violence. This does make it rather slow moving at times, and it does feel somewhat overstretched. Though never dull or boring, Typhoon is likely to disappoint those expecting a different type of film. In a way, the fact that its high budget has been highlighted is something of a misnomer, as most of the money was probably spent on shooting in different countries, rather than on pyrotechnics or special effects.

However, this actually works in the film's favor, as it is questionable whether the subject matter would have lent itself to brain dead bravado or exploitative entertainment. As it stands, Typhoon is a moving, genuine film which attempts to make a very personal case for the suffering caused by the North/South Korean divide, and more generally, by governments and politicians the world over.

Movie Grade: 3/5

by James Mudge - BeyondHollywood.com