THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD REVIEW

After the incredible A BITTERSWEET LIFE, expectations were high for Kim Ji-Woon’s next film. After it was announced that he would be directing a Korean western set in Manchuria titled THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE WEIRD, the anticipation became nearly unbearable. Now, after watching the film twice, I can safely say that my expectations were met.

Let’s start with the negatives, of which there are a few. First of all, the dialogue is weak overall. Sure, there are some choice lines that are memorable and cool but more often than not, the dialogue just seems unnecessary. This is especially disappointing since the fantastic visuals tell the story much better than anything the characters speak. Plus, there are many scenes that just seem very unnecessary or long. The scene where Song Gang-Ho (The Weird) robs the train compartment towards the beginning seems to go on forever.

Now the positives. The cinematography is gorgeous, the soundtrack is amazing, the leading actors are cool as hell, and the action choreography is unbelievably thrilling. But what makes this film amazing are the special moments. Like when the camera swings continuously around the train as it speeds through the empty desert. Or the moment when Jung Woo-Sung takes on the entire Japanese military force with Santa Esmeralda pounding through the theater speakers. And the moment when the three leads walk towards their final confrontation. These moments make the film both memorable and rewatchable.

All in all, it’s a clear exercise in style-over-substance filmmaking and it's not the masterpiece that A BITTERSWEET LIFE was but it’s incredibly entertaining and well worth the wait. I just hope the rumored four hour director’s cut will make it on DVD.