Ad Nauseam

Rating: 3/10 (14 August 2006)

Oldboy is a Korean film, so it has the Hong Kong feel, but there's something different to it as well. There is a feel of film noir, but it's also got quirky humor and the obligatory kung fu scenes (although not extended). The story begins with the protagonist being abducted and imprisoned for 15 years. When he gets out, he must follow the clues to find out why he was there. Things get really weird and really twisted.
What I thought about it: I really can't say anything about the over-dubbing that was sub-par because it's to be expected from foreign films. Of course when I turned on the subtitles, it didn't match the dialog - it seems as if the subtitles was a direct translation and the dubbing was a cultural equivalent with artistic freedom. It distracted me, so I turned it off. The acting might have been believable in Korean, but without actually hearing the actors' voices it was laughably bad - like some of the people you see on American Idol who put too much into their singing where it sounds ridiculous and not natural at all. The dialog and soliloquy were filled with pop-culture hackery. "Laugh and the world laughs with you..." and other stolen lines repeated ad nauseam trying to fill the story with philosophy, yet ultimately adding nothing to the story artistically or dramatically. Of course the twists, turns and revelations are all pretty original, yet it ends with the dreaded deus ex machina.
In conclusion, this isn't a movie I'd necessarily recommend to anyone unless you're interested in foreign films, Korean camp, or if you like movies that take you one way to throw you another when it all fits together.