Choi-jong-byeong-gi hwal
Tags: violence

Plot synopsis:
The film begins with two children Nam-yi and Ja-in being chased by King Injo's guards and saved by their father Choi Pyeong-ryung, an officer of King Gwanghae and a skilled archer. He sends his own children to find a place of refuge with his best friend Kim Mu-seon. As they escape crying, Ja-in begs her brother to go back to their father but their father is killed in front of Nam-yi. Nam-yi, though bitten by the guard dogs, kills them and escapes with Ja-in. Nam-yi becomes the only family Ja-in has. 13 years later Nam-yi (Park Hae-il) is now a skilled archer and hunter. He learns from Mu-seon's son Seo-goon (Kim Mu-yeol) that he and Ja-in (Moon Chae-won) plan to get married, with the approval of Mu-seon who is also Ja-in's godfather.
During the wedding, Nam-yi is up in the mountains hunting deer. He hears the rumble of the invading forces. When Nam-yi makes it back to the village, he finds his foster father slaughtered and his sister taken away. Nam-yi then sets out to find the Qing army and take out their army with his bow, killing a great many of them, including the prince. The great commander of the Qing army, Jyuushinta (Ryu Seung-ryong) discovers the mysterious man trailing his men and taking them out one by one. Jyuushinta then sets out to find Nam-yi. Though Nam-yi is shot in the arm, he shoots back at Jyuushinta and one of his men who both fall. Nam-yi rides away to find Ja-in as he thinks that Jyuushinta is dead - but he isn't. Meanwhile, Nam-yi finds Ja-in in a field. They are about to reunite when Ja-in sees Jyuushinta aiming at Nam-yi from a cliff. But before the arrow hits, Ja-in shoots the horse and Nam-yi falls. As Nam-yi and Jyuushinta face off, Ja-in runs in between them. Nam-yi's arrow barely touches Ja-in's dress, but Jyuushinta's finds its mark. Despite Ja-in's protests, Nam-yi pulls it out and shoots Jyuushinta with it. Jyuushinta falls to the ground and dies. Nam-yi falls down as well but Ja-in catches him on her lap. Nam-yi says that they should go back to their old home in Seoul. His eyelids then flutter and close—forever. Then Ja-in lays Nam-yi into a boat and she and Seo-goon set sail for Seoul, just as Nam-yi requested.

Review: This is a stylish and sleek movie that is unduly criticized by many, especially those from other Asian countries as can be seen among other reviews here.Most do not seem to understand the main point of this movie because they do not know the historical background this movie was set against and consequently they just think this is a ripoff of Hollywood.The time ...
Korea just repelled the Japanese invasion with Ming China's aid which alternated between being an ally and being racist tormentors of the Korean populace.Manchu(Jurchens) were a nation of fierce warriors from the north, or they thought of themselves that way at least.
Their hatred of Chinese was immense, almost pathological.(and the reason that they invaded Korea was precisely that the Korean court acted like a vassal of Ming China.) This contrasts very sharply with today's Manchu who think of themselves as Chinese.Just 40 years prior to this event there was the infamous Japanese invasion of Korea and Ming China sent a force to aid Koreans.
They were burning with hatred of Chinese for their condescending and racist treatments of their people.The Korean King who was the crown prince at the time of the Japanese invasion ascended to the throne in the early 17th century.
This is how Manchu invaded Korea twice and the second one was more catastrophic as shown in this movie.So this movie is about the anger of the Korean masses felt toward the effete and effeminate Korean nobility class who were incredibly more loyal to Chinese than to their own people.
It is about a war that could have been avoided if the Korean King at the time(generally regarded as the weakest and the most effeminate king in the history of Korea) and the nobility could back their word with action or had a more practical sense.The Korean government did not help their people, actually did not even want to as long as they could hold onto their power, so the people had to help themselves against all odds.
The movie creator deserves some credit for this.)If you can free yourself from this common misconception that Manchu were just a type of Chinese people you are already half-way there.
War of the Arrows is not your typical action film.
We spend a good deal of time in the beginning of the film seeing these two characters as children and then when they are young adults, but it's mostly somewhat interesting drama that does a decent job of setting up the story.
Once this part of the story gets underway, the action gets underway with it, and it's pretty damn impressive.The choreography and cinematography following the battles between arrow slinging warriors is fantastic.
Suffice to say, all of this creates one fantastic action film, one of the best I have seen from Asia in quite some time.If you're a fan of Asian action films, you owe it to yourself to give War of the Arrows a try.
WAR OF THE ARROWS turns out to be just the film for me.As usual for the Asian historical epic genre of recent years, the film looks great.
Director Han-min Kim crafts a great-looking movie that ably matches the finesse of other recent Korean movies known for their style and substance.
There are twists and turns galore, plenty of moments of high drama, and then in the second half of the movie things turn into a virtual re-run of the Mel Gibson epic APOCALYPTO.
War of the Arrows is not your typical set battle piece - it is a superbly realised take on the classical idea of one man, a true hero in skill and virtue, being chased by a band of elite archers.
The last two-thirds of War of the Arrows is simply outstanding - here we have thrilling film with snipers - but snipers who use bow and arrows rather than guns - who give chase to each other - and what a chase!In addition, above and beyond excellent production values, the acting is a class-above this genre.
Even though this is clearly an action film, there is character development, virtue as well as virtuosity, and this reviewer for one was totally lost in the film in a way that no amount of special effects or set wire fights alone can produce - it is simply a thrilling film.This is a film that does transcend its genre and is clearly one of the better films of the year, bar none..
This movie grabs you from the opening scene and is action packed and keeps you interested the entire time.
An exciting Korean movie which triumphs with its fast paced action sequences.
Set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea, the manliest one of them all in this movie has to be the protagonist played by Park Hae Il, who goes against the Qing Dynasty to save his younger sister.
In the process, countless arrows are shot, and as you'd expect from a revenge movie, there will be lots of blood.Director Kim Han Min's work was the second highest grossing movie in Korea last year, and it is not difficult to see why.
The fast paced epic action movie boasts of exhilarating sequences which will keep you at the edge of your seats.
While you may wonder how a war of arrows can possibly be exciting, you will be thrilled by the perfect execution and choreography of the battle scenes (beat that, Legolas!).
The action comes at you fast and furious, and even though there aren't many hand to hand combat, the long distance fighting is heart stopping and riveting.The story may be based on a period of Korean history which we aren't very familiar with, but the filmmakers make sure it doesn't alienate foreign viewers.
The film also took home the accolades for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Effects.This undeniably enjoyable popcorn production packs just the right amount of punch and pizazz to engage and entertain for a good two hours at the movies.
This is one of the best movies of 2011 in Korea (Korean is making its mark in Movie industry) and it boasts with Four Awards The film won four awards in 48th Daejong Awards to Best Actor for Park Hae-il and Best New Actress for Moon Chae-won.) The film is about an archer who risks his life to save his sister from slavery under Prince Dorgan's rule.
Other reviews have likened it to Apocalypto but this is nothing like it and Apocalypto doesn't even come close to it and I will tell you why War of the Arrows is not your typical set battle piece it shows emotions you can see their fear, desperation and panic for example the way they portray death is sad, there is no joy in it even for your enemy, while Apocalypto showed victims and victimization this shows sacrifice and dedication and staying true to your promise no matter the situation.
It is fast paced and will have you glued to your screen from the beginning till the end and what makes it a masterpiece is that the stunts are real it doesn't use you CGI except on the tigers scene which I will excuse as getting the real tiger could have dumbed it down a bit Overall this is a masterpiece and worth your time.
So if you are happy with excellent visuals, great acting ( THe guy who plays the villain, oh my word he is in my top ten list of villains) and killer archery scenes then definitely watch this movie.
One of the largest Korean blockbusters of last year, it's not too difficult to understand why it's such a crowd pleaser of an action movie.
Lone skilled marksmen almost always makes for a beeline at the box office; just look any war film and you'll probably find the sniper the sexiest of the lot for that one shot one kill mantra that gets translated on screen in romanticised terms.
If it's a period piece, then that will be the skilled archer, relying on his ranged weapon to take down enemies before they even know what hit them.But it's not just plain wall to wall action from start to end, as there's a proper story to ground and root the audience emotionally to the characters involved in this period war film.
Set in the 17th century, it tells of the brother and sister pair of Nam-Yi (Park Har-Il) and Ja-In (Moon Chae-Won), having to escape from a purge by the King on their household for what would be treason supposedly committed by their father.
But the marriage ceremony got rudely interrupted by the second invasion of the Manchus, who come in full force to plunder, rape and enslave.Separated from his sister and her groom, War of the Arrows becomes that one man bow-and- arrow Rambo who's forced into violence and killing of anyone standing in his way to be reunited with his sibling.
Everyone will be able to identify with the need to rescue one's family and sibling, and the story has it all to include daring raids and treacherous escapes, heightened by the cat and mouse game of pursuit almost all of the time as it races toward a fantastically set up finale.
Moon Chae-Won also won the 2011 Blue Dragon and Daejong Film Awards for Best Mew Actress, and it's no surprise to see why, being the feisty sister who doesn't back down without putting up a good fight, a marked difference in the standard damsel in distress role, which makes the final battle all the more exciting with a random factor thrown into the entire equation.With all round good performances and a story that sucks you in from the get go, it's a standard fare action film done right, with likable heroes and heroines and villains that you'll love to hate drawing a very clear and distinct line between good and evil, death and survival, that makes this a clear blockbuster and crowd pleaser.
I have only seen a few other Korean movies but there was one that I really liked called Sword in the Moon.
Since both were period movies and War of the Arrows looked interesting I decided that I would give it a shot.
I was pleasantly surprised at how good this movie was.It started with a powerful scene and then seemed a little boring but only for five or ten minutes.
One thing I like in this movie is their emotions that you can clearly see in this film.
After watching an earlier disappointing film, and contemplating bed on a Christmas Eve, I took a chance on this film.It was 1.30am when I started and I figured that if I got bored I would simply turn in for the night.I'm writing this right after the film at 3.52am which hopefully indicates that it did far more than send me to sleep.A cracking film with a simple story, likable characters and top draw action scenes.
War of the arrows in 17th century South Korea when the Manchurians invade.
Released in 2011, "War of the Arrows" is set during the second Manchu invasion of Korea where Korean Nam Yi, an expert archer, pursues the Manchurians to save his younger sister Ja-In, who was dragged off by the invaders.The tone is akin to 2006' "Apocalypto" and, while the plots are similar, the protagonist in "War of the Arrows" is the hunter rather than the escapee; not to mention his loved ones have been captured by the enemy and torn from their homes, not hidden somewhere near their village.
Yet another fantastic movie from South Korea, who are becoming masters of story telling and film production.
The emotional struggle of the characters in this movie is clearly felt through the acting.Admittedly the movie starts out a bit slow but picks up quickly as the plot unfolds, from that point the action barely slows down as our archer strategically picks off target after target with his arrows.
Most probably this might be the best archery movie you might have ever seen.Plot is as simple as that,"Elder brother Nam Yi being regarded as traitor's son with archery inherited in his blood becomes the Saviour of his abducted younger sister Ja in during Manchu invasion of Korea.This showcases not only archery but the thriller and the exciting screenplay makes the viewers to sit at the tip of seats.
If that is so, the producers should receive great credit.All in all, if you're a fan of Asian action movies you will enjoy this.
War of the Arrows Review: Best period action film from South Korea!.
Movie: War of the Arrows (15): Action - KoreanPositives: - The screenplay is gripping from the very first sequence.
The action sequences are some of the best ones you would've ever seen in a South Korean action film.The visual effects are top notch and other technical aspects too are highly impressive.Park Hae-il delivers the best performance out of all, while Ryu Seung-ryong too is impressive as others.The editing is absolutely perfect.The film has no vulgarity or obscenity and can be seen with the whole family.The tension during archery sequences is very well built.The film has a lot of crowdpleasing and clapworthy moments.Negatives:Nil.Repeat value: YesWAR OF THE ARROWS is simply and definitely the best period action film I've seen from South Korea..
The film is a thriller set during the invasion of Korea by the Manchurian, archer Nam Yi sets out to rescue his sister Ja In, who has been kidnapped by the invaders.The plot sets up a chase featuring a lone bowman against a small unit also trying to stop him from his rescue and it offers the potential for plenty of excitement.
Indeed this is what it seems to be focused on because the film has little room for anything but forward motion in regards the chase and the arrow action.
Running to over two hours, the film doesn't provide as much plotting or character as I would have liked to engage me for this amount of time.
It lacked tension and thrills and really did come down to quite a lot of scenes of people running from one another; there are standoffs and individual moments which worked very well but the majority did not.Overall The War of the Arrows didn't convince me as the blockbuster it was in its own country.
Regardless, the movie's pace, character developments, and great visual make this a pleasure to watch.
The tragic thing is that South Korean government, even though they recognize every North Korean as its citizen as stated in its Constitution, do not try to get these North Korean refugees out of China.In the movie, Nam-Yi and Ja-in are also stuck as shown in a deleted scene.
I hope South Korean government faces its fear of economic power of China and put up a fight to get its rightful citizens their refugee status and their ticket home.Last scene includes, Nam-Yi wanting to go to Seoul and give his sister, Ja-in, pretty shoes.
The lead actor is very cool and although I watch a few Korean films (They have become very good in recent years, as has their anime.), I have never seen him before.
War of the Arrows is a story about a young man in hot pursuit of a marauding Manchurian army that has captured and enslaved his sister and her groom on their wedding day in 15th century Korea.
Wayward though the young man may be, he's a savant with the bow and arrow and he puts his deadly skills to use as he relentlessly pursues the attackers.Although it doesn't involve the gun battles typically associated with the genre, this film is really more war movie than action flick.
The chase sequences and flurry of arrows piercing the air are relentless and absorb nearly all the film's running time, leaving little room for plot or character development.
At the onset, the hero is a teenager who barely escapes his family's destruction with only his little sister and his father's prized bow and arrows in tow.
Ironically, one of the film's best sequences involves the pampered prince attempting to have his way with the pretty sister.
You can see the people in the movie are really running in the mountain forests, or, in one gripping scene, jumping over the cliff to reach to the other side across a ravine.And I was very amused by how the arrows were used in the film.
Park Hae-il is a believable action movie hero of the 17th century; you can sense he will even descend to the bottom of hell to save his sister and his friend.
Though they are quite determined to kill our hero, you may feel a little sorry for them.Sidenote: As some South Korean critic pointed out, there is a major historical error in the movie with Qing prince Dorgon, who is depicted as the character more or less than a petty bad guy.
That does not spoil the entertainment, but I think it is not bad to know about such a historical fact before watching the movie..
This is the story of a brother who goes against all odds to save his sister from capture by raiders coming from China.
If you liked "Red Cliff" and "The Warlords"(Both Chinese productions) you will enjoy "War of Arrows" (Korean production) and won't be disappointed..
In Arrows, a disgraced Korean archer must rescue his sister and brother in law from ruthless invaders from the North.
The story is basically this, after the father of a family is branded as a traitor and killed off the brother and sister that managed to escape.
When the real story starts is when the manchu invade Korea for the second time during 1636.
Moon Chae Won is pretty as always and does a great job playing the feminine and yet brave character but the simple story that could have been written by anyone sort makes this movie lacking.
The arrows in this movie is what builds the action, desperation and tension.