Oldboy (Blu-Ray)

You know how effective a film is if after it's over and you're in bed trying to go to sleep, that the film in question refuses to leave your mind for a second and you cannot stop thinking about it. "Oldboy" is such a film, and to deny the fact that it captures raw and brutal emotion within it would be a disservice. Whether you love the movie or despise it, you cannot argue with the fact that it will at some point hit a nerve."Oldboy" tells the tale of Oh Dae-su, who at first sight is just a drunken babbling mess who gives no one any ounce of respect, not even the cops who have arrested him for his drunken and disorderly conduct. He sings, calls them hideous swear words and sees no wrongdoing on his part. After he leaves the station, he is abducted by unknown captors. He is imprisoned in a strange and isolated room... for 15 years. For those 15 years, he nearly loses his mind and wonders what misdeeds of his past has brought him to this horror. After 15 years, he is released without any explanation or answers. Oh Dae-su vows that he will find the truth and get revenge on anyone responsible for his imprisonment. In fact, the whole point is that the captor is planning on Oh finding out the truth, as that is the whole point of his game. Blood will be shed and devastating revelations will make their presence felt."Oldboy" is a film unlike any I have ever seen. Rarely have I ever seen a movie so dark, brutal and unrelenting--and yet be so beautiful at the same time. You really do feel emotionally invested. This is not a simple shoot-em-up revenge thriller. It is something beyond that. It poses questions and investigates the darker side of being human. Not once did I feel myself losing interest. The movie is superbly directed and acted. There is a phenomenal fight scene where it's done in one complete shot, and without it being loud or flashy. I also have to add that this film has one of the best and most haunting music scores since "Requiem for a Dream."Be warned, this isn't for everybody. It is a dark movie and it does not let you off easy. While it's not non-stop action and the movie focuses more on story and character, the violent scenes are really brutal. You can watch it with an English dubbed track, but I encourage you to watch it with subtitles and see it in its original language. Nowadays the English dubs do not do the films justice, as they change words and phrases around to make it seem more in sync with lip movement from the actors. The Blu-Ray version of the film includes 2 disks. There are some nice behind-the-scenes featurettes."Oldboy" is a film that will leave its mark on you, no matter what your final judgment on the movie may be. It takes "revenge" to a whole new and unexpected level and you'll have no idea where it's all leading to until the very end. It's not for everybody, but if you're looking for something that's dark, intense, challenging and beautiful, give it a try. You'll never look at revenge thrillers in the same way ever again. Most likely, no other revenge thrillers will ever come close. - Michael Crane

Great movie, I bought a copy to show my friends because it's not streaming anywhere. The movie came in and it's region coded al I can't watch it on US players. Maybe I missed it but I didn't see that anywhere in the description

Loosely based on a Japanese Manga of the same name, Old Boy is the second film in Park Chan Wook's "Vengeance Trilogy" and the recipient of the coveted Grand Prix award from the Cannes film festival.The story focuses on a middle-aged wage slave called Oh-Dae-Su who gets detained at the police station after a night of drinking and bad behavior on the night of his daughter's birthday. His best friend bails him out and when he turns his back for a moment, Oh-Dae-Su vanishes without a trace on the rainy streets.Oh-Dae-Su spends the next 15 years mysteriously imprisoned in an apartment. A small television set and 3 square meals of Gyoza a day are all the luxuries he is afforded. He experiences important events and watches the outside world change only through his television set.He shadow-boxes and trains every day in the hopes that one day he can exact bloody revenge on his mysterious captor. He scars and inserts wire filaments in the flesh of his arms to mark the years that pass him by. He imagines fire ants crawling all over his body and under his skin. He attempts suicide. Several times. His bewilderment turns to rage, his rage turns to grief and his grief gives way to gradual acceptance. But his thirst for vengeance remains unsatiated.Then one day, after 15 years of imprisonment, he is knocked out by gas emitted into his room and he awakens instead in a briefcase on the roof of a building. Oh-Dae-Su sees the sun and breathes in fresh air for the first time in 15 years.The world has passed him by; his wife was murdered years ago and his daughter was subsequently adopted by foreigners and migrated to Europe. Thus begins Oh-Dae-Su's odyssey of vengeance to uncover the identity of his captor and unravel the mystery behind his abduction.Old Boy is a film that pushes the envelope, not in terms of violence (violence is not used excessively in the film but always in the most potent and effective manner when employed) but rather in terms of the themes the film explores; loss, vengeance, guilt, hatred, isolation, love and even incest.Park Chan Wook has crafted a thought-provoking, unsettling and at times touching movie, one that actually transcends its source material.

Since the USA remake of the same name released, this physical version of the original is the next best thing.A truly twisted tale that will keep anyone with the patience for subtitles and a love for grim revenge stories hooked from start to finish. Of particular note, the stunt direction in this film is iconic.Note that second disc of 'bonus' features is NOT region-free but the movie disc IS.

Well, it's depressing to know that bluray sound is better than 4k UHD.I mean not 100% cause this movie is not a sci-fi or action movie with gun fights but above all, 2 channels are missing.The video seems a littkle sharp but as a normal viewer, not much difference.But according the a professional reviewer, it seems way better so figure that out before deciding to buy this even though you already have the bluray.

This is a review of the excellent All Region Blu-ray from Tartan Asia Extreme.This Korean film from 2003 is one which will really split the critics! It won the Grand Prix at the 2004 Cannes Film Festival, where it was particularly lauded by the Jury President, Quentin Tarantino. It gets 4 Stars in the BBC’s Radio Times Guide. It also won that most questionable accolade, an American remake. But for many, it will be just too wild a ride. Certainly it contains two of the most stomach-churning scenes that I have ever witnessed in film, one in the first half, another towards the end.However, although many of the adjectives routinely used about this film are probably justified ~ bloody, brutal, not for the squeamish ~ this is emphatically not just a film swimming in mindless mayhem, visceral violence and grisly gore. It does not set out just to shock, but also to REALLY make you think. And there is even humour at times. Consequently, I would advise you to watch this film with another film fan, because you will need someone to discuss it with afterwards. My husband and I sat and discussed it for a long time.Most Western criticism focusses on the violence, and clearly sees the film as a vehicle for Asian Martial Arts. Certainly, some of the action is remarkable: one fight, in a corridor, took 3 days to capture. However, the Director, Park Chan-wook, took Greek tragedy as his inspiration, and in Korea, this is the context used by critics. I won’t over-elaborate, because I don’t want to reveal the plot twists, but there are a large number of clues: the amazing yoga pose by the villain Lee Woo-jin, which alludes to Apollo’s symbol, the bow; the apparent difference in age between exact contemporaries Lee Woo-jin and the hero Oh Dae-su; the character of the heroine Mi-do, drawing upon Sophocles' Antigone; the actions of the hypnotist being analogous to those of Aphrodite, during the Trojan Wars. There are several others.The three characters named are played with remarkable authority and authenticity by the actors. Choi Min-sik as Oh Dae-su is particularly remarkable. He changes from a very ordinary middle-aged Salary Man to a desperate prisoner to a driven, possessed vengeance-bringer, and is utterly believable in each role.The ending, shot in the Southern Alps of New Zealand, is fascinating, and deeply ambiguous. Apparently, this was deliberate and calculated by Park Chan-wook. He wanted to generate discussion, and heaven knows, he certainly succeeded!

Really brilliant film. Leans heavily towards a comic-book tone at times, but apparently, the story is based on a Japanese manga (black and white comic). I have to confess the casting choice to have one of the characters be played by an actor of way too young an age does make the plot really quite confusing for me, I spent too much time thinking that character must be the son of another character as they'd have been a child during the events they're supposed to play a part in. There's also a little reliance on things like hypnosis to make some of the plot points make sense, and as someone who really doesn't believe in that kind of thing it left bits of the film feeling a little far fetched. But while I might be the kind of stickler who gets hung up on those sorts of details, I still loved the vast majority of the film. It's wild, engaging, and full of style.The Arrow release bundles in a nice set of special features including some deleting scenes and a few different commentary tracks. The picture is also sharp and colorful, though a few scenes towards the end do look a bit lower quality (like the focus was slightly off). Nothing terribly distracting though.I'd consider spending the extra money on the Vengence Trilogy though, as it appears to contain everything this release does as well as the two other movies in the trilogy. It's not too different in price, especially on sale. Had I seen it, I'd have probably gone for that version as Oldboy has left curious to try the other two movies now.

Hadn't seen this for a while so thought I'd give it a spin as its on Amazon Prime (at time of writing). It's still as brilliantly bonkers as ever and superior to the recent Spike Lee remake.Choi Min-sik is superb as a man (Oh Dae-su) abducted by an unknown assailant and locked up for 15 years. Unexpectedly released at the end of the 15 years, his sole purpose in life is to find out who locked him up and more importantly, why. To be honest his problems are only just beginning. His search takes many nasty twists and turns and features scenes of (at times) graphic violence.There's a jet black sense of humour running through the film and it's stylishly directed by Park Chan Wook. Choi Min-sik is excellent in a demanding role as a desperate unhinged man and there's good support elsewhere. The whodunit element keeps things moving and gives the plot some thrust.For fans of this genre I cant recommend it highly enough. Many more will get a kick out of it as well. Top stuff.

The story comes from a Japanese comic book of the same name, in which an ordinary family man is suddenly kidnapped and placed in a cell dressed up as a hotel room. Given no explanation for his confinement or the murder of his wife, Oh Dae-su (Choi Min-sik) spends the next 15 years alone, weaving in and out of hallucinatory states with only a television to keep him company.Old Boy is nothing short of brilliant compelling viewing, suspenseful and ultra-violent - you won't see many films like this one in a lifetime. It not for everyone - it is violent and shocking in its nature and subject matter - but we can't have Bridget Jones in every film - and we don't that either do we!!!Most negative reviews can't seem to handle the gratuitous violence, but personally feel it is necessary to express what Oh Dae-Su has been through the past 15 years.The film takes you away on a roller-coaster ride of human emotions, a brilliant plot, and sheer brilliance. The acting is absolutely superb throughout. Min-sik Choi did a great job as Oh Dae-Su and Chan-wook Park's direction was top notch.All I need to see to sum up this film really is - What a film - see it!I am so glad I went into this film not knowing it's twists (hence I won't give any of them away here) as it really is fantastic working them out as the film is progressing and I can't help but think the film would be a lesser (albeit still a great one) experience if you know what was going to happen.

My copy of the Oldboy Limited Edition release from Arrow Studios arrived today. Arrow Videos always release top quality limited editions packed full of informative and well produced extras and Oldboy is no different. Fantastic extras, nicely written collectors book, and the extra addition of the other two movies in Director Park Chan Wook’s Vengeance Trilogy all contained in a lovely hard cardboard presentation box. Couldn’t ask for more.