Train to Busan [Blu-ray]

2016 was a banner year for horror cinema. Don't Breathe. Lights Out. The Conjuring 2. It's a mini-revival that seems to have kept on to 2017, what with the white-knuckler, Get Out, still snagging 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. And yet, far and away, my favorite in this stretch of horror goodness is very much Train to Busan, a 2016 summer release. You may not have heard of Train to Busan because it's a foreign movie, and some folks treat sub-titles like cooties. Any self-respecting gorehound will tell you some of the best horror movies are found overseas. Train to Busan murdered at the Asian box office. American film studios are trying like mad to acquire the rights, and I hope they don't get them. I don't see the sense in recreating what's already a masterpiece. The Raid movie agrees with me.In a zombie setting, when you hear news of mysterious fish deaths at the reservoir or a "minor leak in the Biotech District," that's the cue to head for the hills. What's so tremendous about this movie is that it presents a strong emotional core. Focus is on the strained relationship between an inattentive father and his little girl. Seok-woo (Gong Yoo) is a preoccupied fund manager. I guess he does care for his elementary school daughter Su-an (Su-an Kim), enough that he's willing to fight his ex-wife for custody of her. Except Seok-woo is a bad father, one who neglects his kid, misses her recitals, forgets her birthday... Follows a scene that demonstrates why it's a bonehead move to have your assistant buy the gift for your kid.It's Su-an's birthday, and she guilt trips her dad into taking her on the bullet train so she could visit her mom in Busan. And, a bit later, maybe you blame the unobservant train attendant for allowing that one sickly-looking girl to sneak onboard.Man, not even roadkill is safe in this movie. As the train barrels along on the first leg of its nightmarish ride, as it hurtles from the capital city of Seoul to the southern city of Busan, the camera gravitates towards the other passengers. And, for all the other reasons why this movie is so damn boss, it's absolutely the acting that makes us care about this movie. The characters are interesting and fully-realized. Standouts for me are the troubled father and daughter, the very pregnant wife (Jung Yu-mi) and her tough, working-class husband (Ma Dong-seok), and the selfish transportation CEO (Kim Eui-sung), this last guy gunning for the jackhole of the year award. I won't say too much about him, except I haven't hated a guy so much since Paul Reiser in Aliens. What a fink!I can't believe this is the first live-action feature film Yeon Sang-ho has directed, but, apparently, he's more a veteran of anime cinema. Guys, this is a dynamic storyteller. He draws fantastic performances from his cast. What he does in ramping up the suspense is ridiculous. He makes full use of the confined spaces on the train, not only in building up and sustaining that sense of tinkle-in-the-pants panic but also in coming up with resourceful ways for the survivors to circumvent the walkers. Thankfully, several passengers are still thinking clearly. And, by the way, these walkers are friggin' running! And they turn really quickly! Thinks 28 Days Later or World War Z. They will chase you down like a horde of Usain Bolts. The body actors that play the zombies do a damn job. I wonder how many of these extras are contortionists or are just really limber folks? The zombies' grotesque physicality and eerie motions fall perfectly in line with the distinct Asian horror aesthetic.Maybe another reason this was so much a blockbuster is that Yeon Sang-ho didn't flinch from presenting an aggressive take on South Korean culture and politics and on the impregnable divide between the haves and have-nots. The inattentive dad is projected to be our hero, except he doesn't come off at all heroic during the movie's first act. Seok-woo is one selfish executive who early on advises his daughter: "At a time like this, only watch out for yourself." Thankfully, the little girl is made of sterner stuff.What do you do when your train is packed with zombies? You get off the train, right? It amuses me that when the passengers did get off, they ran into so much bulls---, they were like, "Let's get back on the train." It's shortly after this that class warfare breaks out among the survivors. I'm no expert on foreign affairs, but I've heard tell that this and that corporate entity, and even the government, in South Korea have recently effed with the general public. This makes Train to Busan resonate that much more with its resentful viewing public. That one transportation CEO? That guy I can't stand, and I kept yelling, "Why is he still alive?" He's the primary instigator. So many people bite it because of him. He personifies corporate greed and cutthroat ethics. He may be juuuuust a bit cartoony.Snowpiercer with zombies? Sure. But it's better than Snowpiercer. I didn't tear up during Snowpiercer. I did here, maybe two times. But, dear gorehound, if you're not having it with the three-hanky melodrama, other attractions may sway you. The special effects are rad, although, okay, most of the "special effects" are practical effects executed by a mess of double-jointed body actors and some nice make-up work. The cast is peppered with some really likable and very human characters, none more relatable than the working-class husband (who is my favorite) and his pregnant wife. I enjoyed the banter between those two. This movie is tremendously staged. The suspense doesn't let up. The cinematography is sleek. Importantly, we see the survivors come up with creative ways to fend off the zombies, so the kills aren't so repetitive. I heard that Sang-Ho also made an animated prequel, titled Seoul Station, that's set one day before Train to Busan and charts the early stages of the epidemic. Once my nerves settle, maybe I'll look into that. And, please, please, please, no American remake.

The box says it all and I can testify to its credibility. This flick is terrifying, exhilarating, exciting, scary, a non-stop thrill ride and everything you could possibly want a zombie film to be. Everything about it is a cut above the rest. The special effects will amaze you. The soundtrack will keep your heart racing. The character interaction will give you chills and bring you to tears all at once. Director Yeon Sang-Ho has created a masterpiece. I challenge any director to scare the sh-- out of me like this ever again. Talk about an emotional roller coaster. And just when you think it may slow down a bit and give your heart and nerves a break, it takes another shot at terror. All 5 stars. No hesitation on my part to think otherwise. Definitely not for the kids. They will have nightmares forever and never ever get on a train again. There. I've caught my breath. The blood pressure pills have taken over and now I can relax and watch a Disney film to recoup my senses. LOL! A MUST!

Last night, I watched "Train to Busan" streamed on Amazon. It cost $5; well worth it. It's the best zombie movie I have seen in a long time.Zombie enthusiasts will want to know, these are "fast zombies." Also, the zombie virus appears to kill mammals and reanimate the corpses. One interesting twist is the zombies can't see well in the dark. I've always thought that would be the case in a "real" zombie apocalypse because dead eyes aren't going to dilate or focus. Also, these zombies are stupid in the extreme. Too stupid to open doors. They're biting, running machines.Zombie movies are often allegories for something: Consumerism, terrorism, etc. "Train to Busan" is a study in selfishness. In other words, in a crisis, some people are quite selfless, and others are quite selfish.In this movie, the higher up in status people are, they tend to be more selfish. So, the main character is a fund manager who is VERY selfish. But he does care about his very young daughter, who is extremely unselfish. This humanizes him, and allows him to succeed and grow.But the highest status person is the CFO of a transport company. He's on the train, and he is extremely selfish. And it shapes and warps his reactions to everything.Korea is a strict "no gun" society. So what do you in zombie uprising when there are no guns? This adds to the terror quite a bit.Korean movies are often very dark in their outlook. And I thought this one was going to Nietzchian depths that would give the Germans pause, but it pulls back (a little) in the end.Also, the movie made me very jealous of Korean trains. They are awesome.Anyway, if you're a fan of zombie movies, I highly recommend "Train to Busan." You can stream it on Amazon for a nominal price.

I heard a fellow who reviews streaming movies mention this title a couple of times. I have always liked zombie movies, going all the way back to the original Night of the Living Dead. So upon his recommendation I watched this movie and was blown away. It is basically zombies on a bullet train. But it has all the elements that a good zombie movie must have - the utter horror as the characters begin realizing what is happening to society, the struggle of the different classes of people being stuck together in this situation, unexpected heroism, working together to figure out how to survive the situation. Most of all, there is a little girl actor who gave the most incredible performance by a child that I've seen in a long long time. There are subtitles since this was produced in South Korea, but they were in no way overwhelming. I don't buy many movie discs anymore because of streaming, but I didn't want to have any chance that I wouldn't have access to this great movie. This is the best movie of any genre that I've seen for quite a while. I think it is better than the other South Korean movie that won the Academy Award recently.

I'm a big fan of the zombie genre-from the classics by George A Romero to 'The Walking Dead' and now 'Train To Busan' (TTB hereafter) has been added to that illustrious list after I read a positive film review in Big Issue North magazine.Some people are put off by foreign films but you're really missing out if you're one of them because TTB is one of the best horror films I've seen in a long time and is right up there with other great foreign films such as 'Rec', 'Ils (Them)' and 'Let the right one in.'I knew the film was of high qualify after one of the opening scenes featuring a dead deer coming back-to-life, after being struck by a vehicle, and this sets the tone for the rest of the film. The main character is Seok-Woo-an office fund manager who is no longer with his wife because he's married to the job, and he has custody of his daughter Soo-an who is cared for by his mother whilst he's at work.Seok-Woo reluctantly agrees to take Soo-An to Busan on her birthday, so she can visit her mother, and they board a train to Busan (no surprises there!) where all hell breaks loose after an infected woman boards the train at the last moment before the doors close. The zombies featured in TTB are the fast-moving type of zombies featured in films such as '28 Days Later' and 'World War Z'.During the train journey it becomes clear from media reports that the virus has spread across South Korea however the outbreaks of violence are initially perceived to be civil unrest (riots.) Apparently Busan is the only safe place left and the film is a battle-for-survival on the train after many of the passengers become infected.Initially Seok-Woo sticks to his selfish ways and concentrates only on keeping himself and his daughter alive at the expense of other people, but it soon becomes clear the band of survivors need to work together if they have any hope of surviving and he joins forces with a homeless man, a man who is travelling with his pregnant wife and members of a high school baseball team.I'm no expert on cinematography but TTB is a terrifically crafted film which will keep you on the edge-of-your-seat throughout and there are a lot of surprises along the way. I enjoyed every minute of the film and fully intend to watch the animated prequel 'Seoul Station'. It's a must-watch for all fans of the zombie genre and horror fans in general.

Train To Busan is a 2016 South Korean horror film. The flick was directed by Yeon Sang-Ho, produced by Lee Dong-ha and stars Gong Yoo, Ma Dong-Seok, Jung Yu-mi and many more. The story of the film is about a father and daughter, their relationship is on the rocks. To make up for lost time, the father takes the girl to see her mother for her birthday. Not long after they're on board, a suspiciously ill individual boards the train, dies and comes back as a rabid beast. It doesn't take long for all hell to break loose.For a two hour zombie movie, I thought this film was extremely well paced and very well written. Skimming over the story might make it sound like just another horror film, kind of Snakes On A Plane sort of thing. But there's been more creativity put into Train To Busan. The characters are all very interesting, we grow to sympathise or hate them and never once does the film drag. The wife and I got invested in the lead and support characters very quickly. The relationship between father and daughter was very good and very emotional. The action scenes are all extremely tense and very well thought out. The zombies/infected are pretty typical modern day zombies. They snarl, claw, run and bite like Justin Beiber fans. The make up effects and the way they're shot, it just looks great and does a great job of keeping you on your feet.The bluray for the film is absolutely stunning. I was genuinely surprised at how well the film has come out on high definition. The train sequences all look fantastic and even the outdoor sequences all look incredible. The image is crystal clear, extremely sharp and has plenty of colour. You'll see every scratch, spot of blood and bite mark the film has to offer. It's very well done. I also enjoyed the 5.1 surround sound. I felt that it had the right amount of separation and did a great job of scaring the crap out of us at the right times.I acquired this film for a fiver, it was on sale. It's safe to say that I would have been satisfied if I had purchased this full price. The film is intense, very fast and easy to watch. I loved every second of it, so did the old ball and chain. I highly recommend this one for your horror collection.

One of the best films I have watched in years, this film is among the greats in terms of zombie films, rivalling 28 days/weeks later and many other classics. I enjoyed this film so much I bought it for a number of my friends as presents and they share the same opinion as me.Fantastic acting, incredible storytelling and interesting characters with plenty of depth, I haven't enjoyed a film this much in a long time, to anyone who enjoys zombie films, or films in general this is a must watch.

A frankly stunning Zombie film.I only heard about this through a website and wanted to watch it as soon as possibe.A real 'must' for anyone who loves a good horror film or more so zombie movies. Just when you think they have done every type of zombie film this comes along.I really doubt many people will have heard of it. I have fully recommended to a few of my mates. Clearly it's got sub titles and that's not to everyone's taste. I don't mind them and they don't distract from a pacy film that grabs you from the start.Zombies on a train.... Who'd have thought (far better than snakes😂)I have no doubt this will be picked up by Hollywood and ruined into a western remake. I suggest watching this original version. Also the sequel is due out soon (expected before covid.... Probably delayed).

Well this film starts off slow and has alot of key issues that many do in this day and age with jobs and little time spent with kids. However this isn't everyone of course.As the film goes on you find out more about the main character and daughter. This film took me off guard as I didn't expect what was going to happen and be next. The concept of fast moving zombies on a train is tense and keeps you wondering how they are going to get out of there.No spoilers but this film is a fantastic zombie film yes it's subtitled but don't take that away from the overall film. The ending really caused emotion and I was honestly upset.