TyphoonTheMovie's Xanga

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Thu, 25 May 2006 13:48:28 GMT

REVIEW is IN: GIANTROBOT!

Typhoon!

Yesterday afternoon, I attended a press screening of Typhoon. The movie, which will be distributed by Paramount Classics, is billed as a high-budget Korean blockbuster about pirates. How could I refuse?

Indeed, it's an epic story that stars Jang Dong-gun (the psycho soldier from The Coast Guard!) and Kang Se-jong (who starred in Lake House, which has been remade with Keanu Reeves and Sandra Bullock). Jang plays a refugee from North Korea who hijacks a secret shipment of American nuclear devices and plans to release Chernobyl fallout over South Korea; Kang is an elite naval officer recruited to handle the situation before the Americans can secure and cover up the situation.

Naturally, the pirates have cool tattoos, sport rock 'n' roll haircuts, and keep their stash in an amazing cliffside dwelling. They live in awesome bungalows, too. You get to know Jang's character through multiple flashbacks, and actually see North Korean troops gun down his family. He also blames South Korea for not giving them amnesty. Ultimately it's okay for him to be bitter and a terrorist because he's a badass with heart.

Jang's South Korean counterpart is as square as you can get. When you're first introduced to him, he's playing football on the beach and it's impossible not to think of the greased-up Tom Cruise and company playing volleyball in Top Gun. It's total eye candy for anyone who digs men. Allegedly, he is a badass, but he generally plays by the rules, and even writes a letter to his mom when the going gets tough.

It's not as syrupy as one might expect. Except for the sweeping, orchestral music that you'd expect from a Korean epic, everyone keeps their emotions in check. There's also a side-plot involving Jang rescuing Jang's long-lost sister from the Chinese and Russian slave trade. I was sure that would blossom into a weird love story, but the manly men clearly have no time for that sort of thing.

There's some dialogue suggesting that the foes understand each other on a John Woo level, but that seems like a stretch. What they have in common is that while they fight each other with knives in a sinking boat, an American sub is firing torpedoes at them. An allegory of Korean history?

The movie has a slick-but-not-obnoxious style, impressive special effects, great attention to detail, and settings that hopscotch around the eastern hemisphere: Thailand, Russia, Korea... As an action flick, it succeeds wildy. I'd put it up there with any Bruckheimer movie. That is also the film's shortcoming; in the end, it's just another well-done blockbuster. It won't change your view of cinema or the world, but it's about time the world sees a good chase scene with Hyundais.

Typhoon will open in select U.S. cities on June 2.

Thursday, May 25, 2006

Thu, 25 May 2006 13:27:40 GMT

Lee Jung Jae (Kang Se-Jong)

Kang Se-Jong is an elite Korean Navy SEAL commander with outstanding fighting and tactical skills. Kang is the agent ordered to track down Sin before his plan of destruction is deployed. The future of the Korean Peninsula lies in his hands!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Wed, 24 May 2006 11:29:08 GMT

Jang Dong Gun (Sin)

Operating in the East China Sea, Sin is the No. 1 enemy of the United States, Japan, and China because of the equipment he stole from the US military. With a mysterious hidden past, Sin bears hatred toward the korean Peninsula and has a plan to destroy it.

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Wed, 24 May 2006 05:52:23 GMT

We will be updating exclusive behind-the-scene look on each of the Typhoon characters!

Friday, May 19, 2006

Fri, 19 May 2006 19:13:55 GMT

The Press Conference for TYPHOON was a great success ! ! ! Held in Downtown Los Angeles, sponsored by Korean Air, Korean Daily, and World Journal, stars from Typhoon answered questions from fans and press!

TYPHOON

OPENS

JUNE 2, 2006!

Monday, May 15, 2006

Mon, 15 May 2006 23:10:31 GMT

Here is a chance to catch the 'Mission Impossible of Korean Cinema.' and its stars!

ASIAN SUPERSTARS JANG DONG-gun and LEE JUNG-jae
COME TO HOLLYWOOD FOR RED CARPET PREMIERE OF THEIR NEW FILM TYPHOON ON THURSDAY, MAY 18, 2006. Go to www.myspace.com/typhoonthemovie for more info!

May 13, 2006 Hollywood, Asian superstars and heartthrobs Jang Dong-gun and Lee Jang-jae will appear in person in Hollywood on Thursday May 18 for the United States premiere of their film, "TYPHOON" from director Kwak Kyung-taek.

The exclusive premiere event will take place Thursday, May 18 at the ArcLight Cinemas located at 6360 W. Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood beginning at 6:30 PM where the films stars will walk the red carpet and see their fans before the films premiere screening at 7:30 PM.

The stars, Jang Dong-gun and Lee Jung-jae will be joined on the red carpet by the films director Kwak Kyung-taek and other talent to be announced.

Fans are encouraged to come early to secure space to meet their stars.

TYPHOON will be released in the United States by CJ Entertainment and Paramount Classics in theatres only on June 2 in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, Hawaii, Chicago, Seattle, San Diego and Washington DC, with other cities to follow.

www.typhoonthemovie.com

www.myspace.com/typhoonthemovie.

Monday, May 15, 2006

Mon, 15 May 2006 16:44:16 GMT

Interview with Typhoon Director Kwak Kyung-Taek (courtesy of TWITCH).

What do you feel after watching the film?
Director Kwak Kyung-Taek: I'm filled with emotion, I guess films like this can have that 'magic' effect and power on you. It feels just like when I started making films.
Lee Mi-Yeon: Honestly, more than what I feel about the film, I'm interested in what you people felt. Anyway, I liked the film a lot.
Jang Dong-Gun: More than the film's strengths, I was inevitably more focused on the shortcomings. I'm also interested about people's reactions. I don't think I've ever been able to have fun at a film premiere, and it looks like the same thing happened today.
Lee Jung-Jae: I felt like when we were shooting the film, and watching the entire film today, all the difficult moments we experienced during the shoot came back to mind.

'Friend' sold 8 Million tickets, while 'Taegukgi' and 'Silmido' over 10 Million. You must feel a lot of burden about the box office result. I'm curious, how many people do you think will watch the film?
Kwak: From the point of view of someone who's having a press screening ahead of the theatrical release, talking about box office results seems a little imprudent. But what I'm sure about is that our finished product is good, so we'll be successful. I'm glad we did all we could like the name of our company, now all that's left is waiting for the result. [the ÁøÀÎ»ç ´ëÃµ¸í (ò×ìÑÞÀ ôëô¸Ù¤) mentioned in the interview is a frequently used term meaning 'now I have done all my best, the rest is up to heaven to decide'. Kwak's company is named 'ZinInSa Films' after that saying]

Jang Jin said people misunderstood À£ÄÄ Åõ µ¿¸·°ñ (Welcome To Dongmakgol) as an anti-American film. The same thing could happen with Typhoon.
Kwak: I don't think it's a particularly anti-American film. I was just trying to do a film about the type of country I'd like to live in, a country where no matter how big the problem is, with pride and confidence we can all solve it.

There's a scene which seems to instigate patriotism. Soldiers go into an operation which could kill them, even though there might be nobody remembering them at home. Was there a particular reason for that?
Kwak: From President Park Jung-Hee to Jeon Doo-Hwan, there's always been a kind of atmosphere which politically transformed soldiers. But I think there were soldiers who protected our country in good faith, following the path they chose and behaving like a soldier should, which is how they protected our country. Creating the character of Kang Se-Jong (played by Lee Jung-Jae), I wanted to thank all those people who sacrificed their lives for their fellow Koreans. There's no soldiers motivated by politics here.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Wed, 10 May 2006 15:21:01 GMT

check out: www.myspace.com/typhoonthemovie!!!!

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Wed, 10 May 2006 14:08:01 GMT

In Sight/ Movies; STAR CHOICES

04/28/2006

BY HIROKO NISHIMURA, CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Korean-American actor David Lee McInnis says one of the best perks from his role in the South Korean blockbuster "Taepung" (Typhoon) was shooting on location in Pusan, Krabi province, Thailand, and Vladivostok, Russia.

Although the film directed by Kwak Kyung Taek is based on the Korean Peninsula's history, "When I got the script, I felt it's a very international film due to its settings in different countries. That's one of the main reasons why I wanted to do this film," McInnis said in a recent interview in Tokyo.

The action-packed film is driven by Sin (Jang Dong Gun), a modern-day pirate and North Korean defector who goes on a vengeful mission: exploding nuclear waste over the two Koreas. Sin has a grudge against South Korea for rejecting his family when they sought asylum and a grudge against North Korea for killing his parents.

McInnis, 32, plays Somchai, a sniper in Sin's gang.

The final battle scene between the gang and South Korean naval officers takes place on a ship during a typhoon. The ship rolls and pitches so hard that viewers might get seasick.

And the actors?

"We had eight days of intense training prior to filming the scene, so I didn't have to take any pills," McInnis said.

The film's budget was reportedly the largest ever spent on a South Korean film. With the huge sets and special effects, it's easy to see where the 18 billion won (2.2 billion yen) went.

McInnis says the film is not all action, though--"It shows brotherly love and a family tragedy in the divided Korean Peninsula."

* **

SPECIAL TRAILER, DIRECTOR's CUT!

Sun, 07 May 2006 21:47:30 GMT