'D-War' released in U.S. amid biting reviews
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At least director Shim Hyung-rae got the numbers right. He predicted that his monster flick "D-War" would be released in some 2,000 theaters in the United States, and it secured 2,225 screens when it made its formal debut on the weekend.
The box-office revenue was reportedly $1.5 million, or about 1.4 billion won, on Friday alone, a solid performance that was roughly in line with the lofty expectations following the movie's tremendous success here in Korea.
What Shim failed to predict was the harshness of reviews by American movie critics. It was not a total surprise because Shim's flick had already suffered a slew of biting critical reviews in the Korean press. And bad reviews do not always drag down the box-office score of a film, as long as it wins the hearts of local moviegoers -- somehow.
Andy Webster of the New York Times called "Dragon Wars" -- the English title of "D-War" -- a film that proves that the Japanese monster movie genre is alive. But here's a line that suggests his overall impression: "It is such a breathless, delirious stew, it's impossible not to be entertained, provided -- this is crucial -- you have a sense of humor".
Of course, not everybody has a sense of humor when confronted with this effects-heavy film with such a flimsy plot. Roger Moore, film critic for the Orlando Sentimental, went so far as to declare that it's "the dumbest dragon movie since 'Dragonheart'."
Hollywood.com also points out the flawed cinematic elements of the film: "A few nifty special effects are no compensation for the nonsensical, nuts-and-bolts 'Dragon Wars, which combines mysticism, monsters and martial arts -- and doesn't make a darned bit of sense with any of it".
The Hollywood Reporter, an influential entertainment publication, also gave this movie a poor mark, saying that helmsman Shim "applies a strictly grade-Z sensibility" to his film, though it does, he acknowledges, boast superior CGI special effects for a movie of its type. The critic sums up the quality problem with "D-War", in a tone reserved for low-grade flicks: "This monster film makes even the remake of 'Godzilla' look good".
The Boston Globe said that moviegoers may not appreciate the acting, directing, costumes, editing, props, music or other aspects of the film, but once the story gets going, and the giant snake and prehistoric dino-birds begin to run through downtown Los Angeles, the movie turns "shockingly watchable". But of course, the underlying fact is that, in the eyes of the Globe's reviewer, until that chase sequence, "there was no evidence that anybody involved with this laughable fantasy knew what he or she was doing".
By Yang Sung-jin
The box-office revenue was reportedly $1.5 million, or about 1.4 billion won, on Friday alone, a solid performance that was roughly in line with the lofty expectations following the movie's tremendous success here in Korea.
What Shim failed to predict was the harshness of reviews by American movie critics. It was not a total surprise because Shim's flick had already suffered a slew of biting critical reviews in the Korean press. And bad reviews do not always drag down the box-office score of a film, as long as it wins the hearts of local moviegoers -- somehow.
Andy Webster of the New York Times called "Dragon Wars" -- the English title of "D-War" -- a film that proves that the Japanese monster movie genre is alive. But here's a line that suggests his overall impression: "It is such a breathless, delirious stew, it's impossible not to be entertained, provided -- this is crucial -- you have a sense of humor".
Of course, not everybody has a sense of humor when confronted with this effects-heavy film with such a flimsy plot. Roger Moore, film critic for the Orlando Sentimental, went so far as to declare that it's "the dumbest dragon movie since 'Dragonheart'."
Hollywood.com also points out the flawed cinematic elements of the film: "A few nifty special effects are no compensation for the nonsensical, nuts-and-bolts 'Dragon Wars, which combines mysticism, monsters and martial arts -- and doesn't make a darned bit of sense with any of it".
The Hollywood Reporter, an influential entertainment publication, also gave this movie a poor mark, saying that helmsman Shim "applies a strictly grade-Z sensibility" to his film, though it does, he acknowledges, boast superior CGI special effects for a movie of its type. The critic sums up the quality problem with "D-War", in a tone reserved for low-grade flicks: "This monster film makes even the remake of 'Godzilla' look good".
The Boston Globe said that moviegoers may not appreciate the acting, directing, costumes, editing, props, music or other aspects of the film, but once the story gets going, and the giant snake and prehistoric dino-birds begin to run through downtown Los Angeles, the movie turns "shockingly watchable". But of course, the underlying fact is that, in the eyes of the Globe's reviewer, until that chase sequence, "there was no evidence that anybody involved with this laughable fantasy knew what he or she was doing".
By Yang Sung-jin
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