JSA - Joint Security Area

On paper, this plot promises much - Joint Security Area between two Koreas and a conflict there. Koreans know how to cut great war epics. Here, they tried and mostly failed due to a very usual and thus very schematic plot, often too poor and corny performances, often too predictable a next step. Seems like Koreas want to break down that wall, but the film does not break any - we have seen such twists and turns in The Base or any other political thriller with some shooting involved. That being said, we have to commend camera work and awesome nature views. Apart and beyond, we are fed with a very trivial casual political soup of no fresh value

While the scenario of the incident itself is pretty good, the introduction and embodiment of it into an investigation is a disaster. The acting of the so-called neutral investigators were miserable, Yeong ae Lee as the major was disappointing, and her Swedish colleague is not worth mentioning. While lacking a bit of originality the movie still highlights the absurd border tension between the North and the South. The major problem was the lack of character development leading to nonexistent affiliation to their feelings resulting in an emotionless conclusion. Apart from this the direction was on point, as you would expect from Chan-wook Park, and the movie ends on a stunning note leaving you with a sweet aftertaste that the film doesn't truly deserves. The movie isn't bad, but if you're looking for yet another of Park's masterpiece, sadly this isn't one. Special mention for Song Kang-ho for his impeccable performance!

instructions for survivors of JointSecurityArea: clear the area, check your security, and smoke a joint--forget the pain and the shame of having been fooled into watching JSA. I'm kidding. It's not as bad as I am trying to preach it to be, but the frame of the main story is so awful in every way, that Steve Oedekerk ought to do a Kung Pow on this. There's a nice tension build-up as things get complicated between the four main characters, and then, there is a shameful flow of tears on the part of a conveniently over-emotional female officer whose only purpose is to work as an applause sign on a sitcom recorded before a live audience for the female audience it obviously targeted. yuck. muck. The narrator of the main story also looks like the skinny guy from the comedian team Bakusho Mondai. And everything is meant to sit so heavy on your stomach like really cheap Chinese take-out grease. You could picture the producer sitting in the audience and in a low dead voice say "oh no!" every half-second by the end of the movie.

I saw this as the second half of a double bill and after the first five minutes of truly horrible english dialog I thought I was in for a rather lame movie going experience, but i was too be proven wrong. JSA is quite a good film, especially when it is looking back on the friendship of the North & South Korean border guards. Anytime the film went to english dialog, the film took a turn for the worse. Violent in parts, funny in others, a great human story set in the DMZ, a place not renowned for it's humanity.

I had high expectations before seeing this movie. After all, it was the highest gross movie ever in Korea with raving reviews, boy, was I disappointed.... * POSSIBLE SPOILER BELOW * The movie has so many holes that probably the only thing with more holes is the insecurity of the border between Koreas as depicted in the movie. And what's with the American bashing? "If America started the war, both Koreas would be finished in minutes."... I think if you grew up in Korea, you would be "indoctrinated" with the belief that the North and the South would eventually unify, that people were the same... This is probably why this movie is so popular - because it combines those 2 beliefs and gives people what they want to hear. I do not hold that belief, this is why I have trouble with all these glaring holes - the poreness of the border, the impossible belief that life-long enemies can make friends so easily, the American bashing, the carelessness of soldiers (especially they knew Choi's visits from time to time). * END OF SPOILER * Besides the holes, the movie is meant to be a suspense thriller? but the cat is out of the bag too early in the movie, so there is really no mystery. The movie also does not do justice in showing the full spectrum of how difficult building friendship and trust between 2 sides really is. You save my life, now we are friends, just doesn't cut it. Major Sophie's English is another distraction. Her English dialog is rather awkward... Most of her scenes are pretty bad actually - I can't but laugh at how she is able to obtain Lee's/Oh's confidence... Why would they even trust her??? Bad movie, bad acting, bad plot...