The Good, the Bad, the Weird film review

The Good, the Bad, the Weird

Studio: IFC Films
Directed by Kim Jee-Woon; Starring: Song Kang-Ho, Lee Byung-Hun and Jung Woo-Sung

May 26, 2010 By Jim Scott Web Exclusive

Director Kim Jee-Woon combines the best parts of the Spaghetti Western and adventure films like Indiana Jones and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre with modern flair and acrobatic camerawork. The result is awesome fun.

An opening train robbery results in Tae-Goo (The Weird, played by Song Kang-Ho) ending up with a Russian treasure map that has drawn the interest of Chang-Yi (The Bad, played by Lee Byung-Hun). Meanwhile, Do-Won (The Good, Jung Woo-Sung) has ended up on the same train, and he and Tae-Goo end up together, running from Chang-Yi and his minions, which includes a massive, sledge-hammer wielding giant. The backdrop of 1930s Manchuria, with an anything-goes mentality and combination of modernity and simplicity, proves perfect.

Despite the audacious style, The Good, the Bad, the Weird—aided by the landscape and actors doing their own stunts—feels organic in a way that most action movies don't; it's reminiscent of the Mad Max films that didn't feature Tina Turner. Though the clichés come at a steady clip, Kim tweaks them just enough or they come off more as homage than straight thievery or laziness.

Kim does his best to keep his foot on the accelerator; The Good, the Bad, the Weird loses momentum for a while and meanders around in the desert but fortunately finds its way again. (www.ifcfilms.com/films/the-good-the-bad-the-weird)

The Good, the Bad, the Weird is available On-Demand through June 22.

Author rating: 7/10

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Average reader rating: 8/10