Matialth
Good concept, poorly executed.
Listonixio
Fresh and Exciting
Hayden Kane
There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes
Chiller7
Action: Before I watched the whole movie, I saw a short clip of a spectacular fight scene from this movie and I thought if the whole movie had scenes like that, this movie could be pretty cool. Unfortunately, that cool scene that I saw doesn't happen until the end of the movie and it was rather short. The rest of the fights were even shorter. Some good moments of action here and there, but generally nothing as good as the fight at the end, which didn't last longGeneral complaints: I usually like martial arts movies, but found this one to be not very enjoyable, even an uncomfortable experience to watch - partly because watching people treating each other badly, which is almost all that happens in this movie, is no fun, but also because the main character is not likable and his behavior makes no sense. For instance, right from the start, he's Korean, but goes to Japan during the WWII era to become a fighter pilot, which doesn't work out for him, because of course they don't let him become a fighter pilot. But why in the world did he think this was a good idea in the first place? Join the country that's devastating his own? Willingly go to a place where they don't like him? I'm already confused. Then for the rest of the movie, he's a jerk to his friends, yet overly respectful to his enemies. I didn't understand the guy at all.
stcostanzo
This movie is utter Korean Propaganda from the very beginning until the end. I can understand it's a work of fiction but distorting the reality in this manner, filling it with anti-Japanese feelings and displaying Korean martial arts superiority over Japanese ones is just ridiculous and unpleasant.Masutatsu Oyama never learned any Korean martial art in his life, he spent his entire existence living and working in Japan, creating a new Karate style in Japan from other Japanese martial arts. Portraying him like a lonely Korean wanderer traveling the country beating up Japanese masters is silly since the respect and devotion that he always manifested for Budo and ancient martial traditions. For a period of his life he studied under a Korean master but that was again on Japanese soil and the martial art was Goju-ryu Karate.Another pathetic attempt from Korea to downplay their arch-rivals the Japanese. I believe that the fact that Oyama was born in Korea is indeed something to be proud of, but there are certainly other and more suitable ways to pay homage to his memory.
ken ohshima
This is a typical Korean movie with full of anti-Japan sentiment and lies. Choi Bae-dal was so-called "chinilpa" (pro-Japanese traitor), who loved Japanese martial arts and got Japanese name and nationality. He practiced Shotokan-karate and Gojyu-Ru karate, not Korean martial arts or Tekkyon.Because Koreans don't like to admit that they learned many Japanese cultures during the colonial period, they have distorted the history as if the origin of all Japanese cultures was in Korea. Korea's Taekwondo association has made similar distortion and hided the truth that karate was the origin of Korea's national martial arts.When Choi Bae-dal was alive, he pretended to be Japanese. He never used his Korean name "Choi Bae-dal" in Japan and wrote some books in which he described himself as if he was patriotic Japanese. However, because he made a success in Japan, Koreans have created the image of nationalistic anti-Japan hero of him in comic and movie.This movie must be feel –good victorious story for Koreans. Anti-Japan movies in which Koreans defeat Japanese occupy one of the major categories in Korean movies. The producer says it is based on true story. Yes. Choi Bae-dal existed and he founded Kyokushin-karate. It is true. But the other story is just a fantasy. Nothing more.
john_ritson3
I believe that this is one of the best movies to come out Korea in along time. It has got heart and soul and you can see that the director and the cast really care about bringing to life this story of one of the greatest martial artist in history. However despite how much I enjoyed this film there were a few flaws.First some emotional parts in the story moves to fast and there are scenes f Korean and Japanese customs (such as shaving his eyebrows) that we don't understand and we are not given an explanation to. Another thing is that some moments of this movie are incredibly exxagerated and some are just made up for the movie. I don't understand why they did this since Oyama Mas had an amazing life without all the made up scenes.Last is the action, I hear that most people didn't like the action because the fight scenes were short and brutal. However because I do martial arts and know a lot about Oyama Mas I believe that this was the right way for the movie. This is because Oyama never did any soft kungfu which you see in most movies these days, He did hard taekwondo and later created kyokushin karate and he always tried to finch his opponent with one punch. combat is not a dance where you can predict each other movements.
