'Hope' review: Incredible chase scenes, bad CGI define Hoyeon's film debut
MANILA, Philippines — Korean director Na Hong-jin is back after a decade with "Hope," where local stars and international actors come head-to-head in a rip-roaring action flick.
Police chief Bum-seok (Hwang Jung-min) is alerted by his second cousin Sung-ki (Zo In-sung) that something is on the loose attacking their small town. This leads Sung-ki to head into the forest with fellow hunters searching for answers.
A rampage takes over the town, making Bum-seok to try to contain it with the help of rookie cop Sung-ae (Hoyeon), and what they discover along the way only leads to more questions.
"Hope" is a testament to Hong-jin's credibility as a filmmaker after it managed to premiere at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival with a staggering budget of around 70 billion won (P3.11 billion). It is touted as the most expensive Korean movie to date.
The director even pulled off a casting coup that includes Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, and real-life couple Michael Fassbender and Alicia Vikander, who are appearing in just their second film together.
Hong-jin expertly tees up the momentum of "Hope" as the lead characters slowly discover what they are up against, and that patient revelation amid high-octane action is a respectable, bold move.
"Squid Game" star Hoyeon makes a delightful entrance in her feature film debut, showing how competent she is out on the road and inside makeshift hospital rooms while delivering quips.
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Jung-min and In-sung both get their time to shine in dramatic moments, as well as in action sequences that give most Hollywood movies a run for their money. Even Hong-jin as the credited writer manages to sneak in some comedic lines.
The entertaining first hour makes the rest of the film almost like a hurdle to get over given the surprise subplots popping in the scene, possibly in attempts for a sequel or franchise starter.
The visual effects of Fassbender, Vikander, and Russell's characters are much too distracting and pulls the thrill of "Hope" down, and that's on top of an outrageous cliffhanger by the time credits roll.
Still, Hong-jin and his "The Wailing" cinematographer Hong Kyung-po thoughtfully mapped out the action without any regard for the characters and story.
It's no surprise either that Kyung-po is capable of shooting such sequences well, having previously done "Burning," "Harbin," "Broker," "Deliver Us From Evil," "Project Silence," and along with Bong Joon-ho in "Parasite," "Snowpiercer," and "Mother."
"Hope" is best viewed with no expectations whatsoever and brains shut off to best enjoy its chase scenes and shoot-outs. Just try to ignore the abundance of weird looks that show up.
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