Customer Reviews

2009 Lost Memories

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It is 2009, and the Japanese Bureau of Investigation branch in Seoul (a large city in greater Japan [Korea]) is trying to ferret out a group of Korean terrorists who believe that Korea should be a separate nation. The universe in this film flows forward from an event in 1909 history that eventually determined Korea's freedom from Japan -- but what if it happened differently, as it does in this film. All history is different. Japan and the USA together won WWII. The nuclear bombs dropped on Berlin, not Japan, etc. But what if, and this is where it gets nice and Philip K. Dickian (see Man in a High Castle), somehow, history had been changed deliberately. What if the Koreans could go back in time and set it right. Anyway, the action sequences are very nicely done. If I have one complaint it is that the hero is so good at looking wistful that it is overused. Too many slow down moments of wistful eye tearing. Special kudos to the actor who played the Japanese JBI partner of the hero. He was good. I and my family recommend this film to anyone who likes action and fantasy.

I rented this movie and enjoyed it enough to look in to buying it. If you're a sci-fi fan you'll like it. Some say you need an in-depth understanding of Japanese/Korean politics to grasp it but I don't think that's the case. I thoroughly enjoyed the flick and it actually inspired me to look up more information about the tense relationship between these 2 countries.

The storyline and the synopsis upon which this film stands are not only realistic but thought provoking. The talent of Toru Nakamura is "Always Amazing" to view,and "2009" doesn't falter in this long standing Great Actor's legacy. The story which flawlessly moves from 2009 to WWII Era tells a unique and enduring story of "what if" for it's viewers, and keeps even the most avid movie goer captivated until the very last frame. Action packed with mysterious Criminals showing up in the most unusual places,keeps 2 Tokyo detectives guessing at motives in post WWII,year 2009,Japan with one large twist. Japan was Allied with the U.S. in WWII and the Atom bombs weren't dropped in Japan but Europe,and yes...we still won the war. But what was lost? You won't be disappointed!

Imagine Japan allied herself with the US and won WII instead of losing it. Imagine the nuclear bombs being set upon Berlin instead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. And a Korea which is not Korea as is now, but a colony of Japan. Lee Si-Myung's 2002 flick seems lost between an action thriller and a sci-fi flic, and for the most parts of the first half of the story, it spends pretending to be the former. If you haven't read this sypnosis or any other you'll be forgiven into thinking this just another plain action drama. There's a huge set piece at the start of the movie where the nationalist "terrorist" groups break in for a mission, but after that the story pewters off into more routine and leisurely pacing.

Masayuki Sakamoto (Jang Dong-Gun) and Shojiro Saigo (Toru Nakamura) are two cops who are investigating the Korean terrorist organization Hureisenjin's latest exploits. Sakamoto is really Korean, although he works for the Japanese government; he couldn't care less about the Korean nationalist movements, that is, until this case, when something sinister seems to be lurking beneath the surface, and which the Japs seem to be trying to cover up.

To be really honest, the film has a good premise, but unfortunately somewhere along the line, it lost its promise and became, very merely, one megabuster which is interesting while it lasts but not very brilliant or bright in execution. Lee's direction became predictable as time went on, as does the plot once the central story became known midway through the 2-hour long film. There's some soppy melodrama going on as well, as well as a good-bad schism which favors the Koreans over their Japanese counterparts. All in all, if you are a Korean patriot, you may approve of the screenplay, but I for one find the melding of sci-fi and action ultimately unconvincing. But still, it isn't that bad a movie, although I won't say it's fantastic either. An ammo-laden film.

I like these stories but I confess that this one is I thought weak. It is one of these what-if stories of how history would have been different if a Japanese governor in Korea in 1909 had not been assassinated. In the story it changed much of history. The Japanese empire survived and Korean become a second-class in Japanese society although democratic, rich and prosperous they are only fully accepted if they became Japanese. To correct this a Korean terrorist group tries to change history to make it what it was in our time.

While watching it, I was thinking considering what Korea when though in our time. Since 1909 they went though a tough Japanese occupation, a bloody civil war, have had two terrible communist dictators in the North, many military leaders in the South and a threat of major war with nukes now. Maybe this alternate future was better for Korea which is something this film should have tried to analysis.

Still it is a story. I did not find any characters interesting.

The acting was okay.

Some of the action scenes were good.

The filming reasonable.

I really liked the movie, but it may be incomprehensible or tedious to those who are not familiar with the Korean and Japanese history of the past one hundred years. What if the Japanese could go back to the past and change history so they emerged victorious from the WWII and still kept Korea as a colony to-date? Given the potential repercussions (e.g., Hiroshima and Nagasaki may remain intact), what would one do to change it back or keep the status quo? The film is mostly drama with some action sequences and a crucial sci-fi twist. The best scenes are between the two main actors (Dong-Kung Jang and Toru Nakamura) whose friendship feels so genuine that their inevitable end is more poignant for it. Their relationship puts a personal touch to an intergenerational conflict between the two countries.

This movies is excellent.
But I think if someone would do one for Taiwan would be excellent.
Now, I guess Taiwan is undergoing a very intricate relationship with China, what if the history is changed.
What if Japan never gave up Taiwan, and say Japan negotiated a peace treaty with the allies in 1945, kept Taiwan.
What would the world be like today?
Everyone in Taiwan will be Japanese, they would not have the slightest idea that they have relationship with China if it was not for the fifty five years of Mainland Chinese administration.
Taiwan would look like Japan in every way, like Kyushu I guess.

I'll make it short and sweet. This was a really good movie. The english track was a plus. It was put together good and the plot kept me on my seat and the end was a twist. I can't wait till more Asian/futuristic action packed movies are re-released into english tracks. I own a couple of movies like this one that has the english track and they are great. The american market is flooded with the same plots.. Movies like this one give you a different outlook on the way it is made...which makes it an all around good movie.. A must get.

The course of Korean history has been damaged through time travel! That is the secret of the whole film. I would have put up a spoiler warning, but if your read the back of the box, watch the opening credits, or read the product discription, you already know the BIG SECRET. The movie wants to be a very high minded affair, but you don't feel enough of the time changes (most of the over the top action gets in the way) so that you have a lot of sympathy for what is going on. The movie is also hurt by the fact it falls into every Asian movie cliche that doesn't involve a sword and martial arts.

Hero sees person they care for killed and becomes so overcome with grief they must kill 100 people. Check. Best friends end up opposing each other. Check. Symetry scene between best friends going through similar experiences at different locations. Check. Flashback to unimportant person who now give film emotional meaning. Check. Slow action to a crawl to add emotional drama. Check. Two characters pointing pistols at the others head. Check.

Not a bad flick, but not worth $20+ either.

Sick movie. The dialogue might seems cheesy because you can't translate word for word and get the same understanding. But if you are interested in a sick action movie, go with it!