Review Ashfall (2019)

Title : Ashfall / Baekdusan 

Genre : Action, Drama

Rating : PG 

Realease Date : December 19, 2019

Lead Actors : 

- Lee Byung-Hun as Lee Joon-Pyeong

- Ha Jung-Woo as Jo In-Chang

- Ma Dong-Seok as Kang Bong-rae 

Directors : Lee Hae-Jun and Kim Byung-Seo 

Rate : 8/10 

Disaster movie are become quite familar in the film industry lately. San Anderas (2015), Geostrom (2017), and The Quake (2018) are some of Disaster movie. Lee Hae-Jun and Kim Byung-Seo as Directors and scriptwriter tried to make An Epic Korean Disaster movie with the movie production cost of 17,7 USD or around 245 billion and making Ashfall become one of the most expensive korean film productions in 2019. Ashfall also succesfully reached more than 6 Millions viewers in Korean and 4 Millions viewers in Indonesia in a week after the first airing. 

Synopsis 

Baekdu Mountain, which is located on the border of North Korea and South Korea suddenly erupted. Korean citizen got panicked and tried to run away, the fears of a second eruption warning made the situasion even worse. Choi Kwang-Ill as president of South Korea held a meeting to discuss the solution. Professor Kang Bong-Rae, who studied Baekdu Mountains and have already warned of possible eruption for the past 3 years also attended the meeting. He with his crazy idea give the solution to stop the eruption by operation based on his theory called EOD ( Explosive Ordnance Disposal). The president agree with his idea and order him to send the troops to do the operation. Can the EOD team complete the mission and stop the eruption?. Find the answer by watch this movie. 

Epic Cinematography

No need to be in doubt, the cinematography feel like the famous Hollywood productions. The chaos and the eruption of Baekdu Mount visualized with very great element that make the viewers can feel the tension. Even the fall of the bridge visualized very epic and detail in the crack. 

Music and Sound : Creepy Like Apocalypse

The epic cimathography also supported with a great music and sound effet throught the film. Scary, horrible, gripping sound make the movie feel more creepy. For example in Eruption scene, the appropriate music and sound make the viewers can feel the panic of korean citizen during the eruption. 

Amazing Acting 

Only one word to explain the whole acting , Daebak (Amazing). The success of this film is supported by the famous Korean artist who take a part in the movie. Lee Byung Hun and Man Dong Seok, who have often been involved in movie with the same genre, showed an amazing acting. Ha jung woo also showed great collaboration with EOD team, He succesfully showed the characteristics of Captain Jo who is silly and innocent. His silly collaboration scene with Lee Byung Hun successfully made the viewers laugh throughout the movie. 

The supporting actor also showed the great acting in here. Bae Suzy, the famous Korean Artist really showed the ability of the acting. She as Captain Jo’s wife who is pregnant at the time of Baekdu eruption make the movie become more scary. 

Great Direction

Even in the opening of the movie is little bit confusing and rushed, but it doesn’t reduce the tension of viewers in watching the scene. The director succeeded in potray the events of the story with great scene that make the viewers enjoy the movie.

Amazing Writing Style

The strongest point of this movie is plot of the story. The film started with the background where the point of issued happened. Sadness, fear, Silliness become a complete package in this story. For example in ending scene, viewers can feel relieved that Captain Jo can survived but, at the same time they also feel sad because Lee Jong Pyeong’s sacrife. The writers successful bring the atmosphere to the viewers.

 

The Smooth Editing and Appropriate Settings

Without good editing, the film can’t be as good as the reviewer said before. The editing was smooth and detail, we can see it in  Eruption scene. 

The atmosphere tension in this movie supported by appropriate settings. In the border scene where Lee Jung Pyeong meet his daughter, the settings showed the situation after the chaos happened. It makes the viewers feel more sad.

Moral Value 

The teamwork is the most important one when facing the problem. Sense of responbility, tolerance, help each other, throw away the selfishness, the kind of teamwork shown by EOD team. Although they are silly and not experienced to do the mission but, the most important things, they never betrayed each other. It makes the team become stronger. 

In the end all of the elements of the movie is great. A serious movie and heavy theme but with joke in part of the scene make Ashfall is very enjoyable to watch. It’s time to take your popcorn and get ready to watch the different feel of disaster movie. 

-Sals-