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CompleteMartialArts.com - The City of Violence

The City of Violence
List Price: $19.95
Our Price: $14.99
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Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
Starring: Jeong Du-hong, Ryu Seung-wan, Lee Beom-su, Kim Seo-hyeong, Ryoo Seung-wan
Directed By: Ryu Seung-wan, Ryoo Seung-wan
Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5Average rating of 4.0/5

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Audience Rating: Unrated
Binding: DVD
Brand: WELLSPRING/GENIUS
EAN: 0796019802635
Format: Subtitled
Label: Weinstein Company
Manufacturer: Weinstein Company
Publisher: Weinstein Company
Region Code: 1
Release Date: 2007-09-04
Running Time: 95
Studio: Weinstein Company
Theatrical Release Date: 2006

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Editorial Reviews:

A group of old friends returns to their hometown for a friend s funeral. When two of them begin to investigate the suspicious circumstances of his death they uncover a shocking and deadly conspiracy. System Requirements:Run Time: 95 minutesFormat: DVD MOVIE Genre: ACTION/ADVENTURE/MARTIAL ARTS UPC: 796019802635 Manufacturer No: 80263


Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Outstanding action flick with a little story thrown in. . .
Comment: As always, being a Dragon Dynasty release the presentation is flawless. Pic quality and sound are great. Extras are packaged well and add to the overall experience. The movie itself pleasantly surprised me.

I really expected a very simple point a to point b story. But there's actually some depth to the character with a nice little narrative that invests you a little more in the story. It's not Memento, but it isn't supposed to be. With a nice little story of "2 guys against the world are out for revenge" all that's really left to look at is the action.

It's important to understand how different asian movies are affected by which country they actually come from. Since this is a Korean movie, you're going to have a primarily Tae Kwon Do-based flim. Lots of straightforward kicks, spinning kicks, and simple hand techniques. But it's not HK, so you're not going to have Kung Fu and an overabundance of flying around and gymnast-esque moves. Similiary, not being a Thai flick you won't get the all out Muy Thai elbows and knees like Tony Jaa.

I only mention this because some people are specifically looking for one type of martial art without realizing it. Most people want Kung Fu after the rise of the Matrix and Jet Li, Jackie Chan, and Donnie Yen in the west. This is not that. It is more straightforward, less acrobatic and showy than KF, but also more brutal. There's one fight sequence that's reminiscent of The Warriors, just a big ole brawl between the main characters and a bunch of 'themed' gangs. And the final fight is something to behold. Just a beatdown of the most epic variety in size and brutality. It puzzles me that one reviewer called the final fight "illogical". Isn't that the crux of all martial arts films? That one or two people can take down legions of baddies with just their bare hands?

The story is well-paced and interesting while the action is brutal and well put-together. I very much recommend this movie for anyone looking for a solid action/martial arts title. If that's what you're into, then this is a perfect choice.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: total kickass!!!
Comment: this is the ideal action movie! charismatic lead actors, solid story line (in a way it is a thriller too!), beautifully choreograhped fights, a great villain, tasteful soundtrack/music, screenplay oozing loads of machismo ...

i've already seen it thrice in a month and it grows with each viewing!

haven't seen an action flick this entertaining in a long time.

and just because you have teen gangs with baseball outfits etc in one scene it cannot be claimed that it is a rip-off of "the warriors". that would be like saying every movie with an alien is a rip-off of ET.

korea is now the movie capital of the world! they shoot the best movies!



Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: 5 stars, if you like a bit of the ultra violence...
Comment: check your brain at the door and enjoy a violent film. just enough melodrama to make one sympathize with the two lead characters, and then throw in enough outlandish fight scenes as to make the movie earn its title.

lotta fun, if you're into comic book violence.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Dramatic moments sandwiched in-between the spin-kicking fight sequences
Comment: "The City of Violence" is surprisely good and pays homage to a handful of films and maybe video games. As much as I enjoyed this film there is ultimately much more behind it is probably clear, but the film leaves no time for the formulate narrative, which may disappoint the one hand, since there are hardly any surprises, at the same time one feels but also good hands and can be fully applied to the optical review and musical values of the film.

This story entails Tae-Su (Doo-Hong Jung) who works as a policeman in Seoul, due to the murder of a former schoolmate after many years in his home town returns, only to realize that things have changed fundamentally. There are now brutal youth gangs, the night the roads unsafe and Tae-Su presumed to be stuck behind the murder. Together with another friend of his youth - Pil Ho - makes it to search for the murderer.

This film ultimately reminded me of a revenge story in the cool'70s style, with good martial-arts sequences, which I have seen from Korea. The most notable feature in the great battle on road when the camera is very close to the action on it, and you do not always match the fighting, which sometimes chaotic adrift into something. The music selection is exemplary; it falls between hip-hop, Western scores and jazz is cool, run 93 minutes in length with very crisp, elegant retro style that contributes to the atmosphere. Leading actors Doo-Hong Jung (Tae-Su) can be fully convincing and shows us the best performance of his career. Ultimately, again a film that offers very little that is new, but at least his exemplary quotes parade passed, and guaranteed an audience.

Like I stated before the weak point of this film is the story itself which is told too quickly. Of course, there is also a city gangsters and consequently many situations, with words no longer clear, but hand edges, and billets of action which is exactly why The City of Violence is worth seeing.



Customer Rating: Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5Average rating of 2/5
Summary: Extremely violent + Outrageously illogical = Not worth buying.
Comment: This Korean movie contails lots of bloody scenes where people were hacked to death with machetes. It's also outrageously illogical. For example, in the last scene, 2 guys fought off approximately more than 30 people with bare hands and machetes.

It might be worth renting if you like action films.


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