You never know with Asian cinema what you are going to get. They deliver some of the most diverse styles of films than any other market out there. It is always interested to see what resonates with other cultures and ends up being the biggest hit. In 2009 the South Korean fantasy film Woochi: The Demon Slayer became the 3rd highest grossing film of the year. Now thanks to Shout Factory the film is coming to the states in an all-new Blu-ray edition.
Woochi: The Demon Slayer follows an undisciplined, womanizing wizard accused of the death of his master, who is trapped inside an ancient scroll until he is set free in 2009 by those that imprisoned him to fight against evil goblins who have taken over Korea. Can he be the savior of mankind, while trying deal with his new modern home and his obsession with the women of Korea? This is one of those films that works on some levels and not so much on others. The story itself is pretty cool and had the potential of being really awesome. The demon animals are really cool designs and executed pretty well for the most part, while some of the CG was a bit off. The performances were fine, but the biggest issue was the film trying to find its footing. At one point it is a serious fantasy epic, but at other times it plays more comical and silly. Usually this has a lot to do with translation, but here it was a lot in the performances as well. The action was pretty cool when the characters were using their powers to fight, but when they are doing just martial arts fighting it fell a bit short.
This is a fun movie overall, just doesn’t pack the punch that it could have if it had found its direction. For those fans of Asian fantasy cinema you will no doubt have a great time as it does deliver some great visual moments and clever twists on the magic user. Whether you are a fan of Asian cinema or not, Woochi is defiantly an interesting and fresh film that everyone should give it a shot if for no other reason than to see the cool creatures in action.
To get your copy or just check out the other awesome titles they have to offer head over to www.shoutfactory.com
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