Tae Guk Gi tells the story of two South Korean brothers as they get forcibly drafted into the army to fight in the Korean War. It depicts the effects of the war on each brother's mental capacities and it also shows the strain on their seemingly unconditional love for each other. Set in a similar storytelling framework as Saving Private Ryan, we know who lives and who dies by the end. And yet the movie still manages to surprise us, taking us on a a series of unexpected twists and turns, gripping our seats in fear and anticipation. Other times the story felt forced and staged. While I was never that emotionally connected to the characters, I could see how the drama was the focus of the movie and respected that.
Even so, it's a war movie, and the action was truly relentless and gut-wrenching. The short shutter speeds (as in 28 Days Later) during several war scenes felt both otherworldly and realistic, putting the audience front and center in the chaos. The music was a bit of a mixed bag. It kept your pulse pounding during the battles, but felt really overbearing and melodramatic during the dramatic scenes. (When the music came on with a ridiculous montage of their civilian life, it was almost too sappy to believe. I actually groaned.) While the acting was great, I think a lot of credit deserves to go to casting. The younger brother had just the right look of boyish innocence and the older brother's resemblance to Chow Yun Fat made his character instantly recognizable and likable. Overall, this is a very good movie. It's easy to watch despite it's length, and I recommend it if it sounds appealing to you.IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0386064/