7.3 | / 10 |
Users | 4.5 | |
Reviewer | 3.5 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
After a heroic death, a firefighter navigates the afterlife with the help of three guides.
Starring: Ha Jung-woo, Cha Tae-hyun, Ju Ji-Hoon, Hyang-gi Kim, Kim Dong-wookForeign | 100% |
Supernatural | Insignificant |
Comic book | Insignificant |
Fantasy | Insignificant |
Action | Insignificant |
Video codec: MPEG-4 AVC
Video resolution: 1080p
Aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Original aspect ratio: 2.39:1
Korean: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1
Korean: Dolby Digital 2.0
English SDH
Blu-ray Disc
Two-disc set (1 BD, 1 DVD)
DVD copy
Slipcover in original pressing
Region free
Movie | 3.5 | |
Video | 4.0 | |
Audio | 4.5 | |
Extras | 1.0 | |
Overall | 3.5 |
If any of you are etymology geeks like I am, you may delight in finding new cognates of words with which you may be familiar, but whose variances you may not be totally up to speed on. Such a discovery awaited me as I researched the background of Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds, an interesting if tonally inconsistent fantasy film depicting a fireman’s trek through a Buddhist afterlife where his earthly existence is judged by a coterie of gods and goddesses, all to determine whether he should be reincarnated or spend eternity in a somewhat less blissful state (evidently Buddhists have hell, too, just in case you were wondering). It turns out that Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds is based on a Korean “webtoon” by Joo Ho-Min, which several online sites further describe as a “manhwa”, a term I had never previously stumbled across (to my recollection, anyway), but which immediately of course reminded me of the Japanese term manga. The two words are (probably expectedly) related, and the evident pre-existing popularity of the comic book (if I may be permitted to use an old school term) helped to make Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds a huge blockbuster in South Korea when it was released during the holiday season of 2017. (According to the venerable Hollywood Reporter, Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds was so popular in its theatrical release in South Korea that it easily “trounced” a little film called Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi.) Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds begins with a terrifying fire in a skyscraper, with Kim Ja-hong (Cha Tae-hyun) toiling fearlessly to save a little girl trapped in an upper floor. A horrifying fall seems to have a happy ending, with the little girl extricating herself from Ja-hong’s protective clutches and running to the safety of her nearby family, and Ja-hong himself almost shocked to think he’s survived such a precipitous flirtation with gravity. Except — he hasn’t survived. As he surveys the carnage of the fire, he hears his name being whispered, and he’s soon greeted by two spirits who inform him they’re two out of three “guardians” who will escort him through a coming 49 day series of trials that will examine the life Ja-hong has led, which in turn will decide what’s “going to happen next” (so to speak). Ja-hong is understandably distraught by all of this, and as he’s snatched up into a vortex that transports him to a cosmic lair, he almost pathetically cries out that he needs to see his mother one last time, a clue that there’s a bit of a backstory here that will need to be explored.
When a person reaches the afterlife, they are judged 7 times over the course of 49 days, tried by deceit, indolence, injustice betrayal, violence, murder and filial impiety, only the souls who pass are trials are reincarnated.While it's already apparent that things may be getting "lost in translation" (what might "filial impiety" be, for instance?), this brief "introductory course" in Buddhist eschatology at least appropriately contextualizes Ja-hong's coming tribulations, though since Ja-hong died a hero saving the life of a child, he's almost instantly deemed a "paragon", seemingly with his ticket already punched for reincarnation. Of course, things turn out to be considerably more shaded once a few revelations (which push the story near melodrama) come out. But one of the issues facing this arguably overlong film (clocking in at over two hours) is that even ostensible bad guys turn out to have redemptive qualitites, something that tends to undermine any sense of suspense.
Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. I haven't been able to track down any really authoritative data on this shoot, and one thing I'm wondering about is if this is yet another Asian market release which had a 3D theatrical exhibition but which is only being released "flat" on domestic Blu-ray. One way or the other, a lot of the constant CGI has been designed to offer at least the intimation of depth, with things like flames in the opening conflagration, or, later, a huge avalanche, darting out at the viewer. The film looks almost entirely green screened in terms of backgrounds, something that gives things a soft and rather hazy ambience quite a bit of the time. Fine detail is still quite good on the actual performers, especially in terms of things like small lacerations that Ja-hong has on his face, or some of the finery in the pretty opulent costumes. As seems to be the case with a lot of Well Go USA releases, there's fairly noticeable banding on display. You can see it as soon as some of the production mastheads, and then during the credits sequence which features a supposed flashlight illuminating text, but it crops up in the feature as well, especially when bright lighting conditions suddenly change.
Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds features an enjoyable DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track in the original Korean. This effects laden outing features a complex and inviting sound design, one the regularly exploits the side and rear channels for all sorts of otherwordly effects. There are a number of standout sequences, including a kind of wild "water roller coaster" ride where environmental effects populate the surround channels very appealingly. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly as well, and is typically well prioritized.
If you're willing to overlook some maudlin tendencies as Ja-hong's home life and history are explored, Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds is a fairly enjoyable viewing experience, with good performances and some arresting if patently fake looking CGI. The film may play better for those with a firm schooling in Buddhist scripture (though my hunch is this film is not exactly a paradigm of religious "accuracy"), but it is enough of a general carnival ride that even those without any religious leanings whatsoever may find it at least occasionally intriguing. Video has some intermittent issues, but audio is great. Recommended.
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