Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		1.5
Overall		4.0

Train to Busan Blu-ray Movie Review

The train riding dead.

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman January 8, 2017

Train travel, for all its perceived peacefulness, isn’t for the faint of heart. While the trappings of locomotives have had technological upgrades over the course of the century plus this mode of transportation has been in use, there are still some undeniable facts that have to be taken into consideration if one is considering traveling this way. First of all, things obviously take longer on trains, even “new, improved” high speed offerings like the Acela. Second of all, the ride can often be at least a little choppy, meaning if you’re on one of these vehicles for more than a day, sleeping can be a bit of a challenge (I say this from repeated personal experience). No matter what the passing inconveniences of choosing this way to get from Point A to Point B might be, they probably pale in comparison to the conceit that drives (no pun intended) Train to Busan: a “zombie outbreak” on board a high speed train on its way to the titular destination. The film utilizes its inherently claustrophobic setting to up the ante of a zombie horde attempting to attack innocent bystanders (and/or by-riders, as the case may be), but it also has a kind of interesting subtext which seems to be alluding to some socioeconomic issues that South Korea is facing. The film is often viscerally exciting, even if it ultimately tips into Grand Guignol territory as well as indulging in a liberal slathering of schmaltz in its endgame.

Train to Busan actually begins with another mode of travel, as a truck driver has to pass through some kind of quarantine crossing where his rig is sprayed with some kind of anticontaminant. It seems to have been a recurring issue in this region as evidenced by the driver’s frustration. After passing through this gauntlet, he’s momentarily distracted by his cellphone, which leads to predictably calamitous results, which in turn leads to the rather alarming sight of what might be termed a “zombie Bambi” (Bombie?). After that disturbing prelude, the film segues to workaholic hedge fund manager named Seok-woo (Gong Yoo), who is ensconced in a high rise seemingly willing to put the entire Korean economy at risk to satisfy the whims of a client.

Seok-woo turns out to be a divorced father of a sweet little girl named Soo-an (Soo-an Kim), though it’s clear his work duties have made him a less than nurturing parent, and in fact he has to rely on the expertise of one of his assistants to get Soo-an a gift. In an attempt to perhaps forge a better relationship with his daughter, Seok-woo agrees to take her to Busan to visit with her mother. And so the “travelogue” section of the film begins.

In some ways Train to Busan plays very much like a standard disaster movie, with a number of characters boarding the train, all of whom have different stories and even agendas, and who are introduced through a series of brief vignettes. But in other ways the film plies a really interesting subtext that deals with issues like the homeless population and those who are less fortunate. In fact in one of the film’s first patent “winks” at the audience, while it’s obvious someone infected with zombieism has boarded the train, the passengers and staff are more freaked out by what appears to be a bum hiding out in a restroom.

In a predictable and yet still viscerally exciting sequence, the zombiefied passenger ends up attacking one of the train crew, which is what starts spreading the disease throughout the moving vehicle. There’s an almost comedic aspect to the early going here, where folks with “better things to think about” don’t really pay attention to what’s happening (many of them are of course glued to their phones), or, even if they do see the marauding infestation, don’t seem to be overly concerned about it. However, the urgency of the situation ultimately becomes clear, especially when television broadcasts (this is a deluxe train with satellite service, evidently) detail the outbreak of mayhem in several locations.

The film has a number of fantastic set pieces, all the more impressive since so many of them take place in confined quarters. There are a couple of sequences where the train riders attempt to get out and about, and here especially the film departs from at least some traditional zombie lore by having the so-called walking dead be able to run—rather quickly, in fact. It ups the anxiety level considerably and gives extra energy to several gruesome attack scenes.

Train to Busan also predictably documents Seok-woo’s transformation from an observer of sorts to an actual protective and involved father, but despite this formulaic approach, there is consistent emotional content derived from several key scenes, especially in the film’s second half. There’s a tendency for things to tug a bit too stridently at the heart strings as things approach the final moments, but that’s a relatively small price to pay in the long run. While a lot of the supporting characters are more or less “types”, the film is anchored by two very strong performances by Gong Yoo and especially the adorable little Soo-an Kim, whose incredibly expressive eyes are able to indicate multiple levels of sadness and horror.

Train to Busan Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Train to Busan is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Well Go USA with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.85:1. Shot with Arri Alexa XT cameras and finished at a 2K DI, the transfer looks nicely sharp and well detailed, with some of the practical effects work in terms of make-up for the zombies looking quite impressive and suitably bloody and ragged. There's a kind of peculiar color grading going on in some of the interior train scenes where flesh tones look kind of sickly green (and these are the non zombies, mind you), but otherwise things look "natural", at least as natural as a zombie infested train tends to. There are occasional slight deficits in shadow definition in some dark scenes (notably a tunnel scene toward the end of the film), and occasionally the CGI can look a bit soft when compared to the bulk of the presentation. There are no issues with image instability and no compression problems to detail.

Train to Busan Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Note: Our database is being updated to include Korean: DTS:X. When it's updated, the specs above will be amended.

Train to Busan features a blistering DTS:X (DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 core) track in the original Korean that provides consistent immersion despite the closed off setting of much of the film, as well as some really impressive LFE. While typical effects like panning accompanying some of the train's journey are a regular occurrence, the track really has some smart and very specific placement of individual effects, including things as "minor" as the whoosh of the automatic doors between various cars. There are a couple of probably needless explosions and the like which also offer great blasts of sonic energy. Dialogue is presented cleanly and is well prioritized on this extremely enjoyable track. For the record, an English dub is available in DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, and in sampling it, it provided excellent surround activity, though I wasn't overly impressed with the voice work.

Train to Busan Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Behind the Scenes (1080i; 13:01) has some fun footage of various scenes being shot, including one where poor little Soo-an's head is almost taken off when it's whacked into the side of the train set.


• That's a Wrap (1080i; 4:35) has more candid footage from the end of the shoot.


• Trailer (1080p; 1:55)

Note: As is the case with most Well Go USA releases, the disc has been authored so that the supplements follow each other automatically. After this film's trailer, the disc has been authored to move on to trailers for other Well Go USA releases.

Train to Busan Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Train to Busan is that rare film that doesn't shy away from any number of genre conventions (including both disaster and zombie genres), but which still manages to do something new with the material. "The Narrow Margin" setting gives this film some really nicely claustrophobic anxiety levels, and the developing relationship between an estranged father and his little girl offers some unexpectedly moving emotional content. If the film falters at the very end, the rest of the journey is exciting and often quite scary. Technical merits are strong, and Train to Busan comes Highly recommended.