Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		3.0

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman November 15, 2020

Has there ever been a film other than Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula that features the title of a previous film (in this case the South Korean blockbuster Train to Busan) in what amounts to a producer credit or at least production entity credit? It’s a very odd way to title a film which could have just as easily been called Train to Busan 2 or perhaps more accurately Boat From Busan or any number of other alternatives that would have just as easily, and perhaps much less clunkily, referenced this film’s progenitor. But, there’s the rub: Peninsula wants desperately to be another Train to Busan, but it never quite musters the innovative feel of Train to Busan simply because it is a sequel, and therefore unavoidably deals in both plot elements and presentational approaches that are going to be “old hat”, at least for those viewers who flocked to Train to Busan several years ago. Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula picks up after the events of the first film, with South Korea a veritable wasteland overrun by zombies and with news reports full of stories about a mysterious virus which has led to disaster (sound familiar?). The film kind of oddly omits characters from the first film, something that could have ostensibly tied it to its predecessor, and instead introduces a glut of new folks on the run from the zombies. The film is kind of split into two parts, with an introductory section devoted to a Marine Captain named Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) who is attempting to get his sister’s family to safety aboard a large freighter which is docked and awaiting uninfected folks to get them out of Korea. Jung-seok actually succeeds in his mission, but not before driving right past a panicked family begging for him to pick them up and get them to safety, too. Those attuned to the vagaries of modern screenwriting will probably be making a mental note as to when at least one of these characters might be returning later, but in the meantime the first part of the film actually mimics Train to Busan the most directly by having a zombie outbreak afflict the ship, something that results in Jung-seok having to make some troubling decisions involving his family members.

Suffice it to say that the whole ship aspect is simply a prelude, setting up the main part of the story, wherein years later Jung-seok and his brother-in-law Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon) are tasked with getting pack to the, well, Korean peninsula, in Incheon to be exact, where hordes of zombies have overrun everything, but where there is a truck containing a sizable fortune in cash that needs to be retrieved. It's here, however, where Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula may start to try to work in too many competing plot elements. There's already a kind of quasi-Escape from New York feeling, with a hero in a former metropolis now overrun with bad guys (and/or zombies), and with something very valuable at stake, but instead of leaving "well enough" alone with regard to zombies being the main nemeses, Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula offers a "secondary" set of villains, in this case a rogue military unit which is running what amounts to a Fight Club pitting zombies against humans.

For those who have been waiting for the other shoe to drop in terms of the previously introduced characters left abandoned in the film's opening sequence, rest assured that the frantic mother from that scene, Min-jung (Lee Jung-hyun), of course makes a heroic return and doesn't treat Jung- seok with same (probably understandable, all things considered) churlishness Jung-seok showed her and her family years previously. A whole secondary (tertiary?) subplot ensues involving Min-jung and her kids, as well as other charges she's assumed responsibility for.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula makes a number of frankly odd choices in both its narrative as well as some of its presentational aspects. There's a weird comedic undertone to some scenes that seems positively ill advised, given the grimness of much of what happens. But the film repeatedly offers pretty shoddy looking CGI car chases where, for example, an SUV piloted by Min-jung's daughter Jooni (Re Lee) takes out marauding zombies by engaging in all sorts of stunt maneuvers which don't just defy the laws of physics, they bring a degree of unreality to the proceedings that may deflate any suspense.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Note: Screenshots are sourced from the 1080 Blu-ray. Additional 1080 screenshots are available in the Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula Blu-ray review.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula is presented in 4K UHD courtesy of Well Go USA with a 2160p transfer in 2.39:1. There are a number of stylistic choices, including some aggressive grading and especially repeated use of handheld cameras, which can tend to materially affect detail levels in both the 1080 and 2160 presentations, but in more "stable" environments, and even when some of those grading choices are being employed, there's a noticeable uptick in fine detail in this version in its best moments. That said, there's a kind of harsh digital look to this presentation at times that looks almost like it's filtered despite the fact that this was digitally captured. Already iffy CGI is not necessarily helped by the increased resolution on tap here, but the "good news" in that regard is that a lot of the effects involving zombies are littered with whip pans and other "jiggly cam" that make trying to pinpoint fine detail more than a bit of a challenge. The most interesting parts of this presentation to my eyes were the new highlights courtesy of Dolby Vision. There's a prevalence of both blue and green tones utilized throughout the story, and many, including the whole opening sequence detailing the rush to the freighter, can offer a slightly more teal tinged appearance. Detail levels are probably materially affected the most by some of the blue tones, which are often used in quasi-day for night sequences. That approach, along with a surplus of really dark material, can lead to general murkiness which even HDR can't completely compensate for (I was perhaps expecting more of an increase in shadow detail in this presentation). Well Go USA's compressionist hasn't encountered any daunting challenges based on the results here, and in that regard I'd add that it's kind of refreshing to see the label's masthead without the prevalent banding that often accompanies it on 1080 discs.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula features a nicely detailed Dolby Atmos track in the original Korean. This may not consistently utilize overhead effects, but they're noticeable in many sequences, including some of the relentless car chases (which also provide some of the best panning effects in the mix) and even in scenes of zombies marauding through humans, as in the "fight club" sequences. If there may not always be a maximum amount of verticality, there is certainly immersion to spare, with the side and rear channels regularly engaged throughout the many outdoor scenes, and with ominous LFE helping to create angst during several attack scenes. Dialogue is rendered cleanly and clearly throughout. Optional English subtitles are available.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

The 4K UHD disc has no supplements, and the score above reflects that deficit. The 1080 disc bundled with this release has the slim bonus material detailed in our Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula Blu-ray review.

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula is way too derivative for its own good, but even worse, it's ridiculously repetitive after a while. There are still moments of tension, to be sure, but the film struggles mightily to get to the same emotion levels the first film seemed to achieve with much less effort. Video has a few hurdles to overcome, but audio is great, for those who are considering a purchase.