Fabricated City (2017) User Reviews

Amazing Movie!!

[keitamatsuda · 8/10 · 13 April 2017]

i don't understand how this film doesn't get famous. It's amazing!!!!!! The Plot, acting, action, everything is amazing i couldn't find any of it boring. It is depicted a real life in the prison, how someone might get crazy because of it, and then it all changed into an amazing action, where the MC learns the truth and get companions.

The plot to start the movie is a bit similar with other movies, but, seriously, this is a must watch movie!!

Really enjoyable movie with good twists

[justfreshh · 8/10 · 24 March 2021]

I recommend only watching this movie if you can find it on DVD, or if it's available on a streaming service somewhere.

I watched this online and the English subtitles were very poor, a lot of grammatical / spelling errors that didn't even make sense half the time and a lot of the scenes didn't even have subtitles at all which was very disappointing.

Still really enjoyed the movie regardless.

Team Work

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 2 July 2021]

Makes the dream work? Well sometimes it is also the nightmares that it makes work ... but let's not get ahead of ourselves. The movie starts off in something that would make sense with the German/International title of Fabricated City ... and then it sort of turns around and yanks the floor under your feet and goes a different direction ... and then it does so again.

It seems willing to not just surprise you, but give you different genres ... having said that, to achieve certain things, it seems necessary to serve up some cliches and feed them to you. You may take issue with some of them or maybe even all of them .. but if you do, you will derive yourself of a fun ride. Yes things get convenient and yes this will be predictable from a point forward ... still the action is tight and the insanity is more entertaining rather than boring ... which is a good thing I'd say.

Life with traps

[muxlisasattorova · 1 December 2022]

Humanity is acquiring all the right technology for all the wrong reasons (R. Buckminster 2015). This statement became true in the main charecters of lives in Korean movie "Fabricated city" which directed by Park Kwang Hyun in 2017, also known as "Trips of the city" which shed light on how technology can influence on people's lives and change your life in opposite way.

Kwon Yu is the main charecter of this movie who is unemployed online gamer, leader of the online games and ex- champion from taekwando. He blamed for raping and killing girl. However, he tried to prove his innocence to police. Another main charecter was Yeo Wool who good hacker and true friend of Kwon Yu in the movie.

It has been already five years and during this time it awarded in several awards and nominations and collected more than eighteen million US dollars. The main theme was how we can blame innocent or prove culprits with help of technology.

I suddenly watch this film because of high recommendation and I honestly told that it was one of the most well produced film which ever seen in my life. I learned many lessons from main hero Kwon Yu to never give up in any impossible situations except die. He could be great example for brave, smart and reasonable man.

Additionally, he motivated me to never give up to study well and never tired to learn new things because if ordinary online gamer could escape from prison and prove his innocence why I cannot be good student.

An innovative flick that can also be described as Koreas take on Bollywood action movies

[IamROCKAS · 7/10 · 21 March 2021]

My experience with this movie is unlike anything else. Action isn't a genre that I'm particularly excited for but in this instance, it kind of worked with ridiculous effects. I can only describe Fabricated City as the Korean take on Bollywood action flicks with an original concept on the crime and mystery genre.

I'll start with the weakest point in the movie - the plot. A lot of the scenes lacked imagination. A prison break never looked so easy here... a gang of criminals served a role of comic relief instead of being a threat. Technological miracles can be performed at a snap of a finger... those are just a couple of questionable points that didn't click with me. And yet, we also had a brilliant frame job scheme that just works really well here and that was probably my favorite thing in the movie. It's like a reverse scheme of the one in Oldboy, where the victim is locked up after being framed for a murder elaborately. That was just one of the twists in the movie but it wasn't the last. In fact, it may have had one or two twists too many. Nonetheless, you get used to the action-filled flick with its twists soon enough and you end up either cheering or laughing from the pure ridiculousness that this movie provides from time to time.

And speaking about pure ridiculousness, I cannot mention the action here. As I stated before, I felt like it took a page or two from the Bollywood action flicks. It can also be described as an IRL anime experience, where the protagonist gets a massive beating but still stands up and is stronger than ever. That's how ridiculous the action is here. What's surprising to me is that it's actually done in a good fashion most of the time. When it's not cars flying out of the 5th floor and landing perfectly or fighting off a horde of prisoners with make-shift tools, the action was actually interesting, even with the over-the-top intensity of it. There was a scene that wasn't necessarily my favorite but I liked how it was edited - the fight scene with the lights out. By seeing nothing, the protagonist just throws grains of rice around the room and uses the sound to know where to attack. It's doesn't sound great or even interesting on paper but the way it was shot was actually... innovative.

Overall, I'd say it was an enjoyable movie. It wasn't something ground-breaking and the over-the-top action didn't always click with me but the innovations they tried to implement when filming this movie are actually not often seen in the popular cinema, so it did feel pretty fresh from a certain standpoint. Props to the director Bae Jong for his work here and hopefully Korean cinema continues to deliver.

The front is still normal, and the back is a collection of plug-ins. But the criminals still have good ideas.

[yoggwork · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

The front is still normal, and the back is a collection of plug-ins. But the criminals still have good ideas.

Very interesting movie

[hausiusi-288-725893 · 10/10 · 27 June 2017]

Who didn't see this movie yet, congrats, they can enjoy the first watch. The movie is breathtaking, after the second minute it is very interesting and it is difficult to pause or stop watching. Actors play very well. For this kind of movie I don't think, that better performance is necessary. I set 10, because of the emotions which I got during the watch and for intensive course of events.

Good but not actually

[abrarism · 7/10 · 19 May 2022]

Just watched the movie, and I dont really know what should i say. I'm blown away.

Cinematography, Acting . Plot, characters. Everything is amazing actually.

First half were so good, slow enough against the story. But the last half was so fast. There were so much at a short time ! The plot was too big, this movie should've been more long. Things were detailed and showed well. But thay can do it more better, but they were on hurry. There were literally no time to rest, no time to think, so half of movie was very fast paced and felt rushed. , messy . There were no space for thinking, and the movie lost its deepness. Everything else were so damn good.

Fantastic movie - underdog!

[micmac-61651 · 10/10 · 20 May 2018]

This movie is fantastic. had no idea what it was about but i let it unravel itself. The acting is great and kept me fascinated by wanting more. Each actor played a strong character and the story line worked well. Sad at some points. Im not sure why there are some really low ratings, maybe because they didnt like reading subtitles.. but i thoroughly enjoyed this movie and hope to see more of this type. I registered on here just so i could review this.

Ji Chang Wook was a hit

[india-amu25 · 7/10 · 30 March 2021]

As unique and interesting Fabricated City is, the only thing better than a fascinating story is the actor who blew his audience' minds. JCW's talent shines through and the way he portrays 'Captain' is amazing. The graphics are pretty good too.

Don't trust anyone

[tenshi_ippikiookami · 4/10 · 16 April 2017]

Kwon Yoo, whose life consists of playing all the time video games and who is 'throwing away' his life at the eyes of his mother, founds a phone ringing in a PC Bang. The person on the other side of the line, the owner, tells him that she will pay him a lot of money for returning the phone. Kwon Yoo goes to get the money and finds himself framed for murder and thrown into prison. Will he be able to survive there?

"Fabricated City" is an interesting movie that doesn't break the mold in the plot department (framed innocent character that will have to prove their innocence) but tries to overcome this with flashy visuals, lots of camera work and the use of technology as a plot device.

However, the movie cannot overcome its flimsy plot, a plot that stretches over two hours and tries a one or two twists too many. On top of that, the pace and direction make it have a very detached look and in too many places the slow motion is overused for no particular purpose, as with Kown Yoo first moments in prison. The direction also seems to think that constant cuts and strange camera angles make for cool visuals.

The acting is all posturing, but it works for this kind of movie. The hero, though, is a little bit bland and it is difficult to invest in him.

It all ends being your typical B action movie with A production values. A bigger interest in the pace and characterization and less in the visuals would have improved it.

Unexpectedly Awesome Movie with Tight Story and Great Acting!

[frdgrntmt · 9/10 · 15 July 2017]

Fantastic movie! Didn't know what to expect but it had a great story, good pacing and spot-on acting by Ji Chang Wook and the rest of the cast. The movie definitely has its serious moments which I personally think was necessary to invest the audience with the sense of justice that Kwon Yoo, the protagonist, feels is due to him. Great edge of your seat action, right amount of suspense to make you wonder about what will happen next, at times laugh-out-loud wit and comic sense, and great acting by the cast. And of course, all of this brought on by great execution by director Park Kwang Hyun.

Movies like this make me think positively about the future of Korean cinema because outside the smoke and mirrors of domestic and international awards, what Korean cinema lacks is tight execution and good old storytelling of otherwise creative concepts. Sometimes I feel Korean movies focus too much on sensationalism (be it gruesomeness or eroticism bordering on pornography), technical camera work and production value rather than storytelling, character development and execution. It's nice to see a movie that is well- made and reminds us of the fun of going to the movies. Nicely done.

Worse than expected yet still worth watching

[mikkiparker · 6/10 · 22 May 2022]

The plot of this film is really intriguing. An innocent person is framed for a murder he/she did not commit. I could say it did resemble Hollywood's "Double Jeopardy" with Ashley Judd or the recent Korean drama "One Ordinary Day" with Kim Soo Hyun. The actors also did a good job, however, the whole relationship between Kwon Yoo and Yeo Wool felt rushed and not authentic. I could not feel the chemistry the actors were trying to portray. There were moments that felt overly dramatic - for example when Kwon Yoo is in prison and learns martial arts within weeks or during an unknown period considering his time in prison was not told. The idea of fighting in dark using rice was good but the execution and visual side of it was not so much considering the film was shot in 2017 when high-end technology was already available.

Overall, I did like the idea, the plot and the acting. Visually the fight scenes were okay but the graphics of some of the scenes were not good. In my personal opinion, this film is deserving to see at least once so give it a chance!

An action movie lover would love this

[Misss25 · 5/10 · 16 March 2022]

The story starts with a gamer named, Kwon, who is also known as Captain '' among game mates. Once he is asked to deliver a phone to an apartment, however,next day, he found himself laying in a couch blood in his hand and soon accused as murderer. His miserable life starts as soon as he entered into jail. But, he finds a way to escape and to prove his innocence. Outside of the jail, he surprisingly meets his fellow game mates who he even doesn't know properly. They all agreed to help him out. So,their journey begins... Will his allies able to prove his innocence??

Movie is good, it has bunches of action scenes. But, ending was not up to my expectations. I think, it's shown a bit more about high technologies. As it isn't a science fiction, I think, it's bit more.

( Korean B+ Movie) My Ratings 9/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 9/10 · 10 March 2020]

Once again Korean Cinema offers you ( at least ) three film genres in one film. Lets see - Cyber Thriller, Tough Prison, Buddy Movie, Action-Comedy ..make it four! The tone of the movie is consequently uneven as it goes for laughs in places then pours on some brutal scenes. It could have used a bit of a trim in the edit suite as two hours is just too long to maintain tension. On the plus side there are some nice cyber visuals and a very pantomime villain. If you want to stick the noodle in neutral it wont make any difference as the plot is just a thin excuse for the action sequences. Oh and theres some McGyver type scenes too - there's another Genre!

SICK MOVIE

[jsalasny · 9/10 · 8 September 2018]

WATCH IT!!! ITS FRKN DOPE Dont listen to negatives...

Could and should have been so much more.

[paulclaassen · 5/10 · 15 December 2018]

This is an interesting story about a syndicate framing innocent people for murder and raepe. The visuals are striking and the action scenes are very good. I found all the fighting scenes in the beginning brutal and unpleasant to watch, but the fighting soon paid off, as it made our hero, Kwon Yu (Chang-Wook Ji) a much stronger and more determined character.

However, the film soon becomes technologically advanced and also too complicated. It also feels as if they're mixing together way too many ideas and genres for everything to blend smoothly. This is a mystery action sci-fi fantasy drama thriller with humor. The climatic chase scene has the best action sequences and could have been thrilling and suspenseful. Instead, it is treated with slapstick humor, rendering the action ineffective and without so much as a hint of suspense. Treated more seriously, this had the potential to be an awesome action thriller. It was still good, but not awesome.

Better than a modern James Bond

[the_doofy · 9/10 · 7 March 2018]

It makes more sense, and has all the action.

--The only problem is that U can tell it has inaccurate translations, like so many asian movies.

acting is excellent, action is actually alit over the top, music is spot on, script is very good, ending is predictable, some original humor in it with a little car being a running gag throughout movie

Its got some originality in some parts, and some modern applicability with tech and on line gaming

A mystery ultra action fest that even a woman (who likes mysteries) may be able to enjoy. My wife enjoyed it, and she usually avoids the standard man movie fares.

Over hyped

[lazybum-77888 · 3/10 · 4 January 2018]

I don't understand all the hype for this movie, plain and simple... it's not good. It's like a South Korean version of transformer, all action, I don't what is going on most of the time, no reasons or explanations behind actions... the action just happens. Again half the time I don't know what the is going on... Most of all character development, trust me, you're not going to get attached to these characters at all.

Much better than expected ( B+ Movie) My Ratings 9/10

[THE-BEACON-OF-MOVIES-RAFA · 9/10 · 2 February 2020]

Forensic beater , this movie beat the entire forensic department , very clever and high level work .if you are into Forensic science Do not miss this Movie

Exceptional flick

[jackmeat · 9/10 · 31 July 2018]

My quick rating - 8,8/10. WOW. It has been a long time since I have seen a movie that hits on all cylinders like this. Each aspect, be it drama, action, sci-fi, mystery, basically you name it minus horror gets touched upon and brilliantly. I can't say anything about the acting since it most likely is fine, but reading it takes away from that. I don't judge acting when I don't understand the actors and can't trust the subtitles to be accurate. The movie is about a virtual reality online game champion, and team leader (i say that since it has to do with the movie) who gets framed for a murder. To the extents of the frame job would be criminal for me to describe, you just have to see it. Basically he is imprisoned for this, and while there, he insists his innocence and befriends a serial killer to get some advice on how to get out. Well, the movie would be ok with it being just about that, but he does of course need to prove his innocence, so once out he hooks up with his online team to do just that. Now my description is vague, at best, for a good reason. To give up anything more would not do justice to how well this movie works. The visuals are fantastic, each scene either perfectly believable in the real world, or completely out there on a tech level, or even a bit beautiful in a fantasy world. The action scenes are top notch, and as with most movies from the orient, this being Korean, the scenes are long and very detailed. Do yourself a favor and check this movie out, one of the few times I hope Hollywood gets their hands on this and can even close to touch the quality of this with some American actors. I don't need to pick anyone out, just I could see this being a phenom in the right hands (easier to follow for us who only speak English). Then again, it already was.

Ji Chang Wook is great but the movie is too jam packed with action

[phd_travel · 5/10 · 19 April 2021]

This action packed violent thriller is just too stuffed full of action and twists. Sometimes less is more. Things start off quite well with an innocent guy a former athlete who plays lots of online games is framed for a brutal underage rape and murder. Then there is some convincing prison brutality. After the escape things get convoluted although if you know the plot in advance it helps. His lawyer played by the versatile and wonderful Oh Jung Se had framed him while running this elaborate business of framing innocent people for the crimes of the powerful and rich by planting evidence and setting up the whole crime scene. Our hero is is rescued by his online gaming buddies who help him take down the system and also fighting the big bad gangster who beat him up in prison. Things are explained along the way and I can buy the over the top plot but there is just too much going on in every scene and it feels a bit nauseating after a while. There is an unnecessary car chase leading to the exposure and take down. If things had been reduced and simplified a bit the story would have had more impact.

Ji Chang Wook acts well and for someone with a pretty face he is good at action movies. If you want an adrenaline rush then okay but this movie could have been better.

Fabricated City Review: A stylish action film which will appeal more to the youth.

[Achyut_Prashast_Singh · 9/10 · 13 September 2017]

Movie: Fabricated city (15)

Rating: 4.5/5

I liked this film because it has amazing visuals, excellent action, mind-boggling thrills and a watertight script. It's a film targeted at youth like us and that's another reason why I enjoyed it very much.

The film's excellence is visible from the very first scene: it's the best part of the film in my opinion. As the film progresses, it turns out to be something extremely surprising. If you've seen the trailer you might be having great expectations from this film, and happily it's doesn't disappoint.

Ji Chang-wook fits in the lead role and does an excellent job. Same for the rest of the cast, especially his friends and the antagonists.

The visuals are breathtaking, and the action scenes are "explosive". The editing is decent and some dialogues are memorable.

FABRICATED CITY is an impressive action thriller which will be liked more by the youth than any other audience.

fugitive + fast furious + prison break + video game

[stermix501 · 5/10 · 3 February 2021]

Totally watchable at first sight, but slightly annoying at times (unless you like all the genres in the title). Certainly well done, but tiresome like if made by 5-6 different directors. So, after the end it is forgetable if not considered a waste of time. To me the latest at this day, few days after watching it.

It's cooool!

[cdayoning · 10/10 · 24 January 2021]

JICHNGWOOK's spectacular action stands out. Very interesting movie.