Phantom (I) (2023) User Reviews

Beautiful but annoyingly silly

[liedtkepaulina · 4/10 · 18 November 2023]

Japanese police arrests our characters as suspected Korean resistance members. He tells them that he would start torturing them the next day. He doesn't search them for hidden guns or cyanide pills, though. Instead, he sends them to their rooms, where windows face a cliff... I get it, the propaganda aspect was important, so the Japanese had to be presented in a bad light. But I don't think Japanese officers were morons of such epic proportions. If they had been, no resistance movement would've been needed, they'd just forget to breathe and die on their own.

It's a pity that the movie is so unrealistic in terms of plot, because visually, it's stunning. The camera work deserves high praise, capturing details beautifully and enhancing the dramatics by close-ups on actor's faces, when needed. The cast is absolutely great too. Huge potential wasted.

A big disappointment

[malaikallan · 2/10 · 6 January 2024]

This movie is blatantly made to cater exclusively to American audiences, solely for the purpose of trying to impress those who fancy themselves as aficionados of deep messages. To salvage some semblance of credibility, they should have had the guts to off one of the leading female characters. The film is a colossal letdown. It's utterly pathetic how unrealistically contrived the plot is because, on a superficial level, it's visually impressive. The cinematography is praiseworthy, expertly capturing intricate details and exploiting close-ups on actors' faces for dramatic effect. The cast is undeniably talented, making this a colossal squandering of potential.

Bucket of Emotion

[piyalibiswas-59642 · 8/10 · 10 August 2023]

Pure firecracker of a spectacle, lacquered in glistening big-screen gloss, augmenting old-fashioned locked-room/whodunit approach and spycraft with con temporarily savage, propulsive, female-centred action, and well-timed dashes of comic relief. As far as styled-to-the-hilt historical pulp goes, a tremendously satisfying time. It's 1933 and Korea is occupied by Japan.

They are in the process of inaugurating a Japanese Governor.

There is a small organized Korean resistance group called the BLackout. It's members are called ghosts.

Their aim is to kick Japan out and assassinate the new Governor.

They have infiltrated the local government, the bravest of them being women.

After a failed assassination attempt, 5 members of the local government are taken to a remote castle to be interrogated by the Japanese.

They are suspected of being ghosts.

Among them is a vain Japanese police captain whose mother was Korean, making him a suspect.

It is in this castle that the carnage begins and eventually spreads.

Two dedicated Korean women prove to be invincible.

The cinematography is excellent as is the non-stop tempo and fight choreography.

The music was atmospheric and reflective of the time and the costume design was authentic.

I found the acting ensemble of Lee Hanee, Park So-Dam, Sol Kyung-gu and Park Hae-soo to be excellent.

For Korean movie lovers this spy action thriller is an enjoyable ride that should not be missed.

Boring then violent but just too fake

[phd_travel · 2/10 · 7 December 2023]

This is a bad movie. The first part is so boring and slow and artificial. Then there is a sudden burst of out of control action and fighting. At first the villain seems to be Park Hae Soo then it isn't. Who cares who the phantom is in the end. Can't feel for the characters. And what is with the setting in that sea side cliff mansion? It just seems too exaggerated and fake but not in a satirical way like Song of Bandits. This one just feels off. What a badly written screenplay. What a waste of all the talent and effort.

This is not a good movie about the resistance against the Japanese. It would be better to watch Hero the true life musical about Ahn also with Kim Go Eun. There are so many real stories to be made why concoct up this strange thing? This movie shouldn't have been made. Not all K movies with big stars are worth watching.

Unfortunately waste of time

[wasanw · 2/10 · 12 January 2024]

"What a disappointment! You might be drawn to the actors of this movie at first, but over time, you discover how weak and poorly woven the story is. Despite enjoying Korean movies and having watched many of them, this film was an exception. The characters representing the Korean resistance were so provocative that it made you sympathize with the enemies. This, of course, is due to the poor story and direction. The Japanese soldiers acted extremely foolishly and without any justifications, giving the protagonists a chance to defeat them in a simplistic and poorly constructed way. There were many situations in the film that were dull, unexplained, provocative, and disrespectful to the viewer's intelligence. Unfortunately, despite the good performances by the actors, the overall work didn't meet the expected standard. The only impressive thing was the cinematography.