Arahan (2004)

This Movie Can Only Be Described With One Word.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Easily the biggest piece of Right wing non sense propaganda I ever saw.

This is really the second Korean movie I saw after 'Shadow less swords' n I am amazed at the maturity of Korean Cinema.. Arahan really was a fantastic movie.. The acting of the lead actors was really good... really up to the standards. Seung-beom Ryu as a gawky policemen n ever so wonderful So-Yi Yoon. The treatment of the storyline, the direction n effects.. all fell in line.To say I am curious about Korean movies now would be an understatement... I am looking for more ...In fact I would welcome suggestions from some one who can guide me..Really a superb movie to watch.. just great.

With a tag line of "Urban Martial Arts Mayhem", and featuring a villain that comes pretty close to being an evil Korean Jesus, how can 'Arahan' not be awesome? It may not be quite as awesome as the trailer made out, but it still manages to be pretty cool.Sang-Hwan is in a fix. He is a rather ineffective police officer who seems to go out of his way to get beaten up. The Seven Masters (of which there actually five) are in a fix. The kids don't believe in the Tao anymore, and the ability to levitate seems only useful in changing light bulbs. After Sang-Hwan ends on the receiving end of a palm-blast from Eui-Jin, she takes Sang-Hwan back to the Seven Masters (of which there are actually five) where they discover his un-tapped chi-potential. The Masters want to train Eui-Jin and Sang-Hwan as replacement Masters, and Sang-Hwan just wants to learn how to perform a palm chi-blast. However, Evil Korean Jesus has been accidentally released from his prison, and now seeks (among other things) revenge against the Seven Masters, and world domination. Ambitious.If I could one major fault with 'Arahan', it is that the movie takes itself too seriously at times. On the other hand, 'Volcano High', despite being presented in a serious way, was non-stop fun. 'Arahan' sometimes drags on, giving away few laughs, but then makes up for it with scenes of awesomeness.Complaints aside, it was generally a funny movie, with some nice visual effects and some pretty cool fantasy fight scenes. 'Arahan' is an enjoyable action / comedy - 7/10

There's an awful lot to like in "Arahan," but, then again, there's always something to like in any film that features a bumbling misfit saving the world.Sang-hwan is a young police officer, and he's not a very good one. Bespectacled and nervous, he's not exactly welcomed with open arms at work. He bumbles his way into one mess and out of another, all despite his good intentions, and he ends up causing himself (and others) more harm than good. When several old masters guarding the key to enlightenment identify a strong ch'i in him that – if properly nourished and trained – could save mankind from a newly awakened evil, Sang-hwan decides to believe in himself and accept his new role as a guardian of society … but not without bumbling headfirst into the responsibility."Arahan" opens with a pace and tone that feels far more dark than the script ever delivers, and moments of whimsy aren't as funny as was quite possibly intended. In fact, Sang-hwan's beating at the hands of a street gang is downright violent, completely void of any humor. Thankfully, the uneven pacing of the first half gives way to some welcome surprises in the second, complete with a spectacular showdown to save mankind with frenetic swordfights, great humor, and some spectacular wire-fu.If anything, "Arahan" takes itself a bit too seriously again in the closing moments of the fisticuffs when too many fight sequences are photographed in brain-friendly slow motion (gee, doesn't this all look pretty and significant?). But that's a small complaint for a film that delivers some impressive action sequences, some inspired special effects, and more than a dozen good belly laughs.

Being of Korean descent and a huge film buff (especially Harry Potter), but having no knowledge of Korean films (which my parents find is a disgrace), my father thought it would be good for me to watch "Arahan". It's set in a modern-time period, but takes martial arts and special effects to a whole new level with characters running down the side of buildings, jumping great distances and even having this power called "jangpung", which is blasting objects out of the way. Normally, I would have called this cheesy, but the director and writers actually made it funny. Now, the main character isn't a typical superhero. He's a deadbeat cop with no self-esteem whatsoever. You follow him as he's recruited by the Seven Masters and trained into shape. He falls in love with one of the Seven Masters, Eui-Jun. An evil spirit takes human form and looks for this legendary sword. It's your typical Asian action movie, but it's also extremely funny and fast-paced. I recommend this movie to fans of Asian action and/or comedy.