Attack the Gas Station! (2001)

Really Surprised!

A very feeble attempt at affirmatie action

it is the rare 'crazy' movie that actually has something to say.

Each character in this movie — down to the smallest one — is an individual rather than a type, prone to spontaneous changes of mood and sometimes amusing outbursts of pettiness or ill humor.

A lot of reviewers have mentioned the "social commentary" in this movie. Oh it's great because of the social commentary. Social commentary! Well that may be the subtext but the reality is that anyone who showed up at the gas station with a gun or even a knife would have gotten the best of these idiots in about two seconds. Better yet, anyone over 5'4, 150# could have just knocked any of them over. There's absolutely nothing scary about any of these characters who are either vainly tossing their hair around and playing bar 80s techno, misunderstood little boys lashing out because they miss their parents, hurting inside because their daddy didn't support their desire to be an artist, or preparing for a Karate Kid remake by screaming at everyone. It seemed like the actors had watched too many American movies and were trying to imitate characters they'd seen before. At times, it was so obvious it was embarrassing. One guy just had a long stick and yelled loudly which intimidated everyone. Anyone could have easily grabbed it from him and game over. One guy tried to pull the thousand yard stare on everyone which got uncomfortable because he's got nothing to back it up. The dumb blond guy with long hair is not at all intimidating but he's playing the unpredictable crazy role. Never know what this got will do. Ooooooooh. This movie seemed to be attempting A Clockwork Orange mixed with Warriors but in Korean. The main reason it wasn't successful was because none of their "hostages" seemed to put up any real fight. The owner of the place kept the money hidden even after being "tortured." None of these guys appeared tough or even scary. Nobody really tried to escape and they even intimidated the police successfully. With no weapons? Not bloody likely. It's beyond silly. The reason why a movie like Clockwork worked was because these were really intimidating guys who weren't afraid to kill or rape. They were genuinely not all there and showed that they could win in a fight. The gang in this movie win their fights with virtually no resistance and they do not come off as tough at all. There's nothing to recommend them and you are rooting against them throughout. Anti-heroes are perfectly ok but these guys didn't even have enough substance to be considered anti heros. The movie was too long and way too repetitive and boring. Nothing really happens and their lame attempt to inject humor into the situation was an utter failure. Social commentary or not, there are way better ways to show the disillusionment of Korean youth wrought by the Asian Financial Crisis. You would have a better time visiting a gas station than watching this movie.

The DVD box says: "This film either serves as a political parable about Korean society, a microcosm of Korean social problems or, alternately, just a hell of a lot of fun." I couldn't sum it up any better."Attack the Gas Station!" can be many things... or nothing at all. Therein lies the mark of a great work of art. I'm not familiar with Korean politics or society, so I can't comment on whether it's a fitting allegory for those... but I personally saw this film as a brilliant "immorality play" and definitely a lot of fun.Like the classic morality plays of the 15th century, it uses characters to personify certain human virtues & vices. However, unlike a classic morality play which is supposed to teach a moral lesson, "Attack the Gas Station!" draws no moral conclusions ...except maybe that you should never p*ss off Chinese food delivery boys. They can get nasty.Instead of moralizing over right & wrong, this film simply tells it like it is. The plot & premise is summed up in the title: a bunch of hoodlums decide to attack a gas station. They do it for no real reason other than "just because". If you're a fan of Camus ("The Stranger") and certain other influential writers of the 20th century, already you see an interesting theme of existentialism here.As the film progresses, we see that theme become more powerful. Characters answer to no higher morality other than their own individual instincts. Good & bad become irrelevant. Actions, reactions and situations seem almost random. Folks, if I were to teach a 10th grade English class about Existentialism, I'd say to heck with Camus, Sartre & all those heady books... just watch "Attack the Gas Station!" and have a blast.On the flip side, if you watch this movie and try to judge what's right & wrong, you may hate it. Like "Pulp Fiction" the lines of right & wrong are erased, and often the most likable characters are the ones who are doing horrible things.OK, enough of that deep stuff. Let's assume the movie is just intended to be "a hell of a lot of fun". It's definitely a comedy, but the comedy isn't in your face. It's more like an absurdist comedy where the situations are so bizarre you can't help but laugh. In that respect it reminded me of Buñuel's 1962 surrealist classic "Exterminating Angel". In the DVD interview, the director of "Attack the Gas Station!" states that the gas station is designed to represent a fantasy bubble, separate from the rest of the world, where peoples' true natures come out and anything goes.Also in the DVD interview, he mentions that each of the 4 main characters represents a different emotional aspect, and the 4 put together represent a complete individual. I can't remember exactly who represents what, and you'll probably have more fun figuring that out for yourself, but for example "Mad Dog" may represent frustration, "Rock Star" may represent regret, etc.The presentation itself is stylish, hip and fast paced, like an MTV video. It may remind you of "Amelie" or other Jean-Pierre Jeunet films (who, himself, claims to be influenced by Japanese and Korean films). If you're familiar with Asian cinema, think of "Kamikaze Girls" or "Cutie Honey (live action)". But there are also some sober moments giving us time to reflect on the deeper significance... if there is any.Like I said, "Attack the Gas Station!" can be many things... or nothing at all. The best part is that it doesn't pretend to be anything, so it's up to you. I highly recommend it for a philosophical/socio-political mind trip as well as a mindless action-comedy flick. See it if you get the chance.

4 disaffected young men hijack a petrol station. They kidnap customers and hold them hostage.There is a fair bit that can be criticised in this film but I enjoyed it immensely.The comedy is utterly amoral- I kept finding myself laughing at things I shouldn't be laughing at. The main characters behave very badly on the whole but I found myself sympathising with them immensely, even before the flashbacks explaining their motivation(s).The acting and production is very enthusiastic if not overly polished- looks like they had a blast making this.Criticisms-The production values are pretty low for a Korean flick. Some aspects of some scenes seem rather gratuitous- like all the motorbike stunts when the delivery boys turn up. The plot gets a little silly at times. Clearly in real life they would have been blown to smithereens a few times with all the petrol spilled.This movie was a massive hit for me, it takes a lot of chances and lacks a little polish but is all the better for breaking so many rules.

This is a rather mediocre film, that doesn't has a lot going for it. It taps into a kind of anarchic 80's sensibility, and that is it's only selling point. The leading quartet is not very likable, and their, at times, sadistic behavior towards their hostages leaves a rather crude impression of the filmmakers.The only ones who have a chance of really liking this film, are troubled teenagers at odds with the world. And even they could do a whole lot better.The plot goes nowhere really, and it doesn't help that you're stuck in the goddamn gas station for the whole movie. I know it is 'that' kind of movie, but it could be done more charming and interesting.