The Good, The Bad, The Weird

The Good, The Bad, The Weird is yet another intriguing film directed by Kim Ji-woon. Released in 2008, this South Korean western twist was inspired by the American movie The Good, The Bad, The Ugly and is successfully remade into a 1930's setting of the once great Manchuria region.

Plot

Known as the greatest hit man of the North and also an aspiring bandit with a growing gang, Park Chang-yi (The Bad) is hired by a Japanese official to retrieve a map leading to great treasures. With a heinous rep on his history, a bounty is placed upon Chang-yi which brings out the eagle-eyed hunter known as Park Do-won (The Good) whose hoping to make some cash after taking out the intricate assassin. Oddly finding loopholes in Chang-yi's plan, Do-won awaits him on a stopped train in which the map is said to be located. Unbeknownst to both Good and Bad, Yoon Tae-goo (The Weird), whose known as a petty thief and train robber, falls upon the map along with other heirlooms.

After a short and rather extensive shootout, Chang-yi recognizes Tae-goo, but fails to stop him. When Tae-goo realizes that he's stolen a map that leads to inevitable riches, he travels across the Manchurian desert in hopes of finding luxury. But Do-won and Chang-yi aren't that far behind.

Overall

I can't explain my love for this movie. I've seen it almost a thousand times and it never tires me. Maybe I'm a little too attracted to Lee Byunghun adorning a rugged getup, classy attire and cartilage piercings, but who wouldn't be? Byunghun is a marvelous actor. Not only does he take on the role of a bad boy hit man, portraying a character that's undergone psychological damage is reflected in the little things such as his thought process or how easy it is to become a trigger happy gunman.

I'm a bit attracted to the villains, so maybe identifying his characteristics as Park Chang-yi and fawning over them is a bit crazy, but hey, beauty belongs to the eye of the beholder. Speaking of crazy, Chang-yi expresses what Mibbian Xia and I call "The Crazy Eyes" which is probably the highlight of Chang-yi's being. When he's plotting an attack or pondering after power, his eyes just become so intense it's striking.

I've memorized the makeup of Park Chang-yi. He knows he's bad and he knows he's powerful. He deems himself the best of the best which probably leads to his demise. From the way he walks to the way he talks, Park Chang-yi is an arrogant, power-hungry and heinous individual who will get what he wants even if it kills him.

Now while Jung Woosung was listed as a supporting character, I thought his appearances, which were quite frequent, expressed the true nature of bounty hunters doing what they do best. While Park Do-won began to help Yoon Tae-goo after finalizing a deal to split the treasure "60/40", Tae-goo too had a bounty over his head. But the big bucks lay with Chang-yi so Chang-yi he hunted.

I've read reviews of other people's opinions regarding Do-won being a bit too good at what he does. I thought that was absolutely peculiar for something to analyze it in such a way. If he wasn't good at hunting others or being a sharpshooter as many deem fit, I don't think he'd last a day against any enemy who he pondered after let alone have the confidence to go after Chang-yi. Then again, this is a western inspired movie directed by Kim Ji-woon. That should be self-explanatory in itself.

Song Kang-ho playing Yoon Tae-goo was absolute perfection. He's comedic, he's relate-able, and frankly, you can't even take him seriously. He's just a petty thief that's been thrown into something he can't fight against, but plot twist, he can. I think having a character like him brought out an equilibrium within The Good, The Bad, The Weird. He wasn't the bad hit man having a fun time playing with other peoples lives nor was he the bounty hunter with a good aim. He was simply a weird guy running across the Manchurian desert and adapting oddly to shootouts or interactions with others.

If you're looking for an action packed, comedic and insanely intricate plot, Kim Ji-woon's The Good, The Bad, The Weird will not fail you. And eye candy is not a miss in this piece because Jung Woosung vs. Lee Byunghun is hot in any situation, even in a western setting.

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