Haeundae
(aka Tidal Wave, The Deadly Tsunami)
2009; directed by Yoon Je-Kyoon

Taking a page from the big-budget disaster movie playbook set forth by pictures like Independence Day and The Day After Tomorrow, the 2009 South Korean box office hit Haeundae (aka Tidal Wave) showcases spectacular special effects that transcend the cliched nature of the story, which creates a fun, if totally brainless, "popcorn" film.

The initial seventy-five minutes or so of the film plays out more like a "dramedy", with the focus being on several inter-connected residents of the titular city, which is a popular Korean tourist destination. The characters are a hodge-podge of stereotypes, from the kindly but troubled shop owner, the cute girl he has a unrequited crush on, an evil land baron, and, naturally, a scientist that keeps trying to warn everyone of impending doom.

While the first part of the movie definitely could have used some trimming, especially in the comedy department, which relies far too much on stupid slapstick, ultimately it's not too much of a chore to get through these scenes. Director Yoon Je-Kyoon keeps the focus on characters long enough so that get invested in their particular arc, but not so long as to instill boredom in the viewer. The actors also do a good job, given what little they had to work with. Hell, even the kid actors (who are usually cinematic torture in these types of movies) are actually likeable.

But, really, one probably isn't watching this sort of movie for any deep mediations on life and love. Rather, most just want to watch a lot of stuff blow up real good, which you'll definitely get here in spades during the final act. Sure, the special effects aren't up to the level of the latest US releases like 2012, but keep in mind that this movie was made for "only" US$15 million, and it still looks damn good. Yes, even the world's greatest special effects can't totally cover up an average story, but sometimes, you just need the filmic equivalent of a all-you-can-eat buffet -- something that doles out a bit of everything -- and you'll definitely get that with Haeundae.

RATING: 7

Blu-Ray Information

Magnolia's genre label, Magnet, is known for usually putting out high-quality home video releases, and this one is no exception. The movie, which runs approximately 120 minutes, is presented via a 1080P picture at a 2.35:1 ratio. Audiowise, there are Korean and English-dubbed tracks available, which are encoded in DTS-HD, with English and Spanish subtitles. There are a good amount of extras on the disc as well, with around a dozen behind-the-scenes featurettes and several trailers included.

The Blu-Ray and DVD are available at Amazon.