Tags
2003, 2013, action, blog, captive, cinema, death, drama, film, incest, josh brolin, movie, movies, murder, oldboy, remake, review, smurfin the web, spike lee, thriller
Synopsis: An advertising executive is held prisoner for 20 years and then inexplicably released and given 2 days to figure out who did it and why.
Main Cast: Josh Brolin, Elizabeth Olsen, Sharlto Copley, Samuel L Jackson, Michael Imperioli, Pom Klementieff
The Hype: A remake of the hugely popular Korean movie of the same name, this Americanised version had a lot to live up to and it certainly didn’t live up to expectations at the box office.
What I Thought: This wasn’t terrible, but I have to say that it wasn’t a patch on the original version. There were some aspects of the movie missing from this remake and for me it left the film incomplete. I have also never been a huge Spike Lee fan and I think perhaps a better job could have been done by someone else. The more I think about each aspect of the film to compare with the original, I feel less and less impressed with this version. The famous hammer fight scene halfway through the film was mediocre, the final confrontation was less emotionally charged and although Sharlto Copley was a pretty decent bad guy in this, he didn’t evoke the feelings that I got from Ji-tae Yu in the 2003 film.
Conclusions: A poor remake of an absolute classic. I think this would be like Blade Runner being remade. Samuel L Jackson was a highlight in the typical way that he lights up any film. Stick to the 2003 Korean original folks. For those not capable of following subtitles, just don’t bother.
Smurfin’ The Web Rating: 
Trailer:
Smurfin' The Web 
Should have been a whole lot worse, but thankfully, it wasn’t. Doesn’t mean it was great or anything, just a bit better than my expectations had me at beforehand. Good review.
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