The S/VFX were all top shelf in this film, but it had two downfalls; one was the constant cheesy and annoying attempts at humor which became cringeworthy fast. The other was the convoluted screenplay. The conceptual story was actually decent, but it ended up all style with very little substance. It was riddled with plot holes, and incohesive and incoherent dialogue. Even the normally comfortable 98 min runtime felt much longer with all the infantile dialogue, terrible humor and some of the long, dragged out and unnecessary scenes. Writer and director Sang-ho Yeon should have made many edits and scene cuts after seeing the final version to at lease create better cohesion. It's a generous 6/10 from me, mostly for the very impressive visuals.
100 Reviews
Pretty disappointed...
BenW199920 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Pretty disappointed...
The plot itself is incredibly thin. A scientist has lung cancer and is dying, but that plot point isn't revisited at all, and she is constantly watching a robot clone of her mother constantly being killed and its clearly effecting her. So as the cloning project comes to an end, she tries to help her clone mother escape. That's it. And it's not fantastically entertaining either. Jung_E, the clone, is in about three scenes. The rest of the film is just a regular drama.
Additionally, the film was far too heavy handed on its exposition dumping, leaving almost nothing for the viewers to interpret and essentially insulting the viewers intelligence.
The CGI was so inconsistent, ranging from beautiful establishing shots showing the city theyre set, to clunky robots when live action and CGI is mixed on screen together.
The plot itself is incredibly thin. A scientist has lung cancer and is dying, but that plot point isn't revisited at all, and she is constantly watching a robot clone of her mother constantly being killed and its clearly effecting her. So as the cloning project comes to an end, she tries to help her clone mother escape. That's it. And it's not fantastically entertaining either. Jung_E, the clone, is in about three scenes. The rest of the film is just a regular drama.
Additionally, the film was far too heavy handed on its exposition dumping, leaving almost nothing for the viewers to interpret and essentially insulting the viewers intelligence.
The CGI was so inconsistent, ranging from beautiful establishing shots showing the city theyre set, to clunky robots when live action and CGI is mixed on screen together.
Not what you expect
schobitz0520 January 2023
Beware: if you want to watch this movie for a dosis of pure robots and action, you need to know this is not an action movie. It presents the drama revolving around a dystopian future where technology is used in unethical ways to serve big corporation and military complex purposes. Even it falls short in developing the characters and middle story, making it dull and slow at times, It excels at showing how the future would look like if the advancements in technology lead us away from our humanity. If you have the patience, i would recommend this movie for a dosis of some amazing key components about what awaits us if we remain unaware. A must watch if you enjoy cyberpunk genere.
Definitely a Skip
yannickroelands21 January 2023
Jung_E" is a science fiction film set in an uninhabitable 22nd-century Earth, where the fate of a civil war rests on the shoulders of a single soldier. The story revolves around the cloning of the brain of an elite soldier to create a robot mercenary. On paper, the concept of the film sounds intriguing, but in execution, it falls short of expectations.
The film tries to tackle complex themes like the ethics of war and the dangers of technology, but ultimately fails to do so in a meaningful way. The script is full of cliches, and the dialogue is often wooden and uninspired. The performances by the lead actors are mediocre at best, with the characters feeling one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
The special effects in the film are underwhelming, with the visual representation of the 22nd-century Earth feeling uninspired and generic. The film tries to create a sense of hopelessness and despair, but it comes across as forced and inauthentic.
The film's pacing is also a problem, with the story feeling slow and uneventful for long stretches. The climax of the film is underwhelming, failing to deliver the sense of tension and excitement that it should have.
Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that the film also includes elements of misandry, which is the hatred of men or boys, throughout the movie. This is especially evident in the portrayal of the male characters, who are shown as either weak or villainous, and in the way the female characters are portrayed as stronger and more capable than their male counterparts. This kind of portrayal can be seen as problematic, as it reinforces harmful stereotypes and doesn't do much to contribute to the feminist discussion.
Overall, "Jung_E" is a forgettable and uninspired addition to the sci-fi genre. The film fails to deliver on its ambitious concept and leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied. The film's lack of originality, poor pacing, uninspired performances and the inclusion of misandry make it difficult to recommend to sci-fi fans or anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking film.
The movie industry is over saturated with post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies that most of them are very similar and have the same themes and ideas. "Jung_E" unfortunately, falls into that category, it fails to bring anything new to the table and it feels like a cheap rip off of other successful movies in the genre.
In conclusion, "Jung_E" is a film that fails to deliver on its ambitious concept and leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied. The film's lack of originality, poor pacing, uninspired performances and the inclusion of misandry make it difficult to recommend to sci-fi fans or anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking film. The movie industry is over-saturated with post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies, and "Jung_E" unfortunately adds nothing new to the genre.
The film tries to tackle complex themes like the ethics of war and the dangers of technology, but ultimately fails to do so in a meaningful way. The script is full of cliches, and the dialogue is often wooden and uninspired. The performances by the lead actors are mediocre at best, with the characters feeling one-dimensional and underdeveloped.
The special effects in the film are underwhelming, with the visual representation of the 22nd-century Earth feeling uninspired and generic. The film tries to create a sense of hopelessness and despair, but it comes across as forced and inauthentic.
The film's pacing is also a problem, with the story feeling slow and uneventful for long stretches. The climax of the film is underwhelming, failing to deliver the sense of tension and excitement that it should have.
Furthermore, it's worth mentioning that the film also includes elements of misandry, which is the hatred of men or boys, throughout the movie. This is especially evident in the portrayal of the male characters, who are shown as either weak or villainous, and in the way the female characters are portrayed as stronger and more capable than their male counterparts. This kind of portrayal can be seen as problematic, as it reinforces harmful stereotypes and doesn't do much to contribute to the feminist discussion.
Overall, "Jung_E" is a forgettable and uninspired addition to the sci-fi genre. The film fails to deliver on its ambitious concept and leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied. The film's lack of originality, poor pacing, uninspired performances and the inclusion of misandry make it difficult to recommend to sci-fi fans or anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking film.
The movie industry is over saturated with post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies that most of them are very similar and have the same themes and ideas. "Jung_E" unfortunately, falls into that category, it fails to bring anything new to the table and it feels like a cheap rip off of other successful movies in the genre.
In conclusion, "Jung_E" is a film that fails to deliver on its ambitious concept and leaves the audience feeling unsatisfied. The film's lack of originality, poor pacing, uninspired performances and the inclusion of misandry make it difficult to recommend to sci-fi fans or anyone looking for an engaging and thought-provoking film. The movie industry is over-saturated with post-apocalyptic and dystopian movies, and "Jung_E" unfortunately adds nothing new to the genre.
Wow! Pleasantly Surprised
tdwillis-2627323 January 2023
I haven't seen a well made sci-fi/dystopian/futuristic in quite awhile.
I hesitated and skipped over this movie 7 or 8 times before I watched it. I went in with expectation of shoddy special effects or with so many special effects it lacked depth. I was WRONG.
This movie is a gem.
For me, this movie has a great balance of heart,depth, and action.
Unlike so many recent Hollywood movies it gave me that nice balance.
The acting was good, and I have watched and thoroughly enjoyed subtitled movies, and independent movies over most productions made in Hollywood.
For a movie made in Korea, I was FLOORED, by how good it was.
Seriously folks, Hollywood and the U. S. no longer seems to represent or even have a clue, as to what I want to be entertained with anymore.!! If you are in that same fringe demographic as I am, you'll love this too.
I hesitated and skipped over this movie 7 or 8 times before I watched it. I went in with expectation of shoddy special effects or with so many special effects it lacked depth. I was WRONG.
This movie is a gem.
For me, this movie has a great balance of heart,depth, and action.
Unlike so many recent Hollywood movies it gave me that nice balance.
The acting was good, and I have watched and thoroughly enjoyed subtitled movies, and independent movies over most productions made in Hollywood.
For a movie made in Korea, I was FLOORED, by how good it was.
Seriously folks, Hollywood and the U. S. no longer seems to represent or even have a clue, as to what I want to be entertained with anymore.!! If you are in that same fringe demographic as I am, you'll love this too.
Great Movie Idea
MFBOS4220 January 2023
I love Korean made movies. Especially the sci-fi stuff. However, the only thing that I wish would happen is they get more gritty and realistic. People do not interact like they write into these movies. Dispense with the goofy material in a serious movie. It's not a comedy. Flipping from super serious to goofy comedy side characters is like cars crashing into one another. The transition is tough to deal with. People like serious movies. They also like comedies. But you gotta pick one. This one should have been all serious. Dispense with the dopey science assistants and improve a bit on the sci-fi effects, and you've got an 8-9 hit! But I don't want to detract from the general story which was still very good.
An Emotional Sci-fi Drama
monuthube21 January 2023
After watching the trailer, I was expecting it to be an action sci-fi, it has intense robot actions but most of the part it's about the daughter's bond/relationship with her mother. The wide-shot dystopian scenes are just beautiful, the structure of the world really looks amazing, especially the climax scenes. 25% of first half kind of feels boring but if you are able to feel the (heavy) emotions of the character at the end of second act without losing concentration, then all your patience of first half is paid off. Because story takes its own time to build the depth of the characters and the situation. The concept of the story is definitely made only for Sci-fi nerds, especially if you had watched the Westworld series. And the climax battle is short but dayhm awesome, you will get the vibe of movies from "I, Robot" (for robot actions) and "Terminator" (for robot design). The second half of this movie is really a highlight, from action to Sci-fi VFX.
If you like watching drama and sci-fi stories, then it is made for you.
If you like watching drama and sci-fi stories, then it is made for you.
Disappointed..!
Affshar22 January 2023
The film started of with some good action, then it falls of the track.. VFX, CGI are good but not awesome. Story is very predictable and the screenplay was not engaging and it was slow, the duration of the movie is less, but I felt it like 2hrs 15minutes, so it's not enough to hold me up throughout. Only 2 action sequences in the whole movie, they made well but the VFX could have been made better...
Overall, you can watch this movie with 0% expectations, don't get hyped by seeing the film's trailer cut, if you are too bored, if there are no other movies in your pocket you can watch this...!!!
Overall, you can watch this movie with 0% expectations, don't get hyped by seeing the film's trailer cut, if you are too bored, if there are no other movies in your pocket you can watch this...!!!
Honestly mid
nathanbastiancarter23 January 2023
The movie starts of well and has gripping action from the start, the action sequences are some of the most exciting and edge of your seat combat with some cool ethical theorys as well as the morality of ai consciousness but it's structured very poorly. The exposition is thick and fast leaving you little time to really let sink in what has just been said. The action is also condensed into 3 or 4 blocks that while great, serve as little reward for the exposition you sit through to get to that point. While the ideas explored inside are definitely interesting and a great movie could be built on their premise the movie get slightly lost in itself with the amount of detail pushed into what is ultimately quite a short movie. It's a good watch when you can find nothing else but I would say it is a fall back on, rather than searching out.
Cool action bland story
Jimduffy-5141022 January 2023
So JUNG_E has some very exciting action and some great visuals, a great lead performance from Kang Soo-yeon, (Rest in peace). The film is clearly taking inspiration from other Si-Fi futuristic movies such as Blade Runner, Blade Runner 2049, and I Robot. So the inspiration shown is very interesting to see but the film doesn't live up to those expectations at all as the story is pretty forgettable and feels like we've seen the film a hundred times before. There's also some annoying characters here such as the director played by Ryu Kyung-soo. So cool action and visuals but forgettable story 5/10.
More than a Sci-Fi (if you care to dig a little deeper)...
DukeEman22 January 2023
Soon to be cult classic South Korean Sci-Fi where once again corporate thuggery is at work, taking advantage of the earth's depleting and chaotic system. This time dealing with Combat AIs injected with a high level brain function from a deceased woman soldier, who happens to be a mother to one of the chief scientists working on the project (only in Korean movies)! This connection creates the emotional bond between robot and human, giving this movie a surprising depth that has you cheering them all the way.
The action scenes are a gamers joy, and handled well without being too convoluted, like most movies where one never knows what the heck is going on. Production value is high, and the pristine quality cinematography a bonus.
This little gem of a soon to be cult classic is a grand send-off to Kang Soo-youn, with her top-notch subdued performance as the chief scientist, Soehyun.
So gather your nerdy friends, find a big screen, and give it a midnight screening!
The action scenes are a gamers joy, and handled well without being too convoluted, like most movies where one never knows what the heck is going on. Production value is high, and the pristine quality cinematography a bonus.
This little gem of a soon to be cult classic is a grand send-off to Kang Soo-youn, with her top-notch subdued performance as the chief scientist, Soehyun.
So gather your nerdy friends, find a big screen, and give it a midnight screening!
It's slow, the pacing is terrible but the last 20 mins make it very special
Paynebyname24 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This one is tricky to review. It's starts good with a really impressive action scene that you realise is a simulation. Okay, we're good with that.
Then there is some painfully forced attempts at humour and the movie slows down to an almost glacial crawl. There doesn't seem much point to it and staying awake proved really hard replete with stops for tea & biscuits in the hope that it might pick up.
And in the end it did pick up and the efforts of the daughter to free her mother are really great. There is tension and hence the action scenes (which are mesmerisingly good) are really well done.
Hell the final 20 minutes is Blomkamp D9 level of good and I've rewatched the final act a number of times now. The SFX are incredible on Jung_E and I don't know who they modelled the face on but it literally is one that I can't take my eyes off of. The face is exquisite and the inventiveness and crunching visceralness (is that even a word) of the fights is so good.
Where the films ends is actually where you want it to start. I mean this could be the robot/cyborg that you wanted Alita to be. But unfortunately the preceeding hour or so is just a hard slog.
Don't get me wrong. I understand that you have to set character and do some world building but if they had introduced the daughter's plans earlier and hence revealed the peril of her scheming, the film would have had more pace.
So as it is the film showed promise and moments of genuine brilliance but it got bogged down for the majority of the run time. I would recommend it but bring some Red Bull and snacks!
Then there is some painfully forced attempts at humour and the movie slows down to an almost glacial crawl. There doesn't seem much point to it and staying awake proved really hard replete with stops for tea & biscuits in the hope that it might pick up.
And in the end it did pick up and the efforts of the daughter to free her mother are really great. There is tension and hence the action scenes (which are mesmerisingly good) are really well done.
Hell the final 20 minutes is Blomkamp D9 level of good and I've rewatched the final act a number of times now. The SFX are incredible on Jung_E and I don't know who they modelled the face on but it literally is one that I can't take my eyes off of. The face is exquisite and the inventiveness and crunching visceralness (is that even a word) of the fights is so good.
Where the films ends is actually where you want it to start. I mean this could be the robot/cyborg that you wanted Alita to be. But unfortunately the preceeding hour or so is just a hard slog.
Don't get me wrong. I understand that you have to set character and do some world building but if they had introduced the daughter's plans earlier and hence revealed the peril of her scheming, the film would have had more pace.
So as it is the film showed promise and moments of genuine brilliance but it got bogged down for the majority of the run time. I would recommend it but bring some Red Bull and snacks!
This movie could have been so much more
kaefab20 January 2023
Warning: Spoilers
This movie could have been so much more, this is very sad because i started to watch a lot of Asian movies and series from netflix, its always a hit and miss.
Of course the special effects in the movie are very well done but it stops there.
The movie starts with one amazing combat scene there is even a mech dog type tank, i was like wow i am in for a great movie.
Then you find out its all a simulation and they are trying to perfect the perfect soldier, who is the mother of the scientist kill 36 years ago in battle.
This is already too much drama, the action is really scars and after the first scene the movie steps into boredom.
This movie could have been so much better with a great story if the super soldier would have been sent in battle but no instead it was a bigger drama with some sci fi elements.
Of course the special effects in the movie are very well done but it stops there.
The movie starts with one amazing combat scene there is even a mech dog type tank, i was like wow i am in for a great movie.
Then you find out its all a simulation and they are trying to perfect the perfect soldier, who is the mother of the scientist kill 36 years ago in battle.
This is already too much drama, the action is really scars and after the first scene the movie steps into boredom.
This movie could have been so much better with a great story if the super soldier would have been sent in battle but no instead it was a bigger drama with some sci fi elements.
Visually impressive, but a bland story...
paul_haakonsen18 February 2023
Stumbling upon the 2023 South Korean action sci-fi movie "Jung_E" on Netflix, of course I had to watch it. I had never actually heard about the movie prior to sitting down to watch it, so I didn't really have any expectations to the movie.
And truth be told, I am not particularly a huge sci-fi fan, so I can't claim that I was particularly thrilled to sit down to watch this movie from writer and director Sang-Ho Yeon. But of course "Jung_E" deserved a fair chance, and thus I opted to watch it.
"Jung_E" certainly was a visually impressive movie, and I must admit that I was definitely enjoying the special effects and CGI in the movie. It looked and felt like a futuristic movie, without a doubt. And the special effects in the movie certainly does a lot to lift up and carry the movie.
As for the story and script in "Jung_E", as written by Sang-Ho Yeon, well I wasn't overly impressed and was actually only mildly entertained by the storyline here. It was simplistic and generic, and there wasn't really much food for thought as the storyline trotted on for 98 minutes. Sure, it was watchable and fair enough for what it was, but this was by no means a groundbreaking sci-fi tale.
They had a good cast ensemble in the movie, just a shame that the actors and actresses were somewhat held back by a bland script.
I am sure that diehard sci-fi fans will get a much greater kick out of watching "Jung_E" than I did as a mere casual viewer.
My rating of "Jung_E" lands of a five out of ten stars.
And truth be told, I am not particularly a huge sci-fi fan, so I can't claim that I was particularly thrilled to sit down to watch this movie from writer and director Sang-Ho Yeon. But of course "Jung_E" deserved a fair chance, and thus I opted to watch it.
"Jung_E" certainly was a visually impressive movie, and I must admit that I was definitely enjoying the special effects and CGI in the movie. It looked and felt like a futuristic movie, without a doubt. And the special effects in the movie certainly does a lot to lift up and carry the movie.
As for the story and script in "Jung_E", as written by Sang-Ho Yeon, well I wasn't overly impressed and was actually only mildly entertained by the storyline here. It was simplistic and generic, and there wasn't really much food for thought as the storyline trotted on for 98 minutes. Sure, it was watchable and fair enough for what it was, but this was by no means a groundbreaking sci-fi tale.
They had a good cast ensemble in the movie, just a shame that the actors and actresses were somewhat held back by a bland script.
I am sure that diehard sci-fi fans will get a much greater kick out of watching "Jung_E" than I did as a mere casual viewer.
My rating of "Jung_E" lands of a five out of ten stars.
Does not deserve the low rating it got.
Katerinapetrova147322 January 2023
A heartfelt tale about a daughter's quest to free her mother: it certainly has flaws, but overall, it was done very well. The acting, the portrayal of limitless corporate greed, and the subsequent dehumanization which does not end even as human beings hang on to their last vestiges were dealt with well. The problem was when those themes were not fleshed out properly but rather embedded in the plot. I disagree with the negative reviews saying there were not enough action scenes blah blah blah. I guess folks with that type of complaints have probably never watched anything aside from Michael Bay's transformers movies. The ending is the reason I will not rate it higher. I felt the ending was not quite cathartic enough. It just did not hit the same way and felt like there is more story to be told which as a movie - whether there is a planned sequel or not- should not be the norm.
No, just no...
cheeftanz21 January 2023
Ok, whatever you are looking for this film does not deliver. Drama? NO...thrills? NO...suspense? NO... so what is going on here? Good question. Futuristic research lab gets data from a female mercenary's mind. Then it begins... a sad plodding of... of... of...nothingness achieving nothing. No idea where anything connects to anything else. No plot arcs beyond brain in army cyborg. Zero character development, but still annoying characters. No progression of each scene beyond more grumbling and scenes of apocalypse from the train trip. So, go ahead and enjoy a quart of Korean whiskey put on your slippers and try not to shoot yourself in the head. Ugh...
Why do battle robots have to be either male or female?
dusadomovine23 January 2023
The story concept is not all that original but still an interesting watch. One thing that I do not understand is why does a battle robot have to be based on a male or female body type? Is this feminism in action? The dumb battlebots are "male" with male type voices while the superior battle-bot is female. Why does a battlebot need a curvy set of breasts and bottoms? Absurd feminist-superiority in action.
Why does a battlebot have to be humanoid in structure? It is dumb to put the brain in a "head" that is an easy target. Why not put the brain in the chest with a "head" full of sensors? Why have only two arms when three can be better.
Why does the idiot product developer need to be a "male"? Is this an element of misandry? Or is it that men are not as easily offended as are women?
Why does a battlebot have to be humanoid in structure? It is dumb to put the brain in a "head" that is an easy target. Why not put the brain in the chest with a "head" full of sensors? Why have only two arms when three can be better.
Why does the idiot product developer need to be a "male"? Is this an element of misandry? Or is it that men are not as easily offended as are women?
One star more for the courage.
netmedia-121 January 2023
Still, the Korean and the Chinese appear to be the only that have the courage to make a superfuturistic sci-fi with a serious budget. The directing is naive and sloppy from time time, and acting even worse by some actors (not all of them) especially if you are not used to asian acting which very different from western or european acting. The last 25 minutes or so are hard-core metal to metal fights, cracking and sparking fun with top-class CGI and motion capture. It is worth the watch, even if you skip the boring parts, the last third of the movie is very good action and some good robot design.
Another doody Netflix exclusive.
sebastianali12325 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
Not surprise here. Despite very very few exceptions, all of these can go to the same trash bag. Despite some decent visuals and some more or less impressive long action sequences (that seriously, this gives some extra points because i wasnt expected to be somewhat good), the story and characters are trash and dumb, the relations between Yun Seo Hyun and Sang-Hoon are very cringy.
Later in the film btw i forgetted about the civil war it was there because nothing in the film (despite some few scenes in a screen showing what happened) really gets affected by this. Even when they show the exterior, the humans lives normal lifes. Everything is normal!
Overall, very forgettable trash like most Netflix exclusives that only modernist people would watch.
Later in the film btw i forgetted about the civil war it was there because nothing in the film (despite some few scenes in a screen showing what happened) really gets affected by this. Even when they show the exterior, the humans lives normal lifes. Everything is normal!
Overall, very forgettable trash like most Netflix exclusives that only modernist people would watch.
Expecting 2nd part
mamunmaziz30 January 2023
Yeon Sang Ho, the creator and director of notable films like "Train to Busan," wrote and directed the film "Jung-E."
The movie is set in the year 2194 and has extremely advanced technology, a lot of emotion, discussion, and little actual action.
The first international star in South Korean history, Kang-Soo-Yean, appeared in the film and passed away from a cardiac attack seven months before it was made available on Netflix. Due to this, Koreans will naturally have different feelings about the film, which will be covered in the media.
But don't rely on the hype, director Yong Sang has made the movie in his Credibility quite emotional and spectacular.
The main theme of the movie - Data store of human brain forever... to say more than that will go into spoilers.
The movie will not increase the excitement like Train to Busan but will entertain the audience with a high quality complete sci-fi movie.
The film will delight the audience with a high quality comprehensive sci-fi movie, but it won't up the excitement like Train to Busan.
The setting for the upcoming sequel is complete and ready, and if a second instalment does arrive, it is anticipated to be thrilling.
The first international star in South Korean history, Kang-Soo-Yean, appeared in the film and passed away from a cardiac attack seven months before it was made available on Netflix. Due to this, Koreans will naturally have different feelings about the film, which will be covered in the media.
But don't rely on the hype, director Yong Sang has made the movie in his Credibility quite emotional and spectacular.
The main theme of the movie - Data store of human brain forever... to say more than that will go into spoilers.
The movie will not increase the excitement like Train to Busan but will entertain the audience with a high quality complete sci-fi movie.
The film will delight the audience with a high quality comprehensive sci-fi movie, but it won't up the excitement like Train to Busan.
The setting for the upcoming sequel is complete and ready, and if a second instalment does arrive, it is anticipated to be thrilling.
Absurd and wildly unfocused.
benjaminskylerhill22 January 2023
I guess if you made the near-masterpiece Train to Busan, they'll let you make just about anything.
Jung_E is a film that kind of baffles me. It's got some very committed performances, imaginative and intriguing world building, and impressive production design (although the CGI is often terrible). But it wastes its golden ideas on a story that has no idea what it wants to say or even what it wants to focus on.
There are spurts of thought-provoking material throughout the movie, where characters discuss and contemplate the distinct value of human priorities and compassion that can never be understood by practical machines. It's got nothing new to say, but at least there is some attempt at emotional weight and philosophical themes.
Sadly, though, the vast majority of this movie meanders all over the place with no purpose in mind.
The first 15 minutes gives us clunky exposition about a war in space that we never see and never get any insight into. Then we're introduced to the main character who is trying to develop combat AI based on her mother's brain. We never get to know why she cares about this or why this is the best way for her side to win the war, or even why they should win the war. What is this? Why should we care?
The script takes for granted that because she is the main character, we should be invested in what she's doing. But the story never once takes the time to let us know who she is, what's important to her, or even what's at stake in the conflict. In fact, there really isn't any conflict.
The whole plot consists of these scientists running tests on a combat AI. That's basically it. Then the final 30 minutes gives us a rushed climax where we still don't know what our protagonist's goals are, and when she finally tells us what her goal was, it seems to spit in the face of everything she learned as a character over the course of the movie.
I have no idea how this got green lit with this screenplay. It's sloppy at best, and insultingly idiotic self-indulgent at worst. It thinks it's so much smarter than it is, while having nothing noteworthy to say. It's characters are so wildly inconsistent in their goals and behaviours that it's hard to believe it was written by one guy (which it was).
And it's even harder to believe that this is the same filmmaker who made Train to Busan.
Jung_E is a film that kind of baffles me. It's got some very committed performances, imaginative and intriguing world building, and impressive production design (although the CGI is often terrible). But it wastes its golden ideas on a story that has no idea what it wants to say or even what it wants to focus on.
There are spurts of thought-provoking material throughout the movie, where characters discuss and contemplate the distinct value of human priorities and compassion that can never be understood by practical machines. It's got nothing new to say, but at least there is some attempt at emotional weight and philosophical themes.
Sadly, though, the vast majority of this movie meanders all over the place with no purpose in mind.
The first 15 minutes gives us clunky exposition about a war in space that we never see and never get any insight into. Then we're introduced to the main character who is trying to develop combat AI based on her mother's brain. We never get to know why she cares about this or why this is the best way for her side to win the war, or even why they should win the war. What is this? Why should we care?
The script takes for granted that because she is the main character, we should be invested in what she's doing. But the story never once takes the time to let us know who she is, what's important to her, or even what's at stake in the conflict. In fact, there really isn't any conflict.
The whole plot consists of these scientists running tests on a combat AI. That's basically it. Then the final 30 minutes gives us a rushed climax where we still don't know what our protagonist's goals are, and when she finally tells us what her goal was, it seems to spit in the face of everything she learned as a character over the course of the movie.
I have no idea how this got green lit with this screenplay. It's sloppy at best, and insultingly idiotic self-indulgent at worst. It thinks it's so much smarter than it is, while having nothing noteworthy to say. It's characters are so wildly inconsistent in their goals and behaviours that it's hard to believe it was written by one guy (which it was).
And it's even harder to believe that this is the same filmmaker who made Train to Busan.
'Jung_E' does not deserve this much hate
TaylorYee9423 January 2023
How CGI team of 'Jung_E' realizes something inexplicable, futuristic, and beyond understanding to visually satiable art work on the screen is truly admiring. Good plot and even greater film technology to support smooth storyline. One element lacking is acting. The performance of an actor playing Sang-hoon is awkward even though I fully understand the level of difficulty playing his role.
How CGI team of 'Jung_E' realizes something inexplicable, futuristic, and beyond understanding to visually satiable art work on the screen is truly admiring. Good plot and even greater film technology to support smooth storyline. One element lacking is acting. The performance of an actor playing Sang-hoon is awkward even though I fully understand the level of difficulty playing his role.
How CGI team of 'Jung_E' realizes something inexplicable, futuristic, and beyond understanding to visually satiable art work on the screen is truly admiring. Good plot and even greater film technology to support smooth storyline. One element lacking is acting. The performance of an actor playing Sang-hoon is awkward even though I fully understand the level of difficulty playing his role.
Do not expect an action film!
fallflake6 February 2023
People are giving low scores because they are going in with the wrong expectations. If you are looking for a popcorn movie that is action packed from start to finish then this is not the movie for you.
This movie is more about ethical questions of cloning, treatment of clones, as well as the emotional bound between a daughter and a mother. The action, futuristic world is just a back drop to tell this story. And it is a very touching story where the main character gave a great performance on a subject that I can somewhat relate to.
I would say this is more a drama rather than action film, although I did also enjoyed the action and CGI.
The movie is great, but the trailer is horrible. It really gave people the wrong impression.
This movie is more about ethical questions of cloning, treatment of clones, as well as the emotional bound between a daughter and a mother. The action, futuristic world is just a back drop to tell this story. And it is a very touching story where the main character gave a great performance on a subject that I can somewhat relate to.
I would say this is more a drama rather than action film, although I did also enjoyed the action and CGI.
The movie is great, but the trailer is horrible. It really gave people the wrong impression.
Good open world, very bad scenario
olcare27 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I really think they wasted the film with such a budget and resources, even though they did a great job with the CGI. I don't know how they made such a superficial, predictable, boring, and emotionally undeveloped film.
First of all, the CGI was really good, the open world they created was really enjoyable, and a few combat scenes gave a good feeling while watching (the scene where 2 police robots attack Jung_E can be given as an example), but there was nothing else to see in the film.
The scenario seemed like it was written in just 3 hours. The emotional scenes were added just for the sake of it, and the inadequate acting performances, along with the fact that they didn't even mention the war they talked about at the beginning, ruined the movie completely. Ryu Kyung-Soo's performance was really bad, even though the dialogues for all the characters were simple and boring. Also, when Sang-Hoon found out that he was a robot, and started fighting, it was a disaster, as they crowned the bad scenario in the worst way possible.
The forced joke attempts were also boring, and a few scenes with jokes that were never funny should never have been written. The music was also fitting for the scenes, but they were exaggerated and could have been better.
The emotional side of the movie was never developed like the others because we couldn't understand the characters since they couldn't convey the open world to us, and we were watching the city's conflicts as if it was a daily simple event.
In short, there is really nothing to see. I congratulate the technical team, they did a really good job, but our director Sang-ho Yeon gave a bad performance in terms of scenario. Not worth watching.
First of all, the CGI was really good, the open world they created was really enjoyable, and a few combat scenes gave a good feeling while watching (the scene where 2 police robots attack Jung_E can be given as an example), but there was nothing else to see in the film.
The scenario seemed like it was written in just 3 hours. The emotional scenes were added just for the sake of it, and the inadequate acting performances, along with the fact that they didn't even mention the war they talked about at the beginning, ruined the movie completely. Ryu Kyung-Soo's performance was really bad, even though the dialogues for all the characters were simple and boring. Also, when Sang-Hoon found out that he was a robot, and started fighting, it was a disaster, as they crowned the bad scenario in the worst way possible.
The forced joke attempts were also boring, and a few scenes with jokes that were never funny should never have been written. The music was also fitting for the scenes, but they were exaggerated and could have been better.
The emotional side of the movie was never developed like the others because we couldn't understand the characters since they couldn't convey the open world to us, and we were watching the city's conflicts as if it was a daily simple event.
In short, there is really nothing to see. I congratulate the technical team, they did a really good job, but our director Sang-ho Yeon gave a bad performance in terms of scenario. Not worth watching.
Fails to Deliver on Its Promising Premise
FilmFanatic202321 January 2023
Overall, "Jung_E" is a disappointment for fans of director Yeon Sang-ho's previous work, "Train to Busan." While the film boasts impressive action set-pieces and some thought-provoking ethical dilemmas, it ultimately falls short in its execution. The plot, which centers around a team of experts attempting to upload a soldier's consciousness into an AI machine, feels bloated and overlong, with too much time spent on repeated conversations rather than exploring the themes and ideas the film presents.
The acting is solid, with standout performances from the late Kang Soo-yeon and Ryu Kyung-soo, but the direction feels confused and disjointed, as if Yeon couldn't quite figure out how to balance the action and philosophical elements of the film.
In the end, "Jung_E" feels like a missed opportunity, with a lot of potential but not enough substance to make it a truly satisfying film. It's a shame, as Yeon's skill with set-pieces and action filmmaking is undeniable, but it's clear that he struggled to find a way to make this project work.
The acting is solid, with standout performances from the late Kang Soo-yeon and Ryu Kyung-soo, but the direction feels confused and disjointed, as if Yeon couldn't quite figure out how to balance the action and philosophical elements of the film.
In the end, "Jung_E" feels like a missed opportunity, with a lot of potential but not enough substance to make it a truly satisfying film. It's a shame, as Yeon's skill with set-pieces and action filmmaking is undeniable, but it's clear that he struggled to find a way to make this project work.
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