Sunday, January 18, 2015

Netflix Mail Day Movie Review: "Oldboy" (2013)

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Director: Spike Lee
Year: 2013
Rating: R
Running Time: 1 hour, 44 minutes

A man named Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) is abducted and kept isolated in a room for 20 years. He is allowed a television in the room and he sees that he has been framed for the murder of his wife. He also sees that his daughter has gone on to be a talented musician after being adopted by a good family. One day, Joe is released without an explanation as to why he was ever taken in the first place. Joe wants revenge, and while investigating his abduction, he passes out at an old friend's house and is helped by a nurse named Marie (Elizabeth Olsen), who eventually becomes very close with Joe and assists him in his quest. A short time later, Joe meets a man named Adrian (Sharlto Copley), who openly admits to being involved in Joe's wife's murder, and he also admits to helping pay to have him held prisoner. He challenges Joe to find out why he was imprisoned and will reward him if he is able to discover the truth. Joe, with the help of Marie, goes on a quest to discover how he knows Adrian and what he did to deserve being imprisoned.

"Oldboy" is an American adaptation of a dark and fabulous Korean film with the same name. We wish we could say this version is equally as excellent, but unfortunately, we can't. In fact, it doesn't even come close, and it's not just bad when compared to the original. This version of "Oldboy" is flat out mediocre at best. There are a lot of details and plot points changed from the original, but that usually isn't a problem for us so long as filmmakers maintain the overall spirit of the film. Martin Scorsese managed to do this when he remade the Korean film "Infernal Affairs" into "The Departed," for example, and many herald Scorsese's remake as better than the original. Unfortunately, Spike Lee does not come close with this remake, and for many reasons.

First, our protagonist is far less likable in this version. Josh Brolin plays Joe Doucett and portrays him as a total douchebag. Before his imprisonment, Joe is a married man who is hitting on his wealthy client's girlfriend while eating dinner at the same table. He is also a raging alcoholic. You really get the feeling that a guy like this could pick up a few enemies that might want to imprison him for a while. In fact, Joe has a whole list of them. On the other hand, in the original, the lead character is simply a pathetic drunk who realistically shouldn't have had any real enemies. This slight change destroys the spirit of the film right off the bat. Sure, Joe is wrongfully imprisoned for 20 years, and that's not right, but it's hard to empathize with a total jerk. Upon his release, Joe almost immediately beats up a football team that were just trying to protect a woman who they believed was being accosted. Again, this is yet another plot point that nurses along that lack of empathy as it appears he is still an asshole 20 years later, but now, even more bitter.

We can't really say Josh Brolin's performance is bad, though, and he does a fine job with what he is given. In fact, most of the acting is fine, but what the actors and actresses are given just isn't that great in the first place. There are a lot of good visuals in the film and there are a couple of good fight scenes, too. Even the fight mentioned earlier is aesthetically done well and in a very brutal manner, but there is still something missing with the entire feel of the movie. In the end, the final product feels rushed and disjointed in many places and many of the key elements of this remake simply feel forced. The few changes that are there don't work, especially regarding the ending. We can't give anything away, obviously, but if you get a chance, please do yourself a favor and watch the original "Oldboy." You will be in for a fucked up treat. It's no wonder Spike Lee's version of this movie bombed because it doesn't hold a candle to the Korean version.

My Rating: 4/10
BigJ's Rating: 4/10
IMDB's Rating: 5.6/10
Rotten Tomatoes Rating: 42%
Do we recommend this movie: No.

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