Peninsula is the sequel to the 2016 zombie cinematic masterpiece Train to Busan (hence, it’s
alternatively titled as Train to Busan
Presents: Peninsula). Set four years
after Train to Busan, it sees South
Korea completely ravaged by the zombie apocalypse. And thus, the Korean peninsula is quarantined,
and those Koreans who managed to escape are now currently struggling in their
daily lives as impoverished, ostracized refugees.
Exploiting their current
situation, Hong Kong gangsters recruit a former ROK Marine Corps captain named
Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won), his brother-in-law Chul-min (Kim Do-yoon), and two
other South Koreans to conduct a treacherous undertaking. They will be smuggled back into their zombie-devastated
country wherein they must retrieve a truck that contains millions of dollars in
cash. If they succeed, the money will be
split with them.
You can already imagine where the
story will go from this setup. Things
eventually go sideways; it won’t be much
of a movie if their endeavor goes without a hitch. Of course, Murphy’s Law applies. Of course, there are unforeseen
setbacks. Of course, deadly gaffes are
committed. Of course, they have to shoot
at and run from hordes of zombies. Of
course, some of them have to die. Of
course, they discover people who have managed to survive all this time in this
zombie-infested wasteland – most of which have gone nuts and established a violent,
barbaric, Mad Max-esque dystopia.
And Peninsula executes all these solidly. Hence, it ends up being a genuinely
well-crafted zombie action movie. If
nothing else, the ambiance and action in this movie are fantastic.
On the other hand, it doesn’t
truly grip as its elements are actually stuff that we’ve already seen in
countless other zombie stories before.
Thus, it also ends up being a by-the-numbers zombie action movie. As a result, it doesn’t have that much
tension and heart – especially the kind that Train to Busan has. If not
for the competent filmmaking involved and the amazing, extremely well-set-upped
third act, it would have felt mediocre or even stale.
One idea that the movie has which
I feel could have potentially elevated it is the discrimination and stigma against
Korean refugees and the question of what the international community should do
with them. That’s easily a fascinating
issue realistically arising from the zombie outbreak in Korea. Unfortunately, this isn’t really expounded beyond
some early dialogue that mention it and an early scene where Hong Kongers show
fear and disgust upon discovering that Jung-seok and Chul-min are Koreans. It’s a shame since I think that it’s an interesting
theme worth exploring. It would have definitely
made the movie smarter and fresher.
It’s also to Peninsula’s detriment that it’s a sequel to Train to Busan. Train to Busan is virtually perfect as
it is. It has outstanding production
value, and its technical aspects are incredible. Direction and storytelling are taut and
nuanced. Focus is not only put on spectacular
set pieces, but on dramatic depth as well.
It has legit layers with its narrative.
Characters are very well-written – their personalities impressively established
with just the subtlest of details and their arcs potently realized with
efficient storytelling. It also makes a
compelling study of psychology, ethics, and human nature against the backdrop of
a zombie apocalypse. Thought-provoking, thrilling,
and poignant, Train to Busan really
makes a case for the title of “greatest zombie film of all time.” All things considered, it’s a given that it
would be unlikely for Peninsula to
measure up to Train to Busan. Still, the former really feels disjointed
from the latter, and I just can’t help but be underwhelmed in this sense.
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