'Peninsula' Is Solid, but Still a Huge Step Down from 'Train to Busan'

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.