Oldboy (Two-Disc Special Edition) [DVD] [2003]

Super brutal, an actual classic. Prepare yourself for the unexpected. Worth the watch.

For those who enjoy adult films with adult themes this is a film I could not recommend highly enough. Some will say it's too disturbing which is fair to say as it can be a bridge too far for people not used to films containing such themes. Some say it's slow and it does deal with character building and information seeking as much as, if not more than, the action scenes, which is not a criticism, I think it's perfect the way it is and I'm a fan of the "slow film" as they allow more tension to be built in my opinion and this doesn't just do it well, it masters it and sets the bar ever so highly for other films wanting to implement a twist at the end. The violence while some parts graphical isn't as graphical as you may expect, a lot of it is done with clever camera use and editing to make you see it mentally rather than visually. It's beautifully shot, I love the use of camera, very stylishly presented. The soundtrack compliments the film so well, I'd go as far as to say it's one of the best I've heard in a film before, the contrast of emotion in the different themes is really appreciated. This is not a film you'd want to see with a family member let me tell you, it's a film you'd probably want to see with a friend, or if your girlfriend/boyfriend didn't mind the nature of the film, but probably a friend/alone. It's a very thought-provoking movie and there are a references throughout that you capture on a second viewing you most definitely won't on the first. A lot of people 'got it' but were confused by a lot of different elements so I would recommend repeat viewings (Don't worry, the film still holds up for repeat viewings, even when you know the end twist.) Overall I give this movie 5 out of 5, and I rarely give films such high ratings, but this left me completely stunned in a good way. I had so much to think through after the credits rolled, I wanted to watch it again straight after, which again is rare. The film has flaws like any film does, but they are so minor when compared to the whole product they are virtually unrecognisable. It may be a modern masterpiece and one of the few films I've seen since 2000 that left me shaking my head in appreciation, such is the quality of this movie.

Really brilliant film. Leans heavily towards a comic-book tone at times, but apparently, the story is based on a Japanese manga (black and white comic). I have to confess the casting choice to have one of the characters be played by an actor of way too young an age does make the plot really quite confusing for me, I spent too much time thinking that character must be the son of another character as they'd have been a child during the events they're supposed to play a part in. There's also a little reliance on things like hypnosis to make some of the plot points make sense, and as someone who really doesn't believe in that kind of thing it left bits of the film feeling a little far fetched. But while I might be the kind of stickler who gets hung up on those sorts of details, I still loved the vast majority of the film. It's wild, engaging, and full of style.The Arrow release bundles in a nice set of special features including some deleting scenes and a few different commentary tracks. The picture is also sharp and colorful, though a few scenes towards the end do look a bit lower quality (like the focus was slightly off). Nothing terribly distracting though.I'd consider spending the extra money on the Vengence Trilogy though, as it appears to contain everything this release does as well as the two other movies in the trilogy. It's not too different in price, especially on sale. Had I seen it, I'd have probably gone for that version as Oldboy has left curious to try the other two movies now.

I went in not knowing anything about Oldboy beyond it being a revenge story with some good action and an interesting one-shot fight scene. Coming out the other side I really enjoyed it as one-time experience, but I can understand why people have their issues with it and I'm not sure if I'd need to watch it again.There's a lot to enjoy in the film, but only if you're interested in taking a more voyeuristic approach rather than investing in the characters or the story. The style and pacing worked well in keeping me interested in watching as everything felt almost surreal, like a fever dream more than a coherant story. The plot seems to follow that feeling as well, throwing curveballs and completely strange points to change up the story, which serve more to confuse the audience than add depth. That might put some people off, and normally I'd find it frustrating, but I genuinely didn't mind it with Oldboy. As I said it keeps with this feeling of seeing life through someone elses haze, and I enjoyed that.So, yeah, definitely give this a try. It's worth it for the one-time ride.