Peninsula Movie Review - Fairly Thrilling Zombie Engagement

A still from Peninsula

U/A: Action/Horror
Director: Yeon Sang-ho
Cast: Kang Dong-won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Kwon Hae-hyo
Rating:

This sophomore effort by Korean director Yeon Sang-ho may not seem as accomplished as his four-year-old cult hit "Train To Busan" but certainly manages to regurgitate some of the old familiar themes while lending it new teeth with some adrenaline-inducing action thrown in.

"Train to Busan" was definitely an impressive, much tighter and far more invigorating zombie thriller but even in comparison, this one doesn't quite fade into insignificance. In terms of influences, Peninsula is far more hybrid and therefore doesn't feel as cohesive or taut as Sang-ho's earlier effort.

The storyline is nothing more than a rehash of old themes and ideas borrowed from other notable post-apocalypse themed franchises. Jung-seok (Gang Dong-won) is en route to leaving South Korea with his family but as they are fleeing the mainland, a young family with a child begging for help, but Jung-Seok is not willing to take the chance and put his own family at risk. The narrative eventually plays out in a manner that questions that decision. It's a morality play that exposes individual choices and it's repercussions, showcasing human frailties with compassion and empathy despite the blood-chilling extravagance of death and destruction that ensues here.

Check out the trailer of Peninsula here:

Rushing through to four years later, Jung-seok is among a group assigned the task of navigating a truck that carries USD 20 million, from behind enemy lines across the dangerous ground. And that's where he comes back in contact with the family he chose not to help in the first instance.

There's quite a bit of thrill unfolding here but it's not all focused and fun. A lot of it seems fabricated and appropriated. Just when we thought the zombies were curtailed, a whole fresh lot keeps creeping out of the woodwork. And added to that are gun-toting independent warlords also giving chase while smashing everything in sight. There are quite a few hairy chases to add variety to the blood-letting thrills which eventually spins-off into a timed-out escape-to-safety endplay. The well-orchestrated Zombie waves continue to make for the thrilling visual fare while the skilled action allows for enough escapist excitement and the play on choices lends enough moral ambiguity to keep the audience engaged and interested here.

Also Read: Peninsula Director Yeon Sang-Ho: Grateful To Parasite For Drawing Attention

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