An exhilarating and emotional thriller, “Flu” takes the influenza tragedy film and taking viewers for one hell of ride! Sung-soo Kim’s “Flu” is highly recommended!
© 2013 CJ E&M Corporation. All rights reserved.
DVD TITLE: Flu
DATE OF FILM RELEASE: 2013
DURATION: 122 Minutes
DVD INFORMATION: Korean and English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0
COMPANY: CJ Entertainment
RATED: Suggested 15 & Up
RELEASE DATE: March 18, 2014
Directed by Sung-soo Kim
Written by Yeong-Jong Kee and Sung-soo Kim
Story by Jae-ho Hung
Producer: Teddy Jung, Seong-jim Kim
Music by Tae-seong Kim
Cinematography by Mo-gae Lee
Edited by Na-young Nam
Production Design by Il-hyun Park
Costume Design by Kyong-mi Kim
Starring:
Hyuk Jang as Kang Ji-Koo
Soo Ae as Kim In-hae
Andrew William Brand as Dr. Bill Backman
Yoo Hae-jin as Bae Kyung-ub
Hee-joon Lee as Byung-ki
Sang-Yeob Lee as Byeong-woo
A deadly virus is unleashed on an unsuspecting public in the intense, violent disaster thriller FLU. It all starts when a human trafficker is infected with an unknown virus and dies in a Bundang hospital, covered in oozing red rashes and coughing up blood. Within hours the virus spreads all over the city and death goes viral as the body count rapidly rises.
From the director Sung-su Kim, director of popular films such as “The Warrior” and “Please Teach Me English” comes his 2013 disaster film “Flu”.
Starring Hyuk Jang (“Windstruck”, “Tree with Deep Roots”), Soo Ae (“A Family”, “Sunny”, “Midnight FM”) and Min-ha Park, “Flu” will be released on DVD in March 2014 courtesy of CJ Entertainment.
“The Flu” begins with a group of illegal immigrants that are smuggled to South Korea inside a shipping container. A group of traffickers open the shipping container and find nothing but dead bodies of refugees except one man, who carries a deadly strain of the H5N1 Avian influenza.
And as the man the man who is infected, ends up spreading to the traffickers, one gets sick and goes to a clinic in which he ends up spreading the flu with others, thus spreading the influenza.
Meanwhile, we are introduced to the main protagonist, a rescue worker/paramedic named Kang Ji-goo (portrayed by Jang Hyuk) who saves a woman named Kim In-hae (portrayed by Soo Ae) from a car accident. Smitten by the woman, instead of receiving gratitude for saving her life, the woman behaves cold toward him.
As Kang Ji-goo and his partner discover the purse to Kim In-hae, he goes to return the purse and finds out that the woman has a daughter named Mierre (portrayed by Min-ha Park). We learn that Kim In-hae is a doctor and she and others are trying to find out the cause of the virus and if there is any antidote that can be developed as more and more people have the Avian flu, which has mutated and now humans are transferring it to one another.
Meanwhile, Mirre is trying to look for her dog and she is nearly hit by a car but rescued by a Monssai, the refugee who was one of the survivors inside the shipping container. As Mierre supplies him with food, she notices that Monssai is very sick and he needs help. So, Mierre ends up calling Kang Ji-goo for help and both start looking for Monssai together.
As Kang Ji-goo and Mirre are eating at a restaurant and Kang Ji-goo wanting to return her back to her mother, he finds out from Mirre that Kim In-hae is a single mother. But during their discussion, Mirre begins to start coughing and he sees her about to collapse.
Throughout the city, people with the influenza are seen getting into accidents, coughing on others or dying. They begin to exhibit severe rashes and blood pouring out of their mouths.
As doctors and politicians debate on the virus, as doctors have told the politicians that the flu has mutated and if they don’t contain in, the city of Bundang has to be shut down. The politicians don’t believe the doctors and suddenly chaos has hit the area as people begin to die on the spot. And as the doctors and politicians look outside their window, and see car accidents and buildings exploding outside their building.
As the city is in chaos, Kang Ji-goo tries to return Mirre to her mother, as politicians have sent soldiers to take the infected and put them in a stadium to be all killed. Doctors try to find Monssai, who may be the key to fighting the mutated Avian flu.
VIDEO & AUDIO:
“Flu is presented in 16×9 and audio in Korean and English Dolby Digital 5.1 and 2.0. While I wish CJ Entertainment released this film on Blu-ray, DVD quality is very good and the audio soundtrack is very active and immersive during the more intense action scenes.
SPECIAL FEATURES:
“Flu” features the following special features:
- Flu – Making – (20:45) The making of “Flu” with behind-the-scene shots and cast/crew interviews.
- Flu – Concept Art – (11:07) Featuring the concept art created for the film and a comparison to the actual scene. Featuring interviews with director Sung-soo Kim and artists.
- Flu – Deleted Scenes – (9:34) Featuring the deleted scenes for the film.
An exhilarating and emotional thriller, “Flu” takes the influenza tragedy film and taking viewers for one hell of ride!
“Flu” wins over the audience through it’s chaotic settings but it’s the talent that takes this film to new heights. Actor Jang Hyuk and actress Soo Ae are protagonists that set up every action scene or any scene where ever there is tension, but the character that wins viewers over is the young Park Min-ha, who wins you over as the cute and bubble Mirre, but then transforms into a character that wins you over with her emotional performance.
The character of Mirre will leave you laughing but her emotional performance will no doubt have audiences crying as the scenes are effective.
I have seen a good number of tragedy films from all over the world, and “Flu” is rather intriguing for me, because it goes into so much of how people deal with crisis. How politicians, doctors and military deal with a crisis. And also, what happens when International governments get involved.
“Flu” is no doubt a riveting story but also a story that champions the Korean spirit but also the importance of human life during chaos and fear. But from beginning to end, becoming a film that was not only exciting and captivating, I found myself watching it several times because I enjoyed it so much.
Granted, if you are one person who thinks too deeply about the logic of the influenza and wonder why the main protagonists did not show symptoms of infection (considering they were around Mirre and many other sick people), then that defeats the point. Watch this film with an open mind and you will be fine!
As for the DVD release, the DVD looks and sounds good but their is no doubt that part of you wishes you can see this film in HD on Blu-ray. And as for special features, you get a good number of them which are more than the usual
An exhilarating and emotional thriller, “Flu” takes the influenza tragedy film and taking viewers for one hell of ride! Sung-soo Kim’s “Flu” is highly recommended!
