“Dragon Wars” or D-Wars was the most ambitious Korean movie, break the record as the biggest budget movie in Korea and also the longest time in the production, but almost set and actors are not in and from Korea. Even on the flashback scene it certain included some Korean nature, but the center of the story was set on Los Angeles and the main casts are Hollywood stars such as Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks and Robert Forster. Directed by ambitious Korean director, Shim Hyung-rae who’s marked this movie as his second project after a not to famous monster movie, “Yonggary”. After some great efforts on creating the creature effects that were done for three years in Shim’s Younggu- Art Movies Company, “Dragon Wars” released in South Korea on August 1, 2007 and grossed $20.3 M within 5 days, setting a domestic box-office record as the most watched film on opening week. After the dragon made some chaos within hometown, the movie then released widely in the U.S and also break the record as the highest grossing for Korean movie in U.S Box office, combined the result of the U.S and Korea, “Dragon Wars” succeed taken in more than $ 65 million on its theatrical release. On January 8, 2008, Sony Pictures Home Entertainment will release the CGI-fest action adventure movie on DVD
, Blu-ray Hi-Def and PSP.
The story begin when a young boy named Ethan Kendrick (Cody Erens) with his father visiting an antique store, not for a long time he was exposed to some radiating light out from an interesting old chest. The store owner, Jack (Robert Forster) witnesses the incident and realizes the significance of the incident. He then told some old story that happened in Korea hundred years ago to the boy. Every 500 years, imoogi(a serpent that wants to morph into dragon) search for magical pearl called Youijoo which is have the power to fulfill its destiny to become a heavenly dragon. But the Youijoo was hiding within the body of a girl who must be sacrificed to the imoogi. Narin, a girl that was possessed by the power unable to sacrifice herself and decided to run away with her lover Haram, a warrior apprentice that supposedly bring the girl to Imoogi, but then fallen to a girl instead. Being chased by the imoogi, they had no choice except kill their self together, which effect to the creature’s destiny left unfulfilled and it would have to wait another five hundred years until the next Youijoo reappears. Jack tells Ethan that he is the reincarnated spirit of Haram and gives him a powerful pendant with a message to find the reincarnated version of Narin that supposedly will be the next target of Imoogi when she reach her 20 birthday. The story move forward to 20 years later, when Ethan (Jason Behr) has become a TV news reporter, he’s reported some mysterious incidents happen in Los Angeles city that might be a sign for another Imoogi return. In a coincidental, he meets Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks), a girl he believed as the reincarnation of his love. Together, this couple must fight Imoogi and its army that has returned in modern day Los Angeles and made a big chaos in the city as an effort to fulfill the imminent destiny.
The DVD version of this special effects movie will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio as well as the Featurette “500 Years in the Making.” Also included are Dragon Wars Animatics: from Storyboard to Screen and a Photo Gallery.
The Blu-Ray version of the film will offer up a 1080p transfer and the same extras as the DVD version.
The DRAGON WARS UMD Video for the PlayStation Portable includes the film in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Audio options include English and French stereo, with subtitles in English, Korean, French, and Spanish.
Product Details:
Product Title: Dragon Wars – D-War (DVD) Region 1
Actors: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, Craig Robinson, Elizabeth Pena, Cody Arens, Aimee Garcia.
Directors: Shim Hyung-rae
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English, Korean
Subtitle: English, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional), French, and Spanish.
Audio Specs: English 5.1 and French DS
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Country Made: South Korea
Genre: Monster Action Adventure
Feature Film Running Time: 90 Minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Release Date: January 8, 2008 (Order at Amazon)
Creatures Performances Rate: 8/10
Human Performances Rate: 5/10
Story Performances Rate: 5/10
Video Performances Rate: 7/10
Overall Rate: 7/10
Asian Monster Chaotic Movie Friends: The Host (8,5/10), Godzilla (7/10), Yonggary aka Reptilian (6/10), Garuda (6/10)
Other reviews for “Dragon Wars”:
(By Frank Scheck – Hollywood Reporter)
Unlike his countryman Joon-ho Bong's The Host, which revived the monster movie genre with wit and style, South Korean helmer Hyung-rae Shim applies a strictly grade-Z sensibility to "Dragon Wars." Belatedly receiving a U.S. release after it became a huge hit in its native country (under the title "D-War"), the film boasts superior CGI special effects for a movie of its type. But it's unlikely to erase anyone's fond memories of the original "Godzilla" and its ilk. The film kicks into gear in its second half, with Buraki and its minions laying waste to entire city blocks. Resonances of past films of its type abound, particularly in the drawn-out battle between Buraki and a legion of armed helicopters at the top of a skyscraper that recalls "King Kong." While the CGI effects are undeniably impressive, the laughable story line, risible dialogue and cheap humor (most of it involving a hapless zoo security guard) seriously detract from the fun. Neither Behr (who starred on the WB Network's "Roswell") nor Brooks adds much interest to the proceedings, and Forster delivers what might be the first bad performance of his career. Even such normally reliable supporting players as Chris Mulkey and Elizabeth Pena don't come off well.
(By Irene Nakano - Joong Ang Daily)
Here are some of the reasons it could succeed: First of all, there’s the sheer novelty of having the scariest looking serpent and mini-dinosaurs spill out onto the big screen with incredible spontaneity. D-War is therefore a totally major work, a first for Korea and definitely a work that has inspired many of us who have never lived abroad. Its special effects justify the fact that it’s the most expensive movie ever made in Korea by a Korean, even though some of the scenes in D-War require an appreciation for Shim’s prior background in comedy. Several campy moments actually keep us in the creative loop, so to speak. And even those of us with absolutely no sense of humor are given the chance to make the same loop, thanks to some of the zany characters, like the zookeeper who nearly gets clobbered to death by an elephant carcass. But why should it matter where Shim spent $33 million? It should come as no surprise that it has always been his dream to become a filmmaker and he was willing to pay the price. Secondly, audiences in English-speaking countries will not have to be told in advance that it’s a foreign film with some subtitles, which should help it succeed where others before it have failed, most notably “The Host,” another Korean monster movie that failed theatrically in areas such as the U.K. due to language barriers. In closing, D-War, like all films, is a universal medium; computer special effects give it enough leverage over more traditional methods, like “Godzilla.” So perhaps the main reason some members of the entertainment industry seem to have problems following D-War’s message is due to their limited thinking about monster movies in general. Maybe they ought to try to remake the whole movie more intelligently, using different camera angles or drawings, with different scaling, instead of having the director look so derelict in his duties. Surely he must have something to boast about after six years of being so committed and passionate about this movie. So please note: How you rate D-War shouldn’t be based on whether you agree with such things as the size of its marketing budget or its chances of succeeding as a Korean export.
(By Scooter Thompson – Movieeveryday)
Considered the 'George Lucas' of Korea, Writer / director Hyung-rae Shim's latest film, Dragon Wars: D-War, really does share a lot in common with the Star Wars films. Let's be honest, as much as the Star Wars franchise has become a national treasure and phenomenon, the actual acting, storyline, and dialogue in the original Star Wars film was not that great. It was the special effects that captured people's imaginations. Dragon Wars: D-War falls about 15 steps down into the cellar in this comparison, yet, it does deserve some notice for bringing some new mythology to life as well as for the exceptional CGI work. It's too bad that Mr. Shim didn't get the writers from the year's spectacular Korean creature feature, The Host, though to help him punch this script up to being more worthy of the incredible sums of money that must have been spent on the CGI for this film. Literally, the final 30 minutes is as CGI-driven as Transformers. Nonetheless, there's no reason to rake this film over the coals excessively. The acting, story, and dialogue came out amateurish, no doubt, but give the artisans involved some due and recognize they are a couple of decades behind in these areas, but right at the forefront when it comes to the rest of the technology. There's no question that a random word generator might have written more comprehensible dialogue. Likewise, CGI actors might have delivered more realistic performances than Ms. Brooks and Messers Behr and Forser. But the final battle and Buraki's CGI army marching toward and through downtown Los Angeles was great fun to watch. You've got to give international filmmakers, like Hyung-rae Shim, credit when they attempt to make great movies with huge budgets and special effects. Had this film been released in the late 1970s, it might have been a huge hit.
, Blu-ray Hi-Def and PSP.
The story begin when a young boy named Ethan Kendrick (Cody Erens) with his father visiting an antique store, not for a long time he was exposed to some radiating light out from an interesting old chest. The store owner, Jack (Robert Forster) witnesses the incident and realizes the significance of the incident. He then told some old story that happened in Korea hundred years ago to the boy. Every 500 years, imoogi(a serpent that wants to morph into dragon) search for magical pearl called Youijoo which is have the power to fulfill its destiny to become a heavenly dragon. But the Youijoo was hiding within the body of a girl who must be sacrificed to the imoogi. Narin, a girl that was possessed by the power unable to sacrifice herself and decided to run away with her lover Haram, a warrior apprentice that supposedly bring the girl to Imoogi, but then fallen to a girl instead. Being chased by the imoogi, they had no choice except kill their self together, which effect to the creature’s destiny left unfulfilled and it would have to wait another five hundred years until the next Youijoo reappears. Jack tells Ethan that he is the reincarnated spirit of Haram and gives him a powerful pendant with a message to find the reincarnated version of Narin that supposedly will be the next target of Imoogi when she reach her 20 birthday. The story move forward to 20 years later, when Ethan (Jason Behr) has become a TV news reporter, he’s reported some mysterious incidents happen in Los Angeles city that might be a sign for another Imoogi return. In a coincidental, he meets Sarah Daniels (Amanda Brooks), a girl he believed as the reincarnation of his love. Together, this couple must fight Imoogi and its army that has returned in modern day Los Angeles and made a big chaos in the city as an effort to fulfill the imminent destiny.
The DVD version of this special effects movie will feature an anamorphic widescreen transfer with 5.1 channel Dolby Digital audio as well as the Featurette “500 Years in the Making.” Also included are Dragon Wars Animatics: from Storyboard to Screen and a Photo Gallery.The Blu-Ray version
of the film will offer up a 1080p transfer and the same extras as the DVD version.The DRAGON WARS UMD Video
for the PlayStation Portable includes the film in 1.78:1 anamorphic widescreen. Audio options include English and French stereo, with subtitles in English, Korean, French, and Spanish.
Product Details:Product Title: Dragon Wars – D-War (DVD) Region 1
Actors: Jason Behr, Amanda Brooks, Robert Forster, Craig Robinson, Elizabeth Pena, Cody Arens, Aimee Garcia.
Directors: Shim Hyung-rae
Format: AC-3, Closed-captioned, Color, Dolby, Dubbed, DVD-Video, Full Screen, Subtitled, Widescreen, NTSC
Language: English, Korean
Subtitle: English, Korean, Chinese (Mandarin, Traditional), French, and Spanish.
Audio Specs: English 5.1 and French DS
Region: Region 1
Number of discs: 1
Country Made: South Korea
Genre: Monster Action Adventure
Feature Film Running Time: 90 Minutes
Distributor: Sony Pictures
Release Date: January 8, 2008 (Order at Amazon
)Creatures Performances Rate: 8/10
Human Performances Rate: 5/10
Story Performances Rate: 5/10
Video Performances Rate: 7/10
Overall Rate: 7/10
Asian Monster Chaotic Movie Friends: The Host (8,5/10), Godzilla
(7/10), Yonggary aka Reptilian (6/10), Garuda (6/10)Other reviews for “Dragon Wars”:
(By Frank Scheck – Hollywood Reporter)
Unlike his countryman Joon-ho Bong's The Host
, which revived the monster movie genre with wit and style, South Korean helmer Hyung-rae Shim applies a strictly grade-Z sensibility to "Dragon Wars." Belatedly receiving a U.S. release after it became a huge hit in its native country (under the title "D-War"), the film boasts superior CGI special effects for a movie of its type. But it's unlikely to erase anyone's fond memories of the original "Godzilla" and its ilk. The film kicks into gear in its second half, with Buraki and its minions laying waste to entire city blocks. Resonances of past films of its type abound, particularly in the drawn-out battle between Buraki and a legion of armed helicopters at the top of a skyscraper that recalls "King Kong." While the CGI effects are undeniably impressive, the laughable story line, risible dialogue and cheap humor (most of it involving a hapless zoo security guard) seriously detract from the fun. Neither Behr (who starred on the WB Network's "Roswell") nor Brooks adds much interest to the proceedings, and Forster delivers what might be the first bad performance of his career. Even such normally reliable supporting players as Chris Mulkey and Elizabeth Pena don't come off well.
(By Irene Nakano - Joong Ang Daily)Here are some of the reasons it could succeed: First of all, there’s the sheer novelty of having the scariest looking serpent and mini-dinosaurs spill out onto the big screen with incredible spontaneity. D-War is therefore a totally major work, a first for Korea and definitely a work that has inspired many of us who have never lived abroad. Its special effects justify the fact that it’s the most expensive movie ever made in Korea by a Korean, even though some of the scenes in D-War require an appreciation for Shim’s prior background in comedy. Several campy moments actually keep us in the creative loop, so to speak. And even those of us with absolutely no sense of humor are given the chance to make the same loop, thanks to some of the zany characters, like the zookeeper who nearly gets clobbered to death by an elephant carcass. But why should it matter where Shim spent $33 million? It should come as no surprise that it has always been his dream to become a filmmaker and he was willing to pay the price. Secondly, audiences in English-speaking countries will not have to be told in advance that it’s a foreign film with some subtitles, which should help it succeed where others before it have failed, most notably “The Host,” another Korean monster movie that failed theatrically in areas such as the U.K. due to language barriers. In closing, D-War, like all films, is a universal medium; computer special effects give it enough leverage over more traditional methods, like “Godzilla.” So perhaps the main reason some members of the entertainment industry seem to have problems following D-War’s message is due to their limited thinking about monster movies in general. Maybe they ought to try to remake the whole movie more intelligently, using different camera angles or drawings, with different scaling, instead of having the director look so derelict in his duties. Surely he must have something to boast about after six years of being so committed and passionate about this movie. So please note: How you rate D-War shouldn’t be based on whether you agree with such things as the size of its marketing budget or its chances of succeeding as a Korean export.
(By Scooter Thompson – Movieeveryday)Considered the 'George Lucas' of Korea, Writer / director Hyung-rae Shim's latest film, Dragon Wars: D-War, really does share a lot in common with the Star Wars films. Let's be honest, as much as the Star Wars franchise has become a national treasure and phenomenon, the actual acting, storyline, and dialogue in the original Star Wars film was not that great. It was the special effects that captured people's imaginations. Dragon Wars: D-War falls about 15 steps down into the cellar in this comparison, yet, it does deserve some notice for bringing some new mythology to life as well as for the exceptional CGI work. It's too bad that Mr. Shim didn't get the writers from the year's spectacular Korean creature feature, The Host
, though to help him punch this script up to being more worthy of the incredible sums of money that must have been spent on the CGI for this film. Literally, the final 30 minutes is as CGI-driven as Transformers. Nonetheless, there's no reason to rake this film over the coals excessively. The acting, story, and dialogue came out amateurish, no doubt, but give the artisans involved some due and recognize they are a couple of decades behind in these areas, but right at the forefront when it comes to the rest of the technology. There's no question that a random word generator might have written more comprehensible dialogue. Likewise, CGI actors might have delivered more realistic performances than Ms. Brooks and Messers Behr and Forser. But the final battle and Buraki's CGI army marching toward and through downtown Los Angeles was great fun to watch. You've got to give international filmmakers, like Hyung-rae Shim, credit when they attempt to make great movies with huge budgets and special effects. Had this film been released in the late 1970s, it might have been a huge hit.
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