Along with the Gods: The Two Worlds

I must admit that phantasmagoria from Asia in particular is not my cup of tea at all, but the Koreans are different in terms of direction, visuals and narrative style and this project with a rating of 7.8 on IMDB seemed quite likeable, but in the end I had mixed feelings. The premise is undoubtedly interesting. The protagonist is a fireman who is killed in a fall from a window and immediately after his death three guardian angels appear around him with an offer of an afterlife, as he seems to be the chosen one (he has never committed any sin) however he will have to undergo seven trials (the Sins of the Buddha) to complete his reincarnation. The trials are great and nicely drawn out, so I found the first half of the film very good. The second half sort of faded out the concept, a few trials were skipped and I found myself getting so lost in all the overwrought flashbacks that I ended up getting tired and annoyed. Quite a shame, it had a decent start. Still, an interesting film with passable CGI. Fantasy fans can probably add an extra star. 60% (16/02/2018)

After quite some time I started getting the urge to watch some fantasy, and I'm glad that in the process of satisfying it I came across this particular film, which I've had saved here for ages. It has almost everything a viewer could want. Aside from the story being suspenseful and not lacking in action, it also knows how to move you and make you laugh (more than even I would have expected). I also thought the editing was exceptional and they did a great job interweaving two stories taking place at the same time in two places. I enjoyed it so much I plan to see the next installment. (27/03/2022)

Visually it looks nice. But otherwise I don't really know what it was about. I had a hard time watching it and basically watched it three times. I guess the actors were good, but somehow I wasn't impressed with any of them. And the fireman? Even though a lot of people say Tae-hyun Cha was perfect for the role, I didn't think so at all. Overall, I found the character of the firefighter so unappealing that I couldn't really enjoy it, shed a tear, be in suspense, laugh... So for me, the only value was in the beautiful visuals and imaginative hell. That's all. A film I won't remember tomorrow. (13/08/2019)

A successful South Korean fantasy spectacle, which at first glance seems to take a lot from its source material, which is a comic book. It's got pleasantly odd characters, yet a plot that can easily pull you in, which is accentuated by the fact that it has very interesting visuals that assault you at every moment. (23/03/2018)