Attack the Gas Station! (1999)

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

4 disaffected young men hijack a petrol station. They kidnap customers and hold them hostage.There is a fair bit that can be criticised in this film but I enjoyed it immensely.The comedy is utterly amoral- I kept finding myself laughing at things I shouldn't be laughing at. The main characters behave very badly on the whole but I found myself sympathising with them immensely, even before the flashbacks explaining their motivation(s).The acting and production is very enthusiastic if not overly polished- looks like they had a blast making this.Criticisms-The production values are pretty low for a Korean flick. Some aspects of some scenes seem rather gratuitous- like all the motorbike stunts when the delivery boys turn up. The plot gets a little silly at times. Clearly in real life they would have been blown to smithereens a few times with all the petrol spilled.This movie was a massive hit for me, it takes a lot of chances and lacks a little polish but is all the better for breaking so many rules.

I've been on the IMDb since 2001 and have written very few reviews, but this movie was so bad that I feel compelled to warn everyone I can. I can honestly say that this movie has no redeeming features and is one of the worst movies I have ever seen.You've already seen the plot outline, but it doesn't give tell you enough.You've got 4 thugs who rob a gas station, then decide to stay and work there all night, presumably to make some money. Of course, given their violent carefree tendencies, they would logically just go rob some other business. Instead, they stay and willingly work a crappy service sector job that most people don't want.Their staying there is mostly a vehicle to provide encounters with obnoxious customers, à la Clerks, but any comedic value in these is squandered.The biggest flaw would be the characters. The protagonists are just violent and obnoxious thugs with no charisma whatsoever. The growing group of hostages consists of one-dimensional whimpering crybabies, which wears thin very fast. There isn't a single likable person among the whole cast.After 45 minutes of pointless slapstick with nary a funny occurrence, the film takes a wild stab at character development, showing why these thugs are the way they are. But it's all very shallow and perfunctory.The technical aspects of the film are also severely wanting. The camera-work is rough and jarring, the editing is mess and the lighting (or lack of it) is a disaster.The "comedy" is repetitive and unfunny, the cast is totally unlikeable and the whole movie is an aimless mess. I watched the whole thing in hopes that it would improve. It doesn't. In the end, it's just a lame and boring disaster. There are many good Korean films. Go rent a different one.

"Attack the Gas Station!" is not only the most entertaining film Korea has produced during it's recent industry boom, but one of the most fun, tongue in cheek, genre-aware action/comedies from anywhere since heck knows when. Serving as both a parody of siege/hostage films and a camp action extravaganza in it's own right, ATGS moves at breakneck speed, leaving not a dull moment as the quartet of luckless youths try to avoid detection and learn running a gas station isn't as easy as it seems.Despite feeling like an effective throwback to American cult B cinema of the 1970s and 80s - namely the works of Walter Hill and John Carpenter, ATGS also has such a refreshing, contemporary feeling and a razor sharp sense of humour that I can't think how the film can possibly get boring or how anyone could not enjoy it.If I had to watch one film on a loop for the rest of my life, this would be a strong contender. By the time the end credits rolled (and they came VERY quickly), I wanted to watch the film again, and again. There isn't anything bad I can say about ATGS, and my words cannot do it justice. I can't remember the last time I was this entertained by a film. If "Attack the Gas Station!" doesn't restore your faith in cinema, and the human race in general, I can't think what will.

Someone said: China's king of action, Japan's king of horror, and Korea's king of comedy. I said, what? and watched ATTACK THE GAS STATION. MY GOD WAS I WRONG! KOREA EARNS THE TITLE ALL THE WAY! I thought SHAOLIN SOCCER was hilarious. I thought, er, no Japanese comedies come to mind--oh, yes, SHALL WE DANCE was hilarious (back then), but nothing beats ATTACK THE GAS STATION in pure lunatic fun!! It's like watching JACKASS:THE MOVIE, with a plot that's really good and unpredictable!!If you claim to be PUNK, watch this movie.If you've got HOT BLOOD in your veins, watch this movie.If you've got FRIENDS who'll back you ALL THE WAY, this movie's about you!If you're an ANARCHIST, you're gonna wet your pants and scream with JOY! IF Someone's p***ing you OFF right now in your LIFE, this movie is your THERAPY!!!ATTACK!! ATTACK!!