The Tower (2013)

i must have seen a different film!!

Funny, strange, confrontational and subversive, this is one of the most interesting experiences you'll have at the cinema this year.

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Unshakable, witty and deeply felt, the film will be paying emotional dividends for a long, long time.

High, but-really-too-high, building, check. A Christmas party, check. Too many people, check. Bad weather, but we don't care because the party is more important, check. Security measures not taken care of because, really, what is going to happen?, check. Father with little child that is in love with a co-worker, check. An experienced fireman that should not be working but-actually-really-has-to, check. Some people that just seem to be there to sacrifice themselves for the tearful moment, check.For anything else, lots of explosions."The Tower" is what the title says: A tower. On fire. With lots of people inside. The plot is kept to a minimum: people running around, things exploding, glass breaking, jumps, and an angel. From the very beginning you can probably tell to yourself what is going to happen, and probably even in which order. The characters are cartoon-ish, the effects just OK, and you probably have seen anything that happens a million times.Then, what makes "The Tower" so much fun? For starters it keeps things happening non-stop, so the two hours feel like a breeze (yes, even if everything is on fire). The acting is good, and you have lots of famous actors doing a really good job with the simple material they are handed: stern leader, comic relief, protective worker, desperate father, selfish major... And the direction is good and has a clear focus. All of this works to make a movie that is really fun and that will keep the viewer on the edge of their seat.

I went in to this expecting a fun and cheesy disaster flick, and I got that. I just wish it had been done a little better. The first 30 minutes is all character development, which I didn't mind that much. My only issue would be the cheesy comedic relief characters, which continue to attempt to be funny in a film containing lots of drama and disaster, which I felt is not good for a film like this. I appreciate black comedy, but this just felt like it was trying to make us laugh for the sake of laughing, and it didn't mix well with the rest of the serious events in the film. There was some melodrama for sure, as there is with a lot of Korean movies, but it felt like it had it's place in this movie. I must mention the CGI, because generally with Asian films I think the CGI is lacking, but this one actually did quite a good job. I think the film could have been shortened, because I found myself losing interest at some points even though there was action occurring, and that is due to the length. I think if these little flaws were fixed, it could have been a really fun and enjoyable flick, but I just felt that the flaws weighed it down and made me enjoy it less than I would like to have.

Christmas Eve. A gala party that's being at the luxurious 108 story high-rise building Tower Sky goes sour when an unexpected fire breaks out. A handful of people who themselves trapped inside the building must do whatever they can to survive while a team of brave fire fighters contend with the raging blaze. Director Ji-hoon Kim, who also co-wrote the tight and compelling script with Sang-don Kim, relates the gripping story at a brisk pace, takes time to carefully develop the characters so the viewer has a genuine emotional investment in their harrowing plight, vividly captures a strong sense of mounting fear, dismay, panic, and hysteria, builds plenty of gut-wrenching suspense (a sequence where several people have to cross a precarious glass bridge rates as a definite nail-biting highlight), and stages the fiercely rousing action with considerable skill, scope, and brio. Moreover, this movie further benefits not only from inspired touches of humor, but also from surprisingly potent moments of pathos and tragedy. The way the crisis situation brings out both the best and worst in folks provides an additional dramatic punch. The fine acting by the sturdy cast helps a whole lot, with especially stand-out work from Sul Kyung-gu as tough no-nonsense fire chief Young-ki, Sang-kyung Kim as likable building manager Dae-ho, Ye-jin Son as the sweet Yoon-hee, and Mina Cho as Dae-ho's adorable little daughter Hana. Both Young-Ho Kim's slick widescreen cinematography and Tae-seong Kim's thrilling dynamic score are up to par. Stupendous special effects, too. Recommended viewing.

THE TOWER is nothing more than a modern-day remake of the Irwin Allen disaster classic THE TOWERING INFERNO, updating the storyline with modern technology and modern effects but dealing with exactly the same type of logistical intrigue and scared survivors drama. It's slightly melodramatic, as is the case with a lot of Asian cinema, but it's also highly efficient with it. It may not be up there with the best of the genre, but it's better than the comparable likes of AFTERSHOCK and THE SINKING OF JAPAN.The narrative takes on a familiar construction with the first half hour building the characters before letting rip with a major accident, then working its way through a series of alternative disaster scenarios. Survivors are fried, dropped, blown up and put into various perilous situations, and it's all handled with more than a modicum of efficiency by director Kim Ji-hoon. It's also well paced and technically efficient, with decent CGI adding to the peril and some well-placed comic relief offsetting the more dramatic moments.Is THE TOWER original? Not a jot. Is it as good as the original? Not by a long shot. Is it entertaining? Oh yes. It may be no classic, but as modern disaster cinema goes this is one of the better ones you'll find out there.