Sword In The Moon (2003)

Fresh and Exciting

Fantastic!

It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

Recap: After the king was overthrown there is a short time of order. But then generals and ministers start turning up dead, often most brutally slaughtered. The new king's best swordsman investigates and soon find out that the assassin is his best friend, one who is still loyal to the old king.Comments: Although full of swordfights and combat this is a unexpectedly slow movie. Mostly this is due to that a lot of the movie is flashbacks of how the two swordmasters became friends. How they trained and ultimately how they ended up on different sides of a war.It's a well crafted film. Obviously a lot of energy has been put in to get costumes and sceneries right. Actually it is a beautiful movie. Like many of recent Asian pictures this is very strong in filming. Visually it is almost flawless. However, the story is a weakness. It gets far too slow with these flashbacks. They are not clearly distinguishable either, and when the main characters switch clothes and are similar in appearance it is sometimes hard to figure out who is doing what. It sorts itself out in time though, but it doesn't help to keep the interest up.Maybe something for real fans of movies of medieval Asian times but for everyone else I guess another movie will work just as well.6/10

Amazing scenes. Great colors. As a fan of Asian movies I accept this one as a promise for more great ones. I can't say this is masterpiece because I am not into the Korean cinema - i saw only two or three movies , but hey don't forget Kim Ki Dook movies - so they are more than 3 :-) Anyway - Im not sure that I understand the final. But I got the idea - the friendship has not a time for existence. This is something that may have or may have not. I give 5 of 10, because of the idea, the costumes, the atmosphere. Although there is too much blood - I say bloodbath. The beginning was promising - I thought that it would be a medieval crime movie - because of the mysterious murders , but the point of the movie was not that kind. It is too deep to consider. May be I'm kind a disappointed because of the end: just like the "Spirited Away" - manga movie... But that does not mean the movie is not great.

When I was young, I'd get up early every Saturday morning not to watch cartoons but to turn on the local channel for what was called 'Kung Fu Theatre.' It wasn't as if these films were works of art. It wasn't as if these films all came from China, Japan, Korea, or any country in particular; if the story had to do with fighting – be it swordplay or fisticuffs – and if the fighting didn't resemble much of anything going on in any American gym class, then that was good enough. It wasn't as if they were really even very good. They were just great action flicks with incredibly over-dramatic music where the hero reaped his vengeance over a whole host of bad guys, and then the credits would roll."Sword in the Moon" is much like these films of my youth, arguably a bit of a thematic throwback given a welcome twist by muddying the characters up enough that it becomes increasingly difficult to tell the bad guys from the good.Yun (Cho Jae Hyun) is known throughout the kingdom as 'the human butcher.' He kills quickly and mercilessly on behalf of the Chun Dynasty, the chief bodyguard of an Emperor who spared his life and the life of his men in exchange for his service. However, an equally merciless rebel and his lovely sidekick appear in the countryside and start murdering imperial ministers, and Yun agrees to find these rebels and kill them. His task becomes one of personal discovery when he learns that the two rebels are Choi (a friend from his past) and his former love, Shi Yeong.Sadly, "Sword" doesn't have much to distinguish itself from other action films. Some stunning cinematography is nearly entirely wasted on shoddy editing with portions of the film put together so loosely its hard to believe that what inevitably made it to the film was what anyone intended. While the atmosphere and story tend to gravitate toward a dark mood, the tone is almost sacrificed to the never-ending parade of flashbacks as each of the main characters is given a healthy story arc. What should've been a quick and easy action film gets weighed down by far too much personal baggage, and the film suffers as a result.I've read that this film marks Korea's first real foray into the world of art-house action pieces along the likes of "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." Next time, I'd strongly suggest that the producers stick with a little more 'martial' and a little less 'art.'

Although I saw this movie in Korea, in Korean, and therefore did not understand the language, images sure say more than enough. From what I can make of it, this is the story: Two superb sword fighters become friends in their service as the king's guard. One of them finds himself opposed to the ways of the king and starts assassinating important men. The other has to hunt him down. This movie is visually great. The swordfighting is great. And the movie has a gripping end. I just hope this movie will be marketed for the western cinema goers. And be released on DVD, of course.