Howling (2012)

everything you have heard about this movie is true.

Although it has its amusing moments, in eneral the plot does not convince.

Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

A film with more than the usual spoiler issues. Talking about it in any detail feels akin to handing you a gift-wrapped present and saying, "I hope you like it -- It's a thriller about a diabolical secret experiment."

So, this film plot is dumb. Just really dumb. It kept me engaged for the first hour , I will admit. I can't tell you why. Maybe because I didn't know yet that the "killer" was a dog. I ended up turning it off right before the big ( I assume) ending. I knew the dog killed everyone and why, but there was one more victim, that they had not found yet. I turned it off because it wasn't worth investing anymore. First of all, this movie has the most annoying characters I've ever met in my life. Not being Korean, or from Korea, I deduced that this was an inside peak at some very culturally revealing scenes and dynamics ( realism) the misogyny was disturbing. The woman drove me up a wall. She was such a wimp, and just let herself be abused by these ugly jerks in the police department. I couldn't stand that aspect of the film. I think I watched it for so long because I was waiting for this woman to get her revenge , somehow. It never came. She just kept getting slapped by her co workers, insulted and blamed for everything that wasn't her fault. Over again. At the point when she packed up her stuff, and left her desk, I said bye bye. Your plot was stupid. Your entire cast except for her and two criminals hard to look at, I hated all of the characters except for her, you suck. Korea. You suck. I did manage to get some gratitude going on for being American , which rarely happens now a days. I can't believe that Korea was OK with the release of this film. It makes them look so bad. They are almost as bad as the Islamic nations , as far as women are concerned. Well, at least you don't get gang raped if you leave your house alone. Ya. Skip this one. It's a dud. Stupid, far fetched plot. No climax, too long, and just doesn't deliver ; anywhere. It would have been cool if the woman, who was a better detective than any of the men in the department, would have gotten some sort of acknowledgment or revenge- like kick the living crap out of half those guys. Esp the jerk that got the promotion. Korea, if you're reading this, I have a huge resentment against you. Time for some changes, buddy.

I just watched it, and... don't know what I gonna say because its actually not good enough. Song kang ho is the reason why I watch this movie, and as usually Korea always come up with a different idea for their movie such as Howling whatever but still cannot run from their cliché policemen movie like memories of murder, chaser, secret reunion etc. That's make me frustrated.The story is about a man who died cause by a natural combustion, but after further investigation they found out that is the homicide, later then someone killed by wolf and coincidentally related to that burned man and investigation happen. Not like what I expected, their investigation just running happily, I mean no surprise at all. Lot of predictable moment, same kind of policemen from The Chaser and same kind of hero from Secret Reunion, they save our eyes by put one girl on the screen but unfortunately forget to fill in some love interest that make this movie look drain. Just curious why they always give Kangho the same character, he is a good actor but always become a policemen or crooklike man, yelling and kicking. I gave 7 because its a good movie, but maybe I watch too many korean stuff so I get used with their work thats make me demand more. Enjoy this if you like a mystery movie! Worth watching once in a lifetime then forget it.

The opening credit sequence gives away the heart of the story away, but does not of course, gives away the structure or the journey of the story.You got to admire how far the S.Korea movie industry (in fact everything form electronics, cars, TV drama, to movies ..etc) has come within last 5-10 years. They had a good base of directors and technicians, and keeps on turning out more.You see the way most of the dialogue between the 2 main leads is carried out in a different way. Facing the camera, like they are talking to you. It mixes me up. At times you are looking in their eyes reacting to the moment. At times, it is kind of distracting, taking you out of the movie.Yet the plot, progression and character built up is the ride of this movie. Piece by piece, clue by clue, the journey builds. Even though it's a basic copy buddy movie, it's not a pair you see. A male and a female pair in an Korean setting. And yet this is a smoke screen. The main lead is the female, as she gets stronger, tougher, more determined, even though she is out numbered most of the time, even when she is with her team. She is the smarter one, the more intuitive one, an surprisingly, the more gutsy one.** spoiler *** The identification with the wolf is what makes this different or fantastical almost. In a lone, loyal, sentimental animal you see the feelings, tragedy behind the case. And it's heartbreaking to force the hand at the end. It is the with repressed emotion that leads the traffic cop is able to solve the case, and it is with full release of this that she needs to end the case. But she can not. What a heart breaking ending. But she forever remembers the night she ran with the wolf.

Billed as South Korea's answer to 'The Howling'- which is in fact its English title in most, if not, all other territories, 'The Killer Wolf' proves to be so much more than your generic werewolf movie. Indeed, former poet-turned-director Yoo Ha's latest brings to mind Bong Joon- ho's 'The Host', which successfully reinvented the monster movie with sharp social commentary- and though Ha's attempt doesn't reach the heights of Bong's classic, it does successfully breathe new life into the subgenre by combining its sensibilities with that of a crime thriller.It is in the form of the latter that the movie opens, as veteran detective Jo Sang-gil (Song Kang-ho, who coincidentally is also the lead of 'The Host') is teamed up with a young female rookie Cha Eun-young (Lee Na-young making the leap from her usual staple of rom-coms) to investigate the possible self-immolation of a middle-aged male in his own car. Adding to the mystery of that individual's cause of death are the unusual bite marks on the deceased, which suggest he was bitten by some large dog, or even a wolf.With some forensic help and the requisite stakeouts, the pair of detectives manage to pin down the identity of the deceased- though a visit to his apartment unveils a much more sinister background. It turns out the victim was, together with four others, in the business of underage sex trafficking, using his apartment as a den for older men to indulge in their teenage girl fantasies. Clue by clue, Cha stitches together the pieces of a despicable criminal organisation, even as one by one the deceased's associates meet their demise at the mouth of a vicious half-dog half-wolf hybrid known simply as a 'wolfdog'.A lot of the fun in Ha's film is guessing how the many disparate pieces of the puzzle fit together, as the narrative- based upon a Japanese novel by Asa Nonami- twists and turns to reveal the origins of the 'wolfdog' as well as the reason behind its series of targeted brutal attacks. The less you know about the plot the better, and the more attention you pay to the unfolding events the wiser, given the plethora of supporting characters as well as the plot complexities. There is a lot going on, but Ha manages to keep it all together while maintaining a tight tense atmosphere throughout.But anyone who's seen Ha's previous films 'A Dirty Carnival' or 'A Frozen Flower' will know that he is not simply interested in plot but also equally in character. That explains the effort he spends setting Cha apart from the rest, painting her as the newbie ostracised by her colleagues for simply being a pretty female face but who turns out to be smarter and sharper than anyone else. Kudos to Ha for giving Cha more depth than the usual stereotype of a tough determined woman, though his execution- especially a flashback that explains her steeliness- could use a bit more finesse.Next to Cha, Jo is unfortunately sidelined as the gruff old-hand still rankling at being passed over for a recent promotion- and even a subplot very early on about his troubled relationship with a delinquent son is quickly forgotten as the events of the case take precedence. Nonetheless, despite his character's significance in the course of the narrative, it is Song Kang-ho's low-key performance that holds the movie together. There's nothing particularly challenging here for the actor of more demanding fare such as 'Thirst' and 'Sympathy for Mr Vengeance', but Kang-ho is a perfect foil against the entirely serviceable performance of Na-young.It isn't difficult to see why the actress had chosen Cha as her breakout role, but the sweet fresh-faced Na-young is sadly out of her depth here. That's particularly apparent in the scenes where she is required to imply an emotional connection between her character and that of the 'wolfdog' after the latter saves her life, which could have been more poignant in the hands of a more capable actress. Still, she isn't as bad as some reports have made her out to be, though a large part of that credit goes to her co-star Kang-ho.Arriving in the midst of much summer bombast, it's easy to overlook a smaller, less-hyped movie like 'The Killer Wolf'- especially given its rather tacky English title. Yet those looking for some good old- fashioned intrigue and suspense will find that this Korean hybrid of a werewolf movie and a serial killer thriller offers both in one taut package, and if it's something different from the typical Hollywood spectacle you are looking for, then make this your film of choice. www.moviexclusive.com