Imprisoned and tortured for failing to neutralise a Japanese double-agent in his ranks, Yi Sun-sin is recalled to his post when a second invasion from Japan appeared imminent in 1597. Dealing with a severely reduced naval force consisting of an estimated 12 warships following the fleet’s near-devastation during a major battle while he was imprisoned, Yi has scant time to rally his sailors, prepare his battleships and devise a defence against a Japanese fleet of more than 300.

The film recorded 10 million admissions only 12 days after its premiere and set a record in Korea for achieving such a high number of viewers in the shortest amount of time. The movie also surpassed Avatar’s record of 13 million viewers to become the most-watched and highest-grossing film of all time in Korea with 17.6 million admissions.

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Set in 1592, six years before the events of The Admiral: Roaring Currents, the film depicts the lead up and Admiral Yi’s explosive exploits during the Battle of Hansan Island, when he led a small fleet against a vast Japanese armada. In a banner year for Park Hae-il, who also leads Park Chan-wook’s Decision to Leave, the actor takes over the mantle of the admiral from Choi Min-sik. Portraying Admiral Yi during an earlier naval campaign in his career, which also saw him heavily outnumbered by a Japanese armada, Park imbues the historical figure with a staunch and stolid solemnity. 

Teeming with white knuckle tension, Hansan: Rising Dragon steers us through an impeccably realised and epic David-vs-Goliath struggle out in the open sea.

Pierce Conran

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Following the memorable box office titans The Thieves and Assassination, hitmaker Choi Dong-hoon returns with his biggest project to date, the giddy first installment of an ambitious two-part period drama/sci-fi action offering. The veteran director ably commands an A-list cast that includes The Handmaiden’s (2016) Kim Tae-ri, Believer (2018)’s Ryu Jun-yeol and big screen return of Kim Woo-bin.

Borrowing a page or two from classic yesteryear Hollywood sci-fi action classics like Alien, Back to the Future and Terminator, Alienoid’s breathless genre medley bounces around past and present with a colourful coterie of oddball characters and trenchant humour, with Choi’s jaunty and unmistakable directorial stamp clearly shining through.

The prongs and protagonists of this sprawling and dynamic fable coalesce into an explosive climax that will leave you hankering for more. Lucky for you, part two will be heading to a theatre near you next year.

Pierce Conran

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