The Long Dark Marathon of the Soul 2018: Train to Busan (2016), directed by Yeon Sang-ho

The Trailer

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The Appropriate Tune: "Last Train Home", by Pat Matheny Group

       The last time the Marathon visited Korea was two years ago, when we covered Chan-wook Park’s Oldboy, the infamous fight scene with an elaborate revenge movie attached to it. Of course Korea’s contribution to the world of entertainment don’t rest solely with Oldboy and those thousands of romantic comedies you see on netflix; the country has a rich history of film going back decades, ranging from comedies to horror and everything in between. It’s a region that I have often neglected I’m sad to say, stymied by a seeming lack of availability and distracted by its anime and kung-fu producing neighbors, but I’m planning on rectifying that whenever I can. Which just so happens to begin right now.

       Released in South Korea in 2016, where it became a box office smash, Train to Busan starts the way that most great films do, with an accident at a local biotech plant that unleashes a deadly zombie virus upon the land. Gong Yoo stars as Seok-woo, a fund manager who dabbles in being a divorcee and neglectful parent to his daughter, Su-an. In an attempt to do something for his child besides bribing her with Wii U’s, Seok-woo decides to take the train to Busan so that Su-an can stay with her mother, at the exact moment that the proverbial shit hits the proverbial fan. Now Seok-woo, Su-an and the rest of the passengers are stuck on the ride from hell, struggling to survive as they make that long, long journey towards what might be their salvation. At least they hope it will, and hope is the only thing that they have left. Next stop: Death?

       By 2016, audiences know a zombie movie like a fox knows a hen house. All is laid bare, the tropes are all accounted for, the twists anticipated. Train to Busan is no exception. You’ve got your good characters that die early and your bad characters that stick around way too long, you’ve got the selfishness v. altruist moral dilemma, and a smattering of ‘this person is totally gonna get bit but actually they’re not’ moments. Just like every other zombie movie out there except these ones can run, which makes them only like half of every other zombie movie out there. Also people zombify absurdly quick, which removes about 90% of the tension, but whatever.

       A film can be generally formulaic and still be good however if the formula is done well, and I’d say that Train to Busan does it’s thing well. Setting the film on a train was an unique idea (at least it is here in the relatively train-less U.S.), not only providing a convenient way to move the plot forward but also acting as a claustrophobic location for our protagonists to deal with the undead menace. While not as gory as Western zombie fare, the act of having to deal with half a dozen rabid cannibals in the equivalent of a crowded hallway, where one bite is almost immediate death, is pretty good horror. I’d go as far as to say it’s the highlight of the film, beyond being its main selling point, because it’s a universally suspenseful situation. Doesn’t matter if it’s running zombies or slow zombies or peeved ferrets, it’s a scenario built for anxiety. If the entirety of the movie could somehow take place on trains it’d probably be a lot better off, because I wouldn’t have to try and suspend my disbelief over how tired city dwellers could outrun people who could apparently run as fast as possible with infinite stamina.

       I’ll also admit that Train to Busan managed to get me to care about the characters. Maybe I’m just getting to be a big softy in my advancing years, the rekindled relationship forged by Su-an and her dad tugged my heartstrings by the end there, even if Seok-woo and Su-an took about 45 minutes or so to gain a new expression. There was also a certain degree of morbid pleasure at seeing assholes killed by their own hand, but then that’s natural in horror movies. More prevalent than characters you actually care about and want to survive, in my experience.

       I wouldn’t say it’s the best zombie movie I’ve ever seen, or even the best zombie movie I’ve reviewed on this blog, but I can see why Train to Busan was a hit. Especially for a country that likely doesn’t see a lot of homegrown horror movies, at least of the zombie variety. It’s got action, thrills, chills and some melodrama, just about all you need for a successful popcorn movie. Based on that criteria, Train to Busan gets the recommendation. All you zombie purists out there might turn your noses up at this, but those just looking for something to watch this Halloween that’s a little bit different might find something they enjoy. Those people or train enthusiasts I suppose, but then it’s not that hard to please a train enthusiast in my (complete lack of) experience.

The Long Dark Marathon of the Soul 2018: The Guardian Brothers (2016), directed by Gary Wang

The Trailer

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The Appropriate Tune: "Feng Shou", by Chen Dacan

       We (that’s the royal ‘we’) here at the Marathon have no problem covering family-friendly/kids movies. I (that’s the non-royal ‘I’) have also made it a point to cover animated films when I can, because of my oft-stated opinion that it is a greatly underutilized and underappreciated artistic and filmmaking medium. A problem arises though when we get to that most dreaded of combinations, the animated children’s movie. Namely that there’s too damn many of them and I don’t have the time or the inclination to sift through them all. We struck gold with Kubo last time around, and that’s going to be how we’re approaching these kinds of movies going forward: It’s gotta be relatively unique or interesting to me, or I’m not going to bother with it. No Disney. No Pixar. No Dreamworks. For the foreseeable future, at least.

Dropped quickly and unceremoniously onto Netflix around 2016, The Guardian Brothers, or Little Door Gods as it’s known in China, is a film that takes place in two worlds: The real world, where all us boring humans live, and the Spirit World, home of the Guardians. Guardians are exactly what it says on the tin, spirits whose purpose in life is to help humans. Trouble is, times have changed and humans no longer care about spirits. In retaliation, the spirits have decided to go on strike, even going so far as to start demolishing the portals that lead to the human world. Work stoppages are far more effective when the other party knows you exist, however, so it seems the spirit world is en route to a slow and undignified demise.

       In this middle of all this are the Guardian Brothers, headstrong Yu Lei and easygoing Shen Tu, divided on the issue of helping humans. The issue comes to a head when the brothers discover the existence of a horrific creature known as the Nian, which terrorized both worlds until the combined forces of spirits and humans were able to seal it away. Believing that the return of a mutual enemy is what will reunite humans and spirits, Yu Lei sets off to the real world in order to locate and break the seals containing the Nian. It is while on Earth that he meets a young girl named Rain, whose mother has inherited an old soup shop, and whose will turn out to be far more important to his quest than she might seem.

       Not much to say about the art style and animation, if you’ve seen any kids movie since the switch from hand-drawn to CGI then you’re getting the same here, but I’d say the biggest difference between The Guardian Bros. and your average Disney release is in how it tells the story. The chief antagonist of the film for example, the Nian, is far less of an active presence that Jafar or Hades are in their respective films, serving more as the end result of Yu Lei’s stubbornness and reckless actions than an actual villainous character. The secondary antagonist, the comically greedy businessman Rogman, is by contrast more active, but his actual relevance to the plot also feels negligible. In his moment of greatest influence on the story, his scheme is thwarted a scene or two later and he is immediately punished for his actions. They are antagonists in the most basic of terms, obstacles that the protagonists overcome on their journey. Fancy roadblocks, essentially.

       The role of Rain in the movie is also a very noticeable shift in storytelling. In similar films, Rain would likely be the focus of the film; the story would revolve around her, somehow she’d probably get into spirit world which would lead to generic shenanigans, and in the end she’d be best friends with all the Guardians. Not the case with The Guardian Brothers. While she is an important character and integral to the plot, she’s also a little girl and and her position in the story reflects that. She’s not fighting monsters, she’s helping her mom run a soup shop and worrying about not having friends, and happens to meet a couple of magical beings along the way. I’ve often said that child actors can either make or break a movie, and that belief goes for animated films as well. To have a movie where a child isn’t pushed into being some sort of overdone saviour of mankind role but also isn’t a burden on the competent characters, similarly, is like getting a homerun off of a bunt. Quite refreshing.

        What isn’t as refreshing however, is the voice acting. While at first glance the cast list seems to be cavalcade of stars, Nicole Kidman, Ed Norton, Mel Brooks, right away you realize why voice acting is even a thing. It just sounds so bad so quickly is the thing, that minutes after I heard Bella Thorne’s obviously adult woman voice come out of couldn’t-be-older-than-eleven Rain that I just had to switch it to another dub entirely. French seemed to work out okay, although as a former anime loving loser I would have preferred to have English subtitles with the original Chinese. If only to see the changes, if any, in the voice direction across the international versions.

       The use of music is also not very inspired, in my opinion. Their soundtrack consists of what feels like 4 songs, two of which (‘Celebration’ by Kool & The Gang and ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ by Carl Douglas) are re-used in other scenes. I can understand why they felt the need to throw in popular music, and I know licensing music is an expensive pain the ass, but much like Bella Thorne it just sounds awkward. It probably would have been better off sticking with an original score, maybe rounding things out with some local talent. It maybe not snag those international points, but at least it wouldn’t feel as weird as watching a Chinese movie that plays ‘Kung Fu Fighting’ without batting an eye.

       Although likely not as high action as you’re used to in your kids movies, The Guardian Brothers’ almost magic-realist take on old folklore still manages to entertain in less than 90 minutes. Recommended, especially for those looking for some family-friendly films this Halloween. And if you’re a parent in a country that primarily speaks English, you might want to do so with a glass or two of hard cider. Makes the viewing experience a lot easier.

The Long Dark Marathon of the Soul 2017 - Kubo and the Two Strings (2016), directed by Travis Knight

The Trailer
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The Appropriate Tune: "Tsugaru Jongara Bushi", by Ki & Ki

     As much as I tend to lean on the sides of directors when it comes to film making, they are supposed to be the ones calling the shots after all, occasionally I will give credit where credit is due to the studios and production companies through which these films are built, financed and eventually sent off into the world. Would the genre of horror be quite the same without the influence of Hammer Films? Would James Gunn be heading Guardians of the Galaxy or Matt Stone and Trey Parker be pushing two decades worth of South Park if Troma hadn’t lent a helping hand? Introducing money into the equation is the leading cause of fucked up movies, and studio execs love that money, but money is also the only way you make movies at all, so it’s a complicated relationship. When that money is given with an open mind and willingness to explore, that’s when the magic happens.

     When it comes to animation however, a style of film making that is even more collaborative than the standard, it is the studios and production companies where the true power lies. Pixar, Studio Ghibli, Nelvana (responsible for former Marathoner Rock & Rule) Tokyo Movie Shinsa (Castle of Cagliostro and Akira) and now Laika, based out of Oregon. A relative newcomer to the film stage, they’re only about 12 years old, Laika has been slowly building up an impressive body of work since then. Kicking things off with Coraline in 2009, which was likely their biggest hit, Laika defined themselves by their incredibly detailed, masterfully shot, downright beautiful claymation work, crafting films that were fun for the whole family, but didn’t shy away from the darker subjects. In 2012 they came out with ParaNorman (another great one), and two years later The Boxtrolls, the lowest rated and yet ironically the second highest-grossing of their filmography. That may have been for the best, because it was that increased revenue that helped to give us Kubo and the Two Strings.

     In a village by the sea in what is most likely Japan, a one-eyed boy named Kubo lives in a cave overlooking those vast waters. Every morning when he wakes he takes of his mother, who is trapped in a catatonic state, and then travels down to the village in order to make money. Kubo is a master at the art of origami you see, as well as a musician, and when he plays the shamisen these creatures of folded paper literally come to life and move about. He uses these skills to tell stories, tales of the heroic samurai Hanzo and his quest for the Golden Armor, and his war against the evil Moon King. Every time he comes close to finishing this story however, the town bell rings for sundown, and Kubo runs home. Kubo can never be outside once night falls, you see, no matter what.

     What the folks in the village don’t know is that all of Kubo’s stories were true, Hanzo, the Moon King, etc., because Hanzo is Kubo’s father, and his mother one of the daughters of the Moon King. A long time ago Kubo and his mother had washed up on the village, sacrificing Hanzo’s life and one of Kubo’s eyes in order to escape the wrath of the Moon King. That escape was only temporary though, and when those divine forces finally catch up to the broken family, Kubo must go on a journey to recover the Golden Armor in order to vanquish the Moon King once and for all. Kubo, along with a talking monkey and a stag beetle samurai, isn’t just telling stories anymore: He’s living one.

     To say that this film beautiful veers on redundant, because this is a Laika movie and Laika movies always look great. Kubo is a classic Hero’s Quest type story, and the set pieces are suitably epic for the occasion. Windswept tundras, endless lakes, sweeping vistas of mountains and valleys, Kubo’s world is lush and vibrant in a way that very few animated films are able to match. The characters are animated so finely that they seem to breath and move, and it is astounding to consider just how much work Travis Knight and his team had to put in to make it look this good. Even I have to admit that one my favorite films of my childhood, the Nightmare Before Christmas, looks a bit slow in comparison. Of course claymation is like the prog rock of animation; A treat to experience but a chore to record, and the progression of technology smooths that process. ‘Smooths’ being the operative word, it’s a still a lot of work.

     I think what I like most about about Kubo though is that it’s a movie that tells a story about the importance of stories (I believe that would be considered a meta-narrative, but then I’m dumb). Kubo’s mother tells him stories which he tells the villagers, Kubo’s adventure is a story, and our memories of our loved ones who have left us are a story as well. As someone with relatives who suffer from dementia, who have lost a lot of what made them them, I guess it all hit a bit close to home for me.

     It’s a damn shame that Kubo and the Two Strings seemed to slip under the radar like it did, but you’d be doing yourself a disservice if you didn’t check it out. Whether you’re an animation fan, a parent looking for a film for their kid, or you just like shit that doesn’t seem like all the other shit you’ve seen, Kubo is the movie for you. When you’re not busy making your own stories this Halloween, give this one a try. You just might find something you really like.