The post-apocalypse is a well-worn setting. A few years ago, it seemed like every action sci-fi project had to start with a montage of society falling apart.Badland Huntersstarts to feel like aMad Maxknock-off from its first trailer, but it’s willing to go in a very different direction. Though the story won’t break new ground, the execution will elevate this fascinating action outing well worth a watch.
Badland Huntersis Heo Myung-haeng’s directorial debut. Heo is a celebrated stunt performer probably best known as one of the many men Oh Dae-Su savagely beats with a hammer in the iconic hallway fight scenein Park Chan-wook’sOldboy.As a frequent stunt and martial arts director, Heo has a stellar eye for action scenes. Screenwriters Kim Bo-Tong ofD.P.and Kwak Jae-Min ofAmanzaare comparably new to their roles but less impressive.
Badland Huntersis ostensibly a sequel to Um Tae-hwa’sConcrete Utopia. The films have almost nothing in common, and any newcomer should feel comfortable seeing the new outing on its own.Huntersopenswith a nightmarish earthquakethat destroys most of South Korea. Clean water and food become luxuries as most citizens of Seoul find themselves living in tents and trading to survive. Choi Ji-wan, an ambitious teen, sets out to kill an alligator for food, only to enrage the beast. Nam-san, a superhuman hunter/warrior with a mysterious past, saves Ji-wan’s life and takes the desperate kid under his wing. Both men care for Suna, a beautiful young girl who lives in a tent with her grandmother. When a rowdy gang arrives to steal locals, Nam-san crushes them. When a group of well-dressed young men led by a charming schoolteacher arrives to whisk Suna away to a better life, they reluctantly say goodbye. Suna quicklydiscovers the sinister intentbehind her new home, sending Ji-wan and Nam-San across Seoul to save her life.
A rescue mission in a ruined city is nothing new, butBadland Hunterscombines its grounded characters with strange ideas. Suna isn’t dragged away to a work camp or any other sensible nightmare. She and her classmates are scheduled to become test subjects fora mad scientist straightout of a cartoon. Nam-san and Ji-Wan discover Lee Eun-ho, a wandering soldier with information on Suna’s captors. In between action scenes, she explains that Doctor Yang Gi-su started experimenting with human resurrection before the city fell. This twist gives some of the films' antagonists a healing factor with all the grotesque comedic timing ofDeadpool.Badland Huntersrefuses to take much of its premise seriously. It’s most reminiscent of a live-action take on theanimatedResident Evilmovies. The action set pieces make that comparison a compliment.
The action is the main draw ofBadland Hunters. It’s as excellent as one would expect from a gifted stunt performer and director. Ma Dong-seok, sometimes known as Don Lee, is a natural in these roles. He’s one of the most prominent and celebrated action performers in South Korea. Most American viewers might recognize him from his role inEternalsor the excellent worldwidehitTrain to Busan. His fighting style evolves throughout the film, initially appearing like a more athletic Jason Voorhees and ending around John Wick. Ahn Ji-hye performs admirably as Eun-ho, who delivers some stellar stunts. She could take up professional wrestling, but the camera work is better here than in the ring. Every action scene commands attention, from the first encounter with a crocodile to Ma’s absurd one-man army moments. The film is worth watching for the fights if nothing else.
Badland Hunterssuffers in the story department. It’s refreshingly strange, contained, and brief enough to stretch its barebones narrative without breaking it. At 107 minutes, the film doesn’t overstay its welcome. It doesn’t have enough to say to broach the social commentary of its supposed predecessor, but it’s compelling enough to stand on its own. Screenwriters Kim and Kwak couldhave sharpened the themesof military, government, or even scientific organizations abusing the poor and disenfranchised for their own gain, but they let most of the film’s implicit exploitation remain understated. There is, arguably, a bizarre anti-vaccine undercurrent. South Korea seemed to struggle with hesitant parents, possibly contributing to the country’s first drop in life expectancy since 1970. That distasteful subtext likely won’t occur during the runtime, but it makes a rewatch unappealing.
Badland Hunterswould be fun in a theater, but it’s a perfect Netflix movie. Any action fan can throw it on tonight and ride on the edge of their seat for 100 minutes.Ma Dong-seok deservesmore international attention, and if this is what it takes to get him that spotlight, it’s worth the downsides. Director Heo Myung-haeng could have an excellent future ahead of him directing action blockbusters. He’s already set to helm the latest entry in Ma’sRoundupfranchise.Badland Hunterscould be the start of a great director/actor pair, but it’s also a fun ride on its own.
Badland Hunters
Cast
In post-apocalyptic Seoul, a powerful hunter and his teen apprentice set out to rescue a young lady from a mad scientist.
