jamie_murdoch Well, no actually I wasn't. Cutting room floor. I was teaching English in Korea at the time and somehow a group of us foreign teachers were asked if we wanted to be extras in a movie, so we said what the heck. We were driven out to the set which was on the same studio lot that the fake Panmunjom set from "JSA" was on. They put us in tuxedo's and we were in the art gallery where the commando's came down through the skylight and machine gunned everybody. Then later in the day they came up to me and said "your scene is now". I was like "huh?" Basically what they had me do was admire a large necklace hanging in a display case and say "it's very beautiful, what is it?" Kinda dumb, I know, but I was just doing what I was told. Then after they filmed it a few times (using a camera on a track which looked through the case from the rear), they told me they needed to get the audio so they could dub it over my lips so to speak. I repeated it several times into the Mic but they kept getting me to do it again and again because the pacing was off. And I guess in the end it just didn't fit, or else was one of those superfluous little scenes that they filmed several of and then decide which ones suit the flow of the scene. My movie career died before it began. :)

basil-grimes What if, repeating the question, history could be changed ? The premise of the film is more political fiction than science fiction, yet if you get at the end of the movie you can see it can be easily labeled as a SF movie.That being said, let us talk about some aspects of the script. Some of the users objected that is "too" patriotic. Since when does patriotism stand for something reproachable ??? Well, some might argue that the "bad" guys must have a different accent or language. Well, in this case they are wrong. For the script is trying to be more accurate then many of the political thrillers around.On the other hand, Jang Dong-gun has yet another role completely different. Just to mention My Way, Tae Guk Gi or Typhoon. Let's think about it a minute. Is this the mark of a great actor ? It surely is.Great music. Why great ? Because it amplifies the dramatic moments very well.As for the rhythm of the movie, it's no surprise. It helps you to embrace the characters and also to be taken in by the story.By the way. Although it CAN be considered an action movie, IT IS NOT. I believe it to be a drama with action moments and pigmented by SF accents.Another useful and interesting comparison, on another level, can be made with My Way. A completely different outcome of the dynamism of the two main characters.Enjoy !

Mikael This movie has a semi interesting plot. Not very new or original, neither very bad or too obvious. As usual when it comes to South Korean popular movie industry the craftsmanship is next to flawless. The lighting and the scenery are beautiful, the soundtrack is very sentimental and bordering to über-cheese but that shouldn't be a surprise to anyone with the slightest experience in Asian movies. The acting is also good though the English dub doesn't seem to even try to do any lip sync and brings down the overall impression. The special effects are functional but not really that spectacular. Also, the action scenes have way to much slow motion for my taste. Though, I guess this is made in order to boost the sense of patriotism. And, this is where I have my main criticism.It contains about all components of the propaganda the nationalistic parts of South Korean society likes to flatter itself with. Embarrassingly obvious, even more than usual. North and South Korea are united because they really are brothers. No Korean would harm another Korean. Japan is an enemy, has always been and will always be. Japanese people are not to be trusted, not even those you consider close friends. The Korean on the other hand are brave and self sacrificing with a pure heart. The key to the entire plot comes from the superior ancient culture and system of worship from the Korean peninsula. There are so many subtle details that are being pushed in that mean really a lot if you have an understanding of Korean culture, like the Korean main character has become so Japanese he doesn't even eat Kimchi (!).I agree that the patriotism is so much an undisputed part of Korean culture even today that it should not come as a surprise, and I have enough experience of South Korea to be very aware of this when watching this movie. The problem here is that this script is so saturated with nationalistic propaganda that I feel it being written for this very purpose. It can sometimes lead to (umm...) interesting results, though seldom to properly good ones. It's the equivalent of the American action movie where all baddies have a "foreign" accent, smoke cigarettes and the bad guy boss has a hint of latent homosexuality. Just translate those components into Korean values. Enjoy it as no-brainer entertainment for killing some time, or more interestingly for understanding the components of Korean nationalism and the grudge toward Japan in a commercial movie production. If you want to see a really good Korean movie, for there are lots of them, pick another one.

Eglaya2003 This has been some Asian year so far. Every single TV stations in my country are broadcasting lots of Asian movies. Of course, most of it is an English-dubbed junk, but in just one month, I've seen Crounching Tiger, Hidden Dragon; The House of Flying Daggers; Hero; Bischunmoo; Dolls; Zatoichi; Musa the Warrior; The Returner and now... 2009: Lost Memories.I was very thrilled when I saw an announcement in the TV guide. The preview seemed to be very interesting and the fact that it was sort of collaboration between Korean and Japanese actors, made me think. I don't know Korean history well, but I realize that its relationship with Japan wasn't very good throughout the centuries. I'm rather baffled by the fact that most Koreans are learning Japanese at school while the Japanese doesn't do the opposite.About the movie. Well, it really doesn't match Musa the Warrior. Not by a long shot. Yet, it's quite an indent, showing that Korean Movie industry is growing and it can offer us some great movies. What I liked about this movie the most, was that it has been tried to maintain a realistic mood, therefore - all the dialogs, that ought have been in Japanese, WERE in Japanese. Not like in American movies, where Russians, Poles, Chinese, Spanish and Finnish - all talk in English >__< The flow of action itself was rather sluggish, and I saw no point in editing all the action sequences in slow motion. It actually made my mind boggle. And perhaps I'm an absolutely dumb person, but I didn't quite get the real biography of Sakamoto, what he should have been in the REAL story line.Nevertheless, this movie preaches all the general values: truth, courage, devotion, love of your homeland and respect. Being a Lithuanian I can understand Korean, because our own nation has been under the influence of Poland for centuries.To put it into account, you have to see this movie, if you are interested in Asian cinema industry, because there is nothing more handsome than an Asian man crying: tears run down his face, eyes are full of grief and sorrow, but not a single face muscle stirs. Amazing.