rooprect The DVD box says: "This film either serves as a political parable about Korean society, a microcosm of Korean social problems or, alternately, just a hell of a lot of fun." I couldn't sum it up any better."Attack the Gas Station!" can be many things... or nothing at all. Therein lies the mark of a great work of art. I'm not familiar with Korean politics or society, so I can't comment on whether it's a fitting allegory for those... but I personally saw this film as a brilliant "immorality play" and definitely a lot of fun.Like the classic morality plays of the 15th century, it uses characters to personify certain human virtues & vices. However, unlike a classic morality play which is supposed to teach a moral lesson, "Attack the Gas Station!" draws no moral conclusions ...except maybe that you should never p*ss off Chinese food delivery boys. They can get nasty.Instead of moralizing over right & wrong, this film simply tells it like it is. The plot & premise is summed up in the title: a bunch of hoodlums decide to attack a gas station. They do it for no real reason other than "just because". If you're a fan of Camus ("The Stranger") and certain other influential writers of the 20th century, already you see an interesting theme of existentialism here.As the film progresses, we see that theme become more powerful. Characters answer to no higher morality other than their own individual instincts. Good & bad become irrelevant. Actions, reactions and situations seem almost random. Folks, if I were to teach a 10th grade English class about Existentialism, I'd say to heck with Camus, Sartre & all those heady books... just watch "Attack the Gas Station!" and have a blast.On the flip side, if you watch this movie and try to judge what's right & wrong, you may hate it. Like "Pulp Fiction" the lines of right & wrong are erased, and often the most likable characters are the ones who are doing horrible things.OK, enough of that deep stuff. Let's assume the movie is just intended to be "a hell of a lot of fun". It's definitely a comedy, but the comedy isn't in your face. It's more like an absurdist comedy where the situations are so bizarre you can't help but laugh. In that respect it reminded me of Buñuel's 1962 surrealist classic "Exterminating Angel". In the DVD interview, the director of "Attack the Gas Station!" states that the gas station is designed to represent a fantasy bubble, separate from the rest of the world, where peoples' true natures come out and anything goes.Also in the DVD interview, he mentions that each of the 4 main characters represents a different emotional aspect, and the 4 put together represent a complete individual. I can't remember exactly who represents what, and you'll probably have more fun figuring that out for yourself, but for example "Mad Dog" may represent frustration, "Rock Star" may represent regret, etc.The presentation itself is stylish, hip and fast paced, like an MTV video. It may remind you of "Amelie" or other Jean-Pierre Jeunet films (who, himself, claims to be influenced by Japanese and Korean films). If you're familiar with Asian cinema, think of "Kamikaze Girls" or "Cutie Honey (live action)". But there are also some sober moments giving us time to reflect on the deeper significance... if there is any.Like I said, "Attack the Gas Station!" can be many things... or nothing at all. The best part is that it doesn't pretend to be anything, so it's up to you. I highly recommend it for a philosophical/socio-political mind trip as well as a mindless action-comedy flick. See it if you get the chance.

wierzbowskisteedman "Attack the Gas Station!" is not only the most entertaining film Korea has produced during it's recent industry boom, but one of the most fun, tongue in cheek, genre-aware action/comedies from anywhere since heck knows when. Serving as both a parody of siege/hostage films and a camp action extravaganza in it's own right, ATGS moves at breakneck speed, leaving not a dull moment as the quartet of luckless youths try to avoid detection and learn running a gas station isn't as easy as it seems.Despite feeling like an effective throwback to American cult B cinema of the 1970s and 80s - namely the works of Walter Hill and John Carpenter, ATGS also has such a refreshing, contemporary feeling and a razor sharp sense of humour that I can't think how the film can possibly get boring or how anyone could not enjoy it.If I had to watch one film on a loop for the rest of my life, this would be a strong contender. By the time the end credits rolled (and they came VERY quickly), I wanted to watch the film again, and again. There isn't anything bad I can say about ATGS, and my words cannot do it justice. I can't remember the last time I was this entertained by a film. If "Attack the Gas Station!" doesn't restore your faith in cinema, and the human race in general, I can't think what will.

whatdoes1know Someone said: China's king of action, Japan's king of horror, and Korea's king of comedy. I said, what? and watched ATTACK THE GAS STATION. MY GOD WAS I WRONG! KOREA EARNS THE TITLE ALL THE WAY! I thought SHAOLIN SOCCER was hilarious. I thought, er, no Japanese comedies come to mind--oh, yes, SHALL WE DANCE was hilarious (back then), but nothing beats ATTACK THE GAS STATION in pure lunatic fun!! It's like watching JACKASS:THE MOVIE, with a plot that's really good and unpredictable!!If you claim to be PUNK, watch this movie.If you've got HOT BLOOD in your veins, watch this movie.If you've got FRIENDS who'll back you ALL THE WAY, this movie's about you!If you're an ANARCHIST, you're gonna wet your pants and scream with JOY! IF Someone's p***ing you OFF right now in your LIFE, this movie is your THERAPY!!!ATTACK!! ATTACK!!

Puke Bag Taking a single location and having all this chaos erupt turns Attack the Gas Station! into one of the more entertaining foreign films to come out in a long time. With many surreal and absurdist moments, the film is hilarious to boot, while offering some insight into Korean culture.Unfortunately, much of the humour doesn't translate properly, while many of the cultural nuances will be lost on a non-Korean audience member. Although Ddan-Ra being chastized for drinking Pepsi and supporting American companies, while he defends himself because the Pepsi logo vaguely resembles the mark on the South Korean flag, should be understood by most.After a conversation with a person more versed in Korean culture, it is easy to see how much gets lost on the non-Korean viewer. The four central characters, set up as a group of tough-guys, play elementary school games during their seige of the gas station (the syllable game, the paper-scissors-rock variant, etc.). While amusing, they don't hold much resonance for a non-Korean viewer, but for a Korean viewer, are much easier to identify with.Sadly, Sang-Jin Kim's follow-up, "Kick the Moon", lacks much of the absurdism and satire of AtGS, instead punching up the level of violence.