A_Different_Drummer Let's start with one clear salient point. South Korean films are way better than most of us in North America believe. They are way better than Japanese films, way better (in terms of constraint) than Chinese films, and although lacking a Tony Jaa, also much much more professional than the Thai product. Yes most of the reviews of this film suggest that something is lacking...? They are correct. And I will tell you what is lacking. Excess. That is the key to this film. To appreciate this production -- which it begs you to do -- you need to remember that it is based on a real story. And not any real story, but a story of a man that Koreans view the same way a religious person might see a saint. This was a Korean who, after being humiliated by the Japanese, found some sort of inner strength he did not know he had, and then literally went off to Japan to beat the ^(^(^ out of every respected martial artist -- every one! -- until finally they acknowledged his superiority. (As a child I remember seeing pictures in books of Choi stopping a charging bull with one single strike -- you won't see THAT on Americas Got Talent!) Once you understand how important this story is to South Korea, you will understand why the glitz is missing. Not just a great film but a true story about one of the most amazing martial artists of all time. But restrained. See?

refresh daemon Fighter in the Wind is a Corea-produced martial arts biopic about Masutatsu Oyama (born Choi Baedal), the ethnically Corean founder of Kyokushin karate. I actually went into this film bracing for the worst kind of nationalism that I often expect from Corean film when dealing with Japan, but was pleasantly surprised at how subdued it was. In addition to some limited, but kinetic fight sequences, Fighter in the Wind ends up being a mostly satisfying, if limited, portrait of a prominent figure of the martial arts world.The fictionalized story covers the early portion of Oyama's life in Japan. While history shows that Oyama had actually trained in two schools of karate before developing his own technique, I imagine that much of the actual of events of his life were elided for both running time as well as nationalistic purposes, in re-centering Oyama as a Corean (perhaps to appeal to the Corean movie-going populace). In addition to watching Baedal/Oyama get beat up, beat people up and become a total badass, we also watch him make friends with another ethnic Corean (the vice-ridden best friend), develop a relationship with a Japanese woman, get schooled by a Zainichi karate instructor/circus troupe guard, and spend a chunk of time brutally training in solitude in the mountains.The film follows a rather unsurprising approach that you can find in many martial arts films, following the hero's journey as he starts from a scrapping fighter, who gets beaten, learns and trains with a master and learned to use his skills for good and not selfish ambition, is forced to fight to protect someone, beats the big bad in the end. Yeah, totally formulaic since this film mostly fits the basic formula, but like many films before it, it works. You see the growth of Baedal/Oyama's character, you see his victory from rather rough beginnings and how he changes the lives of those around him. Basic biopic/hero-film stuff. But it's pretty well executed, so although it's nothing that's going to amaze you, at the same time, the character remains interesting enough to keep your attention, like any biopic. Unfortunately, most of the Japanese villains are painted with a rather broad near-mustache-twirling brush, so if you're looking for complexity in your story-telling, you won't find it here.The fight scenes, while not plentiful, are kinetic and hard hitting, especially the montage as Oyama takes on school after school of Japan's elite fighters. It's fun to watch the different martial arts interact and it's hard not to root for Oyama's practical underdog style. Photography is pretty good, adapting to the different dramatic material well, while still seeming cohesive and the film doesn't tank in terms of sonic presentation. The acting was overall good, although sometimes I felt like Yang Donggun, who played Oyama, had a rather limited character to work with, but he still seemed to embody that rather simple determination with his posture, even if I had a hard time believing that his body was one of a brutally effective fighter.I still have some issues with the probably nationalistically motivated fictionalizations to Oyama's life and the rather obvious bad-guy characterizations of the antagonists, but in terms of an engaging biopic, Fighter in the Wind actually manages to make it out okay--if you like martial arts. It's no visionary work of art, but a rather modestly put together biopic that tells the story of a man whose determination and courage led to greatness. These things work for a reason and Fighter didn't screw it up, even if it did nothing astounding. Good for martial arts fans and probably passable for everyone else. 7/10.

to_kill_better A romanticised biopic of karate legend Mas Oyama (here called "Choi Baedal") this is rare gem in Korean cinema and the genre of martial arts films. As many reviewers have mentioned, the fight scenes in this movie are shorter and more brutal than the average Hong Kong action film, but this is easily forgiven as the quality of the film-making is so high. Most people watching martial arts movies will find themselves dozing through the story waiting for the next fight, but the good storytelling, quality acting, beautiful cinematography and stylish editing make the story elements of "Fighter in the Wind" a pleasure to watch.The cast all seem perfectly at home in their roles, making it easy to love or hate the characters as required. Dong-kun Yang plays Baedal with the right mix of naive idealism and hard-headed brutality. The stunning Aya Hirayama provides a likable love-interest. Taewoo Jeong is charming as Baedals cheeky con-man friend Chunbae, and Masaya Kato is suitably arrogant and superior as old-fashioned karate master Kato.This may be a film based around martial arts, but it is not a typical martial arts movie. The story features some spectacular fighting techniques from the surprisingly acrobatic Yang, but the fighting is an embellishment to an otherwise fascinating and well-told story rather than the focus of the movie.

masterjclee yeah I love this movie first for its great and powerful acting by the main actor playing Choi, and as well it makes me think that Choi is a real person and everything you see in that movie is all true and actually happened around WW2. The Story is very serious, and isn't like most martial arts movies mainly because its based on a true story, which gives it its serious feel. the fighting scenes in it are so different from other martial arts movies which i find good in this movie, i think if you're karate practitioner like me, u'll get a better understanding of the different fight system in this movie as some people didn't favour it because they looked at the movie as an actually fictional martial arts story, wen its actually based on a real man and real events, a man who could eliminate him opponent in one punch and karate chop a bulls horn off. The actual man (Choi Baedel) or as his Japanese name which is Masutastu Oyama, Went through hard intense training on a mountain away from the public, all by himself for 4 years, but only stayed there for 18 months, going back to the public he fought the worlds greatest fighters some only defeating them in one single punch after there was no human opponent who could match up to his amazing fighting power, he started fighting bulls mainly defeating them by karate chopping the bulls horns, if I can remember Masutatsu Oyama fought 55 bulls in his life time, killing 11 of them and knocking the rest out. Because of his powerful karate chop/strike he was named the "God Hand" as well as the USA called him "The most toughest man in the word" This movie portrays his first part of success as the worlds toughest fighter greatest martial artist ever lived. I Say read about this man first then watch the movie to give You more more of an idea of what he has been through.