★ 8 / 10
The Old Woman with the Knife" tells you
MovieGuys
"The Old Woman with the Knife" tells you from the opening title its not going to stand on ceremony, stripping away all pretence, about ageing and death. The…
"The Old Woman with the Knife" tells you from the opening title its not going to stand on ceremony, stripping away all pretence, about ageing and death.
The theme of this film, is as much about how older people are "devalued" by society, as it is an action thriller, about an assassin in her twilight years.A skilled woman facing replacement, by more youthful, ruthless, competitors. A reality she rails against. To paraphrase her, "you don't throw something away because its old, even if it has no value". As we come to see, being old is no impediment to remaining a capable killer.
This is an above average film.The script is creative and intricate, with a dysfunctional proxy mother, son back story that sits side by side with the reality of ageing in a society, like many, driven by the promotion of youth.
Action is excellent, if rather implausible, with the usual frenetic, over the top, death and destruction, I've come to associate with Korean cinema. To top this off there are down to earth, capable performances, from the cast.
In summary, if Hollywood wants a template for quality, engrossing action thrillers, all they need do, is look East. "The Old Woman with the Knife" is how you make a clever, enjoyable and addictive action thriller. A recommended watch.
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★ 6 / 10
Koreans are so weird
siderite
This seems to be a story you've seen before: the hit-men agency, the legendary old agent, the new blood, the personal grudge, the people to protect, the double…
This seems to be a story you've seen before: the hit-men agency, the legendary old agent, the new blood, the personal grudge, the people to protect, the double and triple cross. I mean, you are already thinking of Stallone and Banderas, aren't you? Or at least some version of the same story from your time. And this film is exactly the same, only completely different, too. The motivations are different, the setup is different, the maniacal laughter is different and so on.I don't want to spoil the thing, so I am just going to say that I expected the old Korean lady to use her skills appropriately to her age. Instead it's so obvious when a younger version moves and kills. That was disappointing. Other than that, though, it's really interesting to compare the same story told by Americans and by Koreans. Similar in so many ways and yet so profoundly alien.
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★ 7 / 10
bbevis-47954
The Old Woman with the Knife is held up by Lee-Hye-yeong and Kim Sung-cheol's performances, a few bloody action sequences and a sentimental ending that hits…
The Old Woman with the Knife is held up by Lee-Hye-yeong and Kim Sung-cheol's performances, a few bloody action sequences and a sentimental ending that hits the right notes.The plot follows a legendary assassin named Hornclaw, and a young-brutal-mysterious new recruit, Bullfight. Hornclaw is fighting the fact that she can't do what she used to, and the rash provocations of the new recruit Bullfight throughout the movie. All the while diving into Hornclaws past through interspersed flash backs.The plot is a bit overcomplicated throughout and I wish more time was built explaining a few more of the convoluted relationships. However, the ending was pretty good and wrapped the movie up well.There is not a ton of action but what we do get is competent enough and the finale was fun to watch with a good measure of heart thrown in. If you're looking for a solid cat and mouse thriller with great performances I think you will find something to enjoy in The Old Woman with the Knife.
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The RMS Subs work perfectly with the 1080p file. In case anyone wonders