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TV show review: CONTINUUM season 4
PHOTOGRAPHY

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE
DVD Review by David Blackwell

DETAILS:  119 minutes, featurette, highlights reel, trailers
VIDEO:  2.35:1 (Anamorphic Widescreen)
AUDIO:  Korean 5.1, English 5.1 dubbed Dolby Digital
Subtitles:  English

STUDIO:  Well Go USA Entertainment/ CJ Entertainment/ United Pictures/ Opus Pictures
RELEASE DATE:  3-8-2011

Tae-shik runs a little pawn shop and he strikes up a reluctant friendship with So-mi, a little girl that lives in the same building.   Tae-shik wants to be left alone and not associate with anyone.   Then he is out to find and rescue So-mi after she and her Mom are kidnapped.   Her mom is a druggie whore dancer who stole some drugs from some very bad men who want it back.   Tae-shik is framed by the bad guys as he vows to kill them all as the police close in.   The police find out that Tae-shik has a classified past which comes with some very special skills.

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE has some of the best fight scenes for Korean action films since OLDBOY.   You want Tae-shik to save So-mi from the Chinese Triad.  I applauded as he dispatched them and amazed at the damage he causes.  He has nothing to lose.  He can't be compromised.  He lives for today and not tomorrow.

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE builds and builds as the movie keeps picking up speed.   You see Tae-shik develop and find out about his past.   The various threads intertwine and spiral apart several times.   The cops follow their own clues as Tae-shik uses his own methods to find the bad guys in his search for So-mi as the body count rises.  The action scenes are the highlight of THE MAN FROM NOWHERE, but the movie makes you care about Tae-shik and his quest to save a girl.   If the movie didn't develop the characters, THE MAN FROM NOWHERE wouldn't be as good.

SPECIAL FEATURES:
The Making-Of featurette shows the filming of the fight scenes and the rehearsal footage.   They don't overstay their welcome and get into interviews with the cast and director.  The Highlight Reel is a five minute video synopsis of the film.   Also on the disc are the teaser and theatrical trailers.

FINAL ANALYSIS:  THE MAN FROM NOWHERE is one of the best Korean action films to come along since OLDBOY.

this DVD review is (c)3-30-2011 David Blackwell and cnanot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com