'Jung_E' Movie Review

Director Yeon Sang-ho’s latest film, “Jung_E,” now available on Netflix, is a sci-fi action flick that draws inspiration from classic films such as “The Terminator” and “Blade Runner” and explores deep philosophical themes surrounding humanity. Although Yeon’s skill with set-pieces is undeniable, the bloated and overlong center of the film fails to impress. Unlike his previous work “Train to Busan,” where the action was embedded in an interesting story, “Jung_E” spends too much time discussing its themes instead of showing them. The opening action sequence and the last 15 minutes of the film are impressive, but the rest fails to keep the audience engaged.

The movie is set in the year 2194, where humanity has created man-made shelters to survive after rendering the planet uninhabitable. The remaining factions of humanity are engaged in a war that was once led by an incredible soldier named Yun Jung-yi. Consciousness can be downloaded into A.I., and a team of experts attempts to recreate Yun's expertise into a killing machine named Jung_E. However, the team keeps failing in their efforts to map her brain, hoping to make her unstoppable and win the war.

Seohyun, Yun's daughter, leads the project, which has a personal connection to her. In contrast, the cynical Sang-Hoon sees the project more clinically and worries more about the government shutting it down. Yeon explores ethical ideas, such as economic inequality, in this future vision. However, the film becomes too talky and lacks the emotional and philosophical heft that a film like this needs.

While the action sequences are impressive, there are too few of them, and they are spaced too far apart. Overall, “Jung_E” feels like the start of a movie or the first episode of a TV show rather than a satisfying standalone project. However, it sets up a future vision that could support richer, more ambitious storytelling in a sequel. Perhaps the next movie could include some zombies.

However, the film falls short in terms of execution as it focuses too much on discussing its themes rather than embedding them into an engaging story. Despite Yeon's impressive skill in creating thrilling set-pieces, much of the movie is weighed down by a bloated and overlong center that fails to deliver the emotional and philosophical depth required for a film of this genre.

The opening sequence of "Jung_E" showcases Yeon's genre chops, setting the stage for a futuristic world where consciousness can be downloaded into A.I. Yun Jung-yi, an incredible soldier, becomes the subject of an experiment aimed at turning her expertise into a killing machine named Jung_E. However, the team of experts tasked with creating the perfect weapon keeps failing, attempting to virtually recreate the day Yun died in combat. The hope is that if they can map her brain to overcome that fateful event, she will become unstoppable and win the war.

Yeon explores some fascinating ethical ideas throughout the movie, such as economic inequity even after death. However, the film's plot loses momentum as it centers around Sang-Hoon and Seohyun discussing the project's progress and how to fix it. While Seohyun has a personal connection to the project, trying to save her mother's consciousness and overcome her death, Sang-Hoon sees the project in more clinical terms and is concerned about the government shutting it down.

The movie's saving grace is its action sequences, including an impressive one on a speeding train in the climax. However, these sequences are too few and far between, leaving much of the film feeling tedious and lacking in excitement. Ultimately, "Jung_E" falls short of expectations, feeling more like the start of a movie or the first episode of a TV show rather than a complete, satisfying project on its own terms. Nevertheless, the film sets up a vision of the future that could support more ambitious storytelling in a sequel, one that could potentially feature zombies.