Last Updated on July 30, 2021
PLOT: Four years after the events in TRAIN TO BUSAN, a group of carefully selected men and women are sent to covertly return to the Korean peninsula. Their mission? To track down a truck carrying millions of dollars in cash left behind after the devastation.
REVIEW: In 2016, the Yeon Sang-Ho directed horror flick TRAIN TO BUSAN achieved something truly remarkable; a fresh new look at zombies. The impressive performances, the edge-of-your-seat set pieces, and a kick-ass story made for a near-perfect genre flick. The film was a success, one that earned praise from critics and audiences alike. Naturally, when you have a successful feature like that, a sequel is not far off. And now we have one. The filmmaker returns for yet another intense adventure with the sequel PENINSULA. While the latest chapter begins similarly to the original, it soon takes on a life of its own, one that is reminiscent of many other familiar action-horror flicks.
PENINSULA takes place four years after TRAIN TO BUSAN, and by now, the Korean peninsula is an unlivable land overrun with flesh-eating monstrosities. This time, the story revolves around Jung Seok (Gang Dong-Won), a former soldier who managed to escape overseas before. This time, he's hired to return to what's left of Korea to recover a massive amount of money. Yes, folks, instead of a straight-up zombie flick, this starts off as a heist flick turned survival thriller. Once he arrives, however, he meets up with Min Jung (Lee Jung-hyun), a woman who has somehow survived with her family even after the outbreak left Korea in shambles. Not only must they face off against an angry hoard of zombies, but they also have a psycho group of military men who have been corrupted by the horrors at hand.
The opening sequence of PENINSULA feels very much like what you'd expect from a sequel to TRAIN TO BUSAN. Except this time, it takes place on a boat carrying survivors. And since this is a horror film, it's probably clear not everyone on that boat will make it. It's a strong beginning that carries an emotional edge. Yet the tone quickly shifts and the film borrows quite liberally from other popular action flicks. There are elements of ESCAPE FROM NEW YORK, ALIENS, and even a few massive car chase sequences that appear to be directly inspired by both MAD MAX: FURY ROAD and the FAST AND THE FURIOUS franchise. While the possible "homage" to other features is slightly derivative, it's easy enough to get swept up in the thrills and chills at hand. Yet for some, the lack of originality may get slightly tedious. Even still, fans of the first are likely to enjoy the many relentless chase sequences and zombie attacks on display. And thankfully, the human element is still generally intact.
One of the most important elements that made TRAIN TO BUSAN as compelling as it was happened to be the smaller, more intimate character moments. While we are introduced to a whole new set of characters here – some that tend to feel more like simple genre movie fodder – they still manage to create a satisfying dynamic between Gang Dong-Won, Lee Jung-hyun, Lee Re, Lee Ye-Won, and Kwon Hae-Hyo. Ultimately, the family unit created by the actors help bring a level of tension to the film, as well as a sense of urgency. While the zombies are out to get anything and everything they can get their teeth on, the real villains here are men tainted by greed. Kim Min-Jae is one such baddie, however, his entire character arc feels a bit forced and predictable.
We all know sequels are usually much larger in scope than their predecessors, and that's most assuredly the case here. The budget may be larger, yet the occasional overuse of CGI can get tiresome. That said, the full-throttled assault works well enough to create an impressive level of suspense. While the car chase sequence attempts to bring on some of the magic that has appeared in the films this borrows from – shooting out the lights of cars chasing our heroes was a bit more dazzling when it happened on FURY ROAD – but there's plenty good in it for a jolt of excitement. There's enough to admire here in the way Yeon Sang-ho and cinematographer Lee Hyung-deok capture the dread of this decimated land is at times visually stunning.
PENINSULA is a surprisingly satisfying continuation to TRAIN TO BUSAN. Sure it takes a very different turn than the first, and it's not nearly as fresh, yet it still manages to excite with a few creative set-pieces. Much like the first, the film works on an emotional level once we find our core group of leads. Both Gang Dong-Won and Lee Jung-hyun make a charismatic leading duo, enough to warrant investing in their plight. Even with the many other cinematic greats that this sequel borrows from, it still manages to create an enjoyable zombie movie-going experience. It may be mostly just a basic popcorn flick, but it's still a pretty damn good one at that.
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