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Features: DVD, English, Spanish, Subtitled
A man is inexplicably kidnapped and imprisoned for 15 years and his wife is brutally murdered. On his release, he is given a wallet full of money and a mobile phone. A stranger calls and asks him to try and figure out why he was imprisoned. A girl appears and promises to help him solve the enigma and seek vengeance for his cruel fate. As the search progresses, the man finally comes face to face with his kidnapper, who proposes a game: if the man discovers the reason for his imprisonment, his kidnapper will kill himself. If not, then the girl will be killed. He has only five days to unravel the mystery.
Editor's Note
It would be a sin to reveal too much about this riveting and bizarre thriller from Korean director Chan Wook Park, except to say that it's about a man named Dae-Su (Choi Min-Sik) who is locked in a hotel room for 15 years without knowing his captor's motives. When he is finally released, Dae Su finds himself still trapped in a web of conspiracy and strangeness. His own quest for vengeance becomes tied in with romance when he falls for an attractive sushi chef (Gang Hye-Jung), who feeds him live octopus and who may or may not be involved with the bizarre mystery. This is all served up in a striking palette of purples and dark reds; oozing with post-neo-noir style, and stuffed with insanely malicious twists and turns. Choi Min-Sik is terrific in the lead, counterbalancing over-the-top hysterics with deadpan cool to run the gamut of Asian antihero traits. There are intense fight scenes (Dae Su's favorite weapon is a hammer), look-away moments of torture and self-mutilation, sex, and gallons of black humor. Not for the squeamish, but for those seeking something wholly original and daring, this cinematic entree is alive--it's hard to imagine a better slice of psycho-shock sensationalism.
| Features | Audio Commentary | | Audio: English Dolby Digital Stereo (Dubbed) | | Audio: Korean Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound | | Deleted Scenes | | Director Commentary | | Interactive Menus | | Scene Selection | | Subtitles: English, Spanish |
| Technical Info
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Release Information
| | Studio: Tla Releasing |
| Release Date: 6/27/2006 |
| Running Time: 115 minutes |
| Original Release Date: 2005 | | Catalog ID: 3004 | | UPC: 00842498030042 | | Number of Discs: 1 |
Audio & Video
| | Original Language: Korean | | Available Audio Tracks: Korean | | Available Subtitles: English, Spanish | | Video: Color |
Aspect Ratio | | Anamorphic Widescreen 1.85:1 |
| Cast & Crew | Dae-han Oh | | Hye-jeong Kang | | Ji-tae Yu | | Min-sik Choi | | Chan-wook Park - Director | | Dong-ju Kim - Executive Producer | | Garon Tsuchiya - Story By | | Jeong-hun Jeong - Cinematographer | | Jo-yun Hwang, et. al. - Screenplay | | Joon-hyung Lim - Writer | | Sang-Beom Kim - Editor | | Seung-yong Lim - Producer | | Yeong-wook Jo - Original Music By |
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| | Professional Reviews | New York Times
"A master of composition, Mr. Park makes some of the snazziest-looking pulp fiction going." 03/25/2005 p.E14Entertainment Weekly
"The brio and glee that Koran bad-boy filmmaker Park Chanwook brings to the gaudy psycho-shockeroo OLDBOY is undeniable, even impressive." 04/01/2005 p.51 Chicago Sun-Times
"OLDBOY ventures to emotional extremes, but not without reason." 03/25/2005 p.28 Sight and Sound
"[With] rigorously inventive direction and an emotional undertow that builds to a startling level of intensity." 05/01/2005 p.86 Rolling Stone
"[A]n explosively exciting psychosexual revenge drama from Korean powerhouse Park Chanwook that makes movies feel alive again." 04/07/2005 p.78 Premiere
"Park Chan-Wook is a tremendous craftsman....He ratchets up the sadistic suspense in a variety of fruit flavors." 09/01/2005 p.129 Movieline's Hollywood Life
"Park's direction is bristlingly inventive, and his themes are ancient Greek in scope." 09/01/2005 p.101 Entertainment Weekly
Ranked #5 in Entertainment Weekly's Top Ten DVDs Of The Year -- "Fans of Tarantino and films with surprise endings that are actually surprising should flock to this Korean import..." 12/30/2005 p.126 Rolling Stone
Ranked #10 in Rolling Stone's "Top 25 DVDs Of 2005' -- "[A]n explosively exciting revenge drama..." 12/01/2005 p.98 |
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http://www.buy.com/prod/oldboy/q/loc/322/40718642.html
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| Customer Reviews | ![]() | | Cinematography |  4.5 | | Plot |  5 | | Acting | 5 | | Overall Satisfaction | 5 |
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5 of 5 Korea does wonders with "Oldboy" Thursday, December 27, 2007
David Adam from Michigan
I've seen this film some time ago, and wow what a movie. The idea of being trapped in a hotel room for 15 years with nothing to do but train yourself, is just crazy. The plot was brilliant, the action brilliant, and the twist ending even more brilliant. If you're into foreign film, this is definitely for you. Was this review helpful?  
5 of 5 A Brutish Tragedy worth your time! Monday, July 03, 2006
rhoadsdee from Miami, Fl
Who knew brutality could be so intelligent? At first glance, some might pass this up for some trivial action movie, and they are right--that is if they only watched the first half. However, there is a definite story after the second half and you suddenly are caught in a suspenseful plot that emerges from nowhere. It's a nice surprise and it works wonderfully, because your perception of the movie is twisted so well in the new direction that it takes that you feel satisfied with the ending.
And what a twist it is. I cannot say anything about it because it would be criminal to do so. It merits a watch or two to get all the tidbits that you need to connect all the clues.
The acting (or dub) is great and you forget that this was first released with a Chinese (?) track. Not only that, but there are some truly fantastic sequences. At all angles, this movie surpassed my expectations with great acting, a solid plot, and a phenomenal ending. Highly Recommended. Was this review helpful?
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