The Divine Weapon
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Profile
- Movie: The Divine Weapon
- Revised romanization: Singijeon
- Hangeul: 신기전
- Director: Yu-jin Kim
- Writer: Man-hee Lee
- Producer: Kang Woo-Suk
- Cinematographer: Hee-sung Byun
- Release Date: September 4, 2008
- Runtime: 134 min.
- Studio: KnJ Entertainment
- Distributor: CJ Entertainment
- Language: Korean
- Country: South Korea
- DVD:
Plot
1448, the 30th year of Sejong’s reign. The Ming dynasty’s meddling into Joseon’s domestic affairs goes to extremes and Sejong secretly plans to develop Singijeon, a rocket weapon upgraded from Goryeo’s firearms technology. The Ming finds out and quickly dispatches assassins to attack the research lab, but CHOI Hae-san, the man in charge of the project, destroys himself along with the research materials to protect the weapon’s secret. His daughter Hong-li (HAN Eun-jung) barely escapes but loses the Chong-tong Records (Singijeon’s blueprints) to the Ming assassins.
As the Ming’s diplomatic pressure increases on Joseon for making the Singijeon, Sejong commands Chang-gang, the chief royal guard warrior, to take the only person with the potential to complete the Singijeon, Hong-li, safely to Sul-ju (JUNG Jae-young), a peddler. The son of the top engineer of Hwa-tong-do-gam (place for making gunpowder and firearms–or a weapons factory in today’s language) at the end of Goryeo dynasty, Sul-ju is an exceedingly intelligent man with the top martial art skills in Joseon. He rejects Joseon as a descendant of Goryeo migrants and lives as the head of a merchant gang. He refuses Chang-gang’s command to help construct the Singijeon, but in order to save his gang from a fight with rivals, he is forced to join Hong-li in seeing the Singijeon completed.
Desperate to understand the facts of Singijeon, the Ming sends an army disguised as a large envoy to intimidate Sejong and the court. Meanwhile, the Ming army sets out to find Sul-ju’s headquarters and completely destroy the slightest possibilities of developing Singijeon. After repeated failures in the project, Sul-ju risks his life to recover the Chong-tong Records for Hong-li. However, he starts to have second thoughts as his comrades are sacrificed in battles. At last, as they are moments away from the completion of Singijeon, the Ming and Yeo-jin alliance army of 100,000 heads for Eui-ju, Joseon. In order to stop the war, Sejong hands Hong-li and the Chong-tong Records to the Ming envoy and even Sul-ju is imprisoned by the court...
Cast
Starring
- Jeong Jae-Yeong - Seol-ju
- Han Eun-Jeong - Hong-li
- Heo Jun-Ho - Chang Gang (Chief of the Royal Military)
Supporting Cast
- Ahn Sung-Kee - Se-jeong (King of Joseon)
- Jeong Seong-Mo - Sa Ma Seon
- Kim Myeong-Su - Kkya Oh Ryung
- Lee Do-Kyeong - Hong-man
- Ryu Hyeon-Kyeong - Bang-ok
- Do Lee-Seong - In-ha (Bang-ok's fiance)
- Seo Ju-Seong - Mu-saeng
- Lee Kyeong-Yeong - Keum-oh
- Park Jeong-Cheol - Se-ja
- Kim Myeong-Kuk - Hwang-je Myeong
- Lee Seung-Keun - Bong-gu (Hong-li's assistant)
- Min Kyeong-Jin - Sir Ga-song (Hong-li's father)
- Shin Jeong-Keun
- Park Kyeong-Hwan
- Lee Chang-Jik
- Han Seong-Sik
- Jung Jae-Jin
- Han Lee-Bin - Su-Ryeon
Trailer
Image Gallery
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Film Festivals
- 2008 (28th) Hawaii International Film Festival - October 9th-19th
- 2009 (11th) Deauville Asian Film Festival - March 11th-15th - The Action Asia Competition (International Premiere)
- 2009 (13th) Fantasia Film Festival - July 9th-29th (Canadian Premiere)
Awards
- 2008 (28th) Critics Choice Awards - November
- Best Cinematography
- 2009 (46th) Daejong Film Awards - Nov. 6th
- Best Film
- Best Editing
- Best Sound Effects
Comments
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lunapark6 Says:
Feb 01 2009 4:12 am
Going into “The Divine Weapon” my own enthusiasm was slightly muted just from my own past experiences with Korean period films. Specifically those action-based period films that the Chinese seem to do so well, but Koreans seems to always botch. Furthermore, not long into “The Divine Weapon,” there’s also a noticeable nationalistic tone, a hallmark of recent Korean films like “Hanbando,” “D-War” and “May 18″ (all of which are horrid films that only mothers of the cast & staff would love). Turns out that “The Divine Weapon” is light years better than those mentioned films, but hardly a classic of any sorts.
Set sometime in the 16th century, during Korea’s Joseon Dynasty, the country finds itself at the mercy of its Chinese overlords. In pursuit of Korea’s autonomy, King Sejong funds a secret project to create the Sinjijeon - a powerful rocket based artillery weapon. But when the project gets close to completion the Chinese government clamps down hard on suspected Koreans and the inventor of the Sinjijeon commits suicide. Fortunately for the Koreans, the project isn’t completely lost as the inventor’s daughter, named Hong-ri, escapes with the blueprints for the Sinjijeon.
Hong-ri is then hidden by Korean officials at the home of a shady Korean merchant named Seol-ju. Since Seol-ju’s father was accused of treason and killed, Seol-ju has stayed away from politics and concentrated solely on accumulating wealth and wooing women. Even with his reservations with politics, Seol-ju becomes drawn into the Sinjijeon project, largely because of his affections for Hong-ri. When the Chinese officials threaten to again clamp down on the Koreans, the Korean king orders a halt to the Sinjijeon project. Seol-ju and Hong-ri think otherwise.
“The Divine Weapon” features a $10 million budget, large for a Korean film, and appears made for a diverse Korean audience. The film incorporates action, adventure, romance, politics, history, as well as its strong nationalistic tone, to appeal to a diverse demography. Unfortunately for the film, with the inclusion of so many different elements, the film fails to produce a distinct voice and comes across more like an imitation of various of other films. What the movie does have to offer is a stellar performance by Jae-yeong Jeong as Seol-ju. Not since “Someone Special” has Jae-yeong Jeong given a performance to talk about, but that all changes with “The Divine Weapon.” Meanwhile, his romantic counterpart, played by Eun-jeong Han, gives a less appealing performance. Eun-jeon Han physically resembles Michelle Yeoh, but lacks much of her screen presence.
Storywise, The Divine Weapon’s insistence to cover various genres lightly but never focus on any one area becomes increasingly the movie’s downfall. With the backdrop of the Korea’s clandestine operation to breakfree from its Chinese oppressors, political intrigue seems to be the driving force for the movie. But before you can get your feet comfortably set in the story, you’re treated to unrealistic sword battles featuring Jae-yeong Jeong going all Crouching Tiger on his enemies. With this, realism goes down the tube and before you can get comfortably set in the fantasy sword play world, you’re shown light hearted romantic moments between Jae-yeong Jeong and Eun-heon Han. Granted the moment in the Geisha house when Jae-yeong Jeong slips his hand inside of Eun-heon Han’s shirt is a riot, but by this time you have to ask yourself what the hell am I watching? And yes, while you’re pondering that question a gruesome castration scene comes about. Hmm…
“The Divine Weapon” is the type of movie that if you catch on an airplane or cable television, you’ll find yourself lightly amused as it offers nice diversion from reality. But if you want anything more, you should look elsewhere.