The Man From Nowhere (2010)

One of the best, simply the best!

This is one of my go-to movies, whenever I feel stress, bored or just simply want to re-watch it, simply because I've been missing Won Bin. I really enjoyed watching action, suspense-thriller and just a good story movies, it's just a bonus if I really love the actor playing the role on a movie.

This movie is purely intense, gore, full of action, never a dull moment and will keep you on edge. Everything is fast phase and makes sense. No wasted screen time, good dialogues and just simply a perfection for me.

If you cannot bear watching movies with a lot of blood or violence, stay away from this movie, if it's good with you, go and enjoy this masterpiece. Watch Won Bin, to be fascinated with his take on his character as well as reminisce young Kim Sae Ron.

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Won Bin is Fantastic - Excellent Fight Scenes

OMG this was so good. The best Korean action flick I've watched this year. Excellent story and phenomenal cast. This is the first thing I watched with Won Bin and I am super impressed now I have to watch everthing else.

I was surprised to see Kim Sung Oh as that nasty, label loving, hot head. I have never seen him as the villain and he was really good. Kradum Thanayong Wongtrakul was excellent as the enforcer for the bad guys. He has an intensity in his face that was menacing yet somehow kind. He was a presence on screen. Kim Sae Ron was great as the young lead.

I give this a 10 overall and you can rewatch multiple times. My only gripe is that I wished the main villian's last scene had been more brutal.

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Excelente e influyente película de acción.

Después de la infravalorada Cruel Winter Blues, Lee Jeong-beom sorprendió a todos con esta bomba que sin duda sentó las bases de lo que más tarde sería el nuevo cine de acción de la pasada década liderado por películas como The Raid y John Wick.

Won Bin se pone en la piel del misterioso protagonista demostrando una excelente capacidad física para las coreografías que desgraciadamente no ha vuelto a desatar en la gran pantalla, y Lee Jong-beom se destapa como un realizador a seguir para los fans de la acción más desmedida.

Tan buena, que incluso perdonamos el excesivo melodrama.

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Yes this is a movie that you can't watch if you don't take blood or violence... But still in the smell of blood you will find a fragrance of love... In violence there is a soft touch of humanity...
Losing your loved ones for once is enough this is not a situation you can face twice... And that's what this movie shows... Humanity takes you to the boundaries but love takes you beyond the boundaries...
If you are watching this movie you shouldn't miss a single glimpse or a dialogue if you want to watch it once otherwise you will need to rewind the things to connect the scenes...

Acting is superb... Won bin is amazingly handsome we all know this but in this movie he conceal his handsomely face under his hair and shave... He act with his eyes... You will never feel even for a moment that he is out of his character and he truly makes you feel heartbroken and happy at the same time...

A must watch till end... All the actors done amazing job and story is unique in a different pattern...

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Korean John Wick.

Such a good movie. Action was top notch. I liked how they didn’t show you in the beginning how kickass he was, really drew out the anticipation of seeing him fight. This movie was so dark! Don’t watch if you don’t want to be reminded of what a crappy world we live in and how it’s filled with so many crappy people. But I can appreciate it’s realism. I can appreciate the gore. In both those aspects, the movie really wants to captivate you. 

The MC can act! Apparently he’s an all star actor but since I’m newer to kdrama, I hadn’t seen him in anything yet. I’m definitely going to search for his other work. They touched on his past and his character just enough to help you understand where he’s coming from and why this girl matters ????  

The pacing was well done, no lulls. I don’t like slow paced stuff, I frequently get up and take breaks. Didn’t pause this movie once though ????

Oh! And the closing theme song was so beautiful!

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I don't know exactly which American movie this reminds me of but I've seen something like it before. I believe taken is the movie I was thinking of while I was watching this. I found the storyline engaging enough to check this out and it was an overall interesting watch. This has more blood and gore but if you enjoy that sort of thing as well as great action scenes, then this is for you. Won Bin did a great portrayal of his role. He brought a mysteriousness to his character, and as a viewer, that made me more intrigued to find out more about his past. I wish his backstory was given more information because he was so interesting to watch. Jeon Somi was cute and funny. Honestly, I didn’t expect her to make me laugh so that was a nice surprise. She was also able to deliver emotion. She didn’t get much screen time but she did well with what she was given.

OVERALL I give this movie a 7/10. Ngl I think this film is slightly overhyped, mainly because Won Bin is in this. I didn’t find this film amazing but it was pretty solid.

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Maybe ten yrs ago it was a sensation...

But right now i'd say its not much to see, except for a bunch of handsome guys throwing punches. I'd rather have watched em doing something else... Totally overrated. Only recommended for teen boys who are into action movies and not very fussy about plot. ............................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................

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A must-watch

This film has great action - well-choreographed, visceral, intense fight scenes that are as memorable as they are nasty - that's wrapped around an emotional core. The simplicity of the plot (dangerous man hunts down men who kidnapped a little girl) works so beautifully as a vehicle for the action scenes, but it also allows for the intense performances to shine through and take centre stage.
Won Bin steals the show as a broken man who seems to have shut in on himself in every way. When his little next door neighbour is kidnapped he goes on a rampage to bring her back. I believe him in every moment, as he reveals different facets of the character. I believed him as the taciturn, closed off pawn shop owner, as the lethal killer seeking revenge and justice, as the devastated husband losing his pregnant wife, and as the man we see at the end of the film: a man who has found some measure of peace and can now rest. His eyes are so expressive that he could carry a three minute close-up of just his face, and he makes the fight sequences so believable. A favourite scene is the one early on, when the two gangsters come to his apartment thinking he's just some chump next-door. He is so menacing that he barely has to move and you can feel the tension spike in the room. He has great physical presence.
The rest of the cast is very good, and the plot trucks along nicely. There is very little fat that gets in the way of the tale they are trying to tell. The fight scenes (for all the praise they get) are somewhat sparse, but in my opinion this only increases the tension in the film. For the first little while we actually rarely see our leading man actually fight. We see the very beginning and the aftermath, but never him in action. In my opinion, this makes his later fight scenes (in the club bathroom, the knife fight) even more memorable because they stand so on their own.
I want to make one final note about the cinematography of the film. In general I really enjoyed it, but I want to make special mention of the ending, particularly the scene where he realizes that the little girl isn't actually dead. The way it is shot and framed, and the lighting, is so dramatic and wonderful. The way the light catches his face and the way he looks up towards the sky -- it's like he's a man who is reckoning with God.
I think what sets this film apart from a lot of the other revenge action thrillers out there is the emotional intensity at the heart of the film. I BELIEVE in this man's singular love for this child, and I BELIEVE him when he says that he as nothing left to live for and nothing left to lose if she dies. He doesn't even care about going to jail afterward. It's about goodness existing in the world, and innocence, and him being able to protect the ones he cares about the way he couldn't before. Despite everything, there's something beautiful about the film. It feels as though we're witnessing someone's spiritual journey.

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Best Korean Movie of All Time

I didn't watch too many South Korean movies to be honest, but even after watching some great films like Parasite, A Taxi Driver, Mother,..., this film is still my favortie of all time.
The story is so well written, it started with some cliche criminal plot revolved around cocaine, drug but it impressed me when they brought children from poor family into the story. I was so moved watching how these children live and some even die, those things actually happen in real life and in my country (Vietnam), that's why I was so sastified seeing Won Bin's character killed them all, his action also came from the fact he really loves children, since his own kid passed away before the birth. From the opening with a small theft of a stripper, to the ending where the stripper's daughter has to say goodbye with the neighbor who is close to her like father, the script is a rollercoaster of emotion and well builded storyline, I totally love it.
The acting in this fim is tremendous. Won Bin transformed from drama MC to action hero was incredible, Saeron had her best role until now at the age of 10, and the villiains are on another level, the brothers and the Thai assasin stole the scene everytime they appeared, this film probably has one of the best acting in an action movie of all time.
I wasn't impressed with the music as much as story and acting but it isn't bad at all, still played its role nicely.
I watched this film around 10 times now, it's not only great film but also rewatchable film, believe me you won't feel sleppy even when you had watched it 5 times :)

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What a movie! Amazing action thriller movie with great performance, excellent screenplay and solid action scenes. Even though its a crime story, it'll still make you emotional thats the best part of south korean movies and dramas. The way they connect you with the character. Phenomenal! South korean movies are best in thriller genre. Bollywood movie ,Rocky Handsome was a remake of this movie but this movie is OUTSTANDING!. Thats why korean thriller movies are Top Notch! Highly recommended!!! I love how writers blended more than one genre in movie and drama to make them more interesting to watch.

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Since I saw the film's Indian remake first and enjoyed it as well, I
will write just a brief review, as most of the praise has come out in
the review of the remake ROCKY HANDSOME.

THE MAN FROM NOWHERE is one of the best South Korean action films as it
provides great action, while also combining it will emotions and
thrills. The film is full of scenes that have gone down into the
filmmaking history as "classic".

Since I already knew the entire story due to having seen the remake, I
wasn't surprised but was still very impressed. Won Bin is a perfect
actor, and his performance will make you remember him for long. Kim
Hee- won is decent and plays his part well. Kim Sae-Ron is quite decent
in the role provided. Same for rest of the cast.

The action, as I said before is great. What I didn't mention is that
it's "dynamite" in impact.

Lee Jeong-beom's the MAN FROM NOWHERE is undoubtedly a smart action
film which is entertaining of course, but also quite different from
most action films.

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