The Man from Nowhere

I knew nothing about this movie going into it other then that amazon was recommending it to me given that I like the Vengeance Trilogy (Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance/Oldboy/Lady Vengeance) [Blu-ray , so I hopped over to youtube and watched the trailer and I was sold. The story follows a pawn shop owner CHA Tae-shik( Won Bin )who's a ex-special agent who prior to the movie had some what befriended the little girl from next door So-mi( Kim Sae-Ron )which has also annoyed the girls mother who even while pawning stuff berates him by calling him a pedo, the funny thing is when we first see her she's an accomplice is robbing some gangsters. What follows after that is a excellent drama/action movie that touches on some pretty good topics like human trafficking, black market organ harvesting complete with the twist of adding a dash of racial civil unrest which at first seems random but actually makes a convincing plot device( which also leads to a funny moment in the police station in the aftermath of Cha's escape involving the chinese translator ). It was nice seeing each actor/actress become the role they were given from the main cast to secondary for example I really enjoyed the brother's bodyguard who while he doesn't show up a lot he makes each appearance a great one, I would even do a great disservice to the girl who So-mi befriended who got to go "home"( the significance of her second appearance was part of a excellant scene )while being a drug mule. By the time you get to the dramatic conclusion of Nowhere you're on the edge of your feet seeing if Cha will be able to not only rescue So-mi but if he can even live to get there as another plus for this movie is that Cha isn't the untouchable movie hero as throughout his search he pretty much takes a beating, even catches a bullet and a couple of stab wounds. The picture quality on the blu-ray is great in it's 1080p transfer in a 2.35 1 aspect ratio, seriously this movie looks amazingly sharp and I see why it won a award for it's lighting and cinematography( the meeting at the meth den is a sight to behold as well as any of the outdoor night scenes ). On the audio end I will only touch on the subbed version as I haven't watched the fully dubbed version but what I did hear wasn't all that great but the korean audio is a 5.1 dts/hd master and it is amazing, during the golf clubhouse scene I could have sworn it was raining outside and I now know the sound a throat makes when it's been slit. The special features has trailers and a couple of other highlights but the best one is the making of feature that goes over the various big stunts of the movie as well as the visual effects( I see why they also won awards for this ). The packaging itself is also pretty good as it comes in a slipcase that has a different cover then the actual snap-lock dvd case complete with inside chapter select insert, this lets me know that Well Go USA didn't skimp on anything in localizing this and big props to them. If you like drama/action movies or movies like Taken or foreign movies in general then you'll enjoy this Great release for a great movie so it gets 5 stars Read more

This movie is an English dubbed movie, the picture and soundtrack are good with no glitches. The movie itself has a really good storyline and great action sequences. The martial arts scenes are really good and the actors portrayal of the characters is on spot. This movie has suspense drama and it really keeps your attention this is not a sleeper. I am glad I bought this one and it is going into my collection. All of you collectors who love are great movie where you get to hate on the bad guys and get a chance to root for the good guy get this one you wont regret it! Read more

As other reviewers have said, it's a movie in the same genre as Man on Fire. Having said that, there are enough differences in style and story to add this movie to your collection. FYI I loved both movies. To those that are looking for an action movie, this fits the bill. There are some fight scenes that rocked. I watched parts with my best friend, and we both were impressed by the action. I would use other adjectives, but I may get banned from saying how I really feel! For those looking for more than an action movie, this also fits the bill. Great story, great acting, and you become invested into the characters. It's not constant action (although there is certainly enough action). They develop the characters at just the right amounts. Worth watching! I am glad I did not miss this movie. I am also very happy to have it in my collection. Read more

Excellent movie but for some reason it just stopped working. I want to watch it a second time and it would not play. i Thought it was the player until I took it to another player and it would not play. Not a scratch on it. Read more

Won Bin is an outstanding actor. There are some corny scenes, but overall he plays his character well. The interactions with his co-actor Kim-Sae-ron tug at your heart. His character's quiet, low-key style adds to the suspense, and you can't help but want the bad guys disposed of. I always watch with the Korean language and English subtitles because I have not yet figured out the details of the Korean language, and I think that listening to actors in their native language is a better experience than something dubbed in. I've watched this movie every month or so for years, and still love it. Lots of campy gore (eyeballs in a glass jar), and lots of violence, but for me it remains one of my favorites. Read more

...exciting fight scenes and great choreography of fight actions. very violent and graphic but excellent visual effects. not for faint of heart. at times i feel that this movie is even more exciting than the Bourne Trilogy. watched it the second time and noticed how beautiful and well planned out the camera works were. storyline was very interesting, very edgey. won bin has matured and was very intense in this movie, in addition to being cool and good looking. Read more

I'm not a good reviewer but this is an absolute must see. The action and actors are awesome. I'd say it's a bit similar to equalizer and man on fire, but with its own unique Korean touch. A bittersweet film and the ending song alone is so touching if you're the emotional type it's sure to bring a tear to your eyes. Bin Won is a great protagonist and the little girl is very moving with her performance. It's dubbed in English if you want but the original Korean is incredible. Extras include making of scenes that were very well worth seeing as well. Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to a watch, as for me it was a must have for my collection. This and I saw the devil are my number 1 Korean action, revenge, justice films. Read more