A massive tsunami wave caused by an undersea earthquake hits the vacation spot of Haeundae on the south coast of Korea.
While writer/director JY Youn deserves praise for taking time to develop the mostly engaging and interesting characters, the first hour or so of this film proves to be kind of a slog to endure thanks to way too much goofy humor and a teeming surplus of sappy soap opera-style melodramatics. Fortunately, things get extremely intense and exciting after the big one hits: The special effects are pretty spectacular, the mondo destructo sequences are breathtaking in their grand scope and severity, and the various heroic sacrifices and last minute reconciliations possess a certain endearingly cornball charm. Among the stand-outs in the large cast are Ji-won Ha as the feisty Gang Yeon-heui, Kyung-gu Sol as regretful fisherman Man-shik, Min-ki Lee as likable lifeguard Hyeong-shik, Ye-won Kang as the stuck-up Hee-mee, and In-kwon Kim as the bumbling Dong-chun. A bit drawn out, but overall a solid and enjoyable disaster epic.
While writer/director JY Youn deserves praise for taking time to develop the mostly engaging and interesting characters, the first hour or so of this film proves to be kind of a slog to endure thanks to way too much goofy humor and a teeming surplus of sappy soap opera-style melodramatics. Fortunately, things get extremely intense and exciting after the big one hits: The special effects are pretty spectacular, the mondo destructo sequences are breathtaking in their grand scope and severity, and the various heroic sacrifices and last minute reconciliations possess a certain endearingly cornball charm. Among the stand-outs in the large cast are Ji-won Ha as the feisty Gang Yeon-heui, Kyung-gu Sol as regretful fisherman Man-shik, Min-ki Lee as likable lifeguard Hyeong-shik, Ye-won Kang as the stuck-up Hee-mee, and In-kwon Kim as the bumbling Dong-chun. A bit drawn out, but overall a solid and enjoyable disaster epic.