Badland Hunters is a thrilling, post-apocalyptic, adventure that plunges the viewers into a lawless Seoul that has been transformed into a bad wasteland. The premise of the movie, that an earthquake has turned the city into a hostile environment, preconditions a survival movie filled with action, moral grey, and some science fiction. Nam-san, the main character, is fearlessly resilient as he manages to maneuver amongst mutant soldiers, rogue scientists and cultists to save a kidnapped teenager. The endless flow of the story and the scenes of brutal action kept me at the edge of my seat, getting the feeling of urgency and desperation, which lays at the base of the story.
The movie looks great, with its stark, post-apocalyptic visuals of ruined skyscrapers, desolated streets and mutated creatures that bring to vivid visualization the chaotic world. The active action scenes, in particular, the fighting scenes at the camp, are crude and intense, and cause the real perception of danger. The acting is powerful; the strong will of Nam-san and ingenuity of Ji-wan give the acting the spine to the emotional content in the whirlwind of events. The direction between the dramatic action and the heart-rending emotional stakes is more bombastic especially in the heartrending story behind the reason why Dr. Gi-su is so obsessed with the idea of bringing back his daughter to add more nuance to his villainy.
The most striking theme in the movie was that of sacrifice and indecipherability. The disastrous results of the experiments of Gi-su which led to the death of So-yeon reflects the ruinous fixation upon immortality. It is my opinion that the movie gave me a sense of both excitement and contemplation, as I wondered both whether or not scientific research is ethical and whether or not human spirit is strong in the face of apocalyptic world. The story has certain familiar plot elements, but the original setting and the emotional investment render Badland Hunters a fascinating discussion of the topic of survival, family and price of obsession.
