VOLCANO HIGH
* * * (2003, 80 min. [US Version], Rated PG-13)
Strangely, no volcanoes appear in this film.
I was looking to venture outside of the horror genre, and this film looked promising: MTV takes a
Korean film, cuts out 40 minutes of plot and character development and hires a bunch of hip
hop artists to dub the vocals. It should have been incoherent and craptastc and... it wasn't. At all.
This presents a problem. You see, the mission of the Bargain Bin Review is to take on the kind
of crappy, straight-to-video films that no respectable reviewer would touch and seek out the
ultimate in "so bad it's good." And while Volcano High won't be confused with anything as good
as Oldboy, it's much more good than bad.
The film is dubbed as "where martial arts and hip hop collide," so of course this is set in a high
school. Kyeong-su Kim (voiced by Andre 3000) is the new kid in school, a daydreamer who
has been expelled from numerous schools due to the superpowers he obtained when -- and I
am not making this up -- he was zapped after falling into a tank of electric eels. Kim just wants
to keep from getting himself expelled, but all the other students are out to get him.
On his first day alone, Kim gets a spiked seat, a threat to join the rugby team and a quick
thrashing by Rhang Jang, leader of the "Dark Oxen." Jang's big plan to "take over the school" is
to frame the school's golden boy (Song Hak-Rim, voiced by Snoop Dogg) for poisoning the
principal's tea. Bizarrely, the plan works.
* * * (2003, 80 min. [US Version], Rated PG-13)
Strangely, no volcanoes appear in this film.
I was looking to venture outside of the horror genre, and this film looked promising: MTV takes a
Korean film, cuts out 40 minutes of plot and character development and hires a bunch of hip
hop artists to dub the vocals. It should have been incoherent and craptastc and... it wasn't. At all.
This presents a problem. You see, the mission of the Bargain Bin Review is to take on the kind
of crappy, straight-to-video films that no respectable reviewer would touch and seek out the
ultimate in "so bad it's good." And while Volcano High won't be confused with anything as good
as Oldboy, it's much more good than bad.
The film is dubbed as "where martial arts and hip hop collide," so of course this is set in a high
school. Kyeong-su Kim (voiced by Andre 3000) is the new kid in school, a daydreamer who
has been expelled from numerous schools due to the superpowers he obtained when -- and I
am not making this up -- he was zapped after falling into a tank of electric eels. Kim just wants
to keep from getting himself expelled, but all the other students are out to get him.
On his first day alone, Kim gets a spiked seat, a threat to join the rugby team and a quick
thrashing by Rhang Jang, leader of the "Dark Oxen." Jang's big plan to "take over the school" is
to frame the school's golden boy (Song Hak-Rim, voiced by Snoop Dogg) for poisoning the
principal's tea. Bizarrely, the plan works.
Just when you start to wonder things like "Where are
all the adults?", the interim principal (voiced by Pat
"Mr. Miyagi" Morita) summons "the substitutes." You
know they're super-powered bad asses cuz they're
all decked out in the finest Matrix-wear. From this
point, it's all about the students banding together
against the teachers and Kim coming to terms with
the full potential of his powers.
Sure, there's plenty of bad dubbing and logic is
mostly thrown out the window. But the film plays
like live-action Japanese anime -- filled with
excellent fight scenes, very cool effects and yes,
great music. In other words, Volcano High is too
good of a movie to fall under my jurisdiction.
Don't worry, I'm confident I won't have this problem
next time.
all the adults?", the interim principal (voiced by Pat
"Mr. Miyagi" Morita) summons "the substitutes." You
know they're super-powered bad asses cuz they're
all decked out in the finest Matrix-wear. From this
point, it's all about the students banding together
against the teachers and Kim coming to terms with
the full potential of his powers.
Sure, there's plenty of bad dubbing and logic is
mostly thrown out the window. But the film plays
like live-action Japanese anime -- filled with
excellent fight scenes, very cool effects and yes,
great music. In other words, Volcano High is too
good of a movie to fall under my jurisdiction.
Don't worry, I'm confident I won't have this problem
next time.
BARGAIN BIN REVIEW
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