‘JUNG_E’ Review (Netflix)
Stars: Kang Soo-yeon, Kim Hyun-joo, Ryu Kyung-soo, Uhm Ji-won | Written and Directed by Sang-ho Yeon
Currently streaming on Netflix, JUNG_E is the latest film from Sang-ho Yeon, the director of zombies-on-a-train nailbiter Train to Busan. Whilst this dystopian robo-thriller doesn’t quite hit the same heights, it’s still an engaging slice of sci-fi, even if it’s ultimately much less action-packed than the promotional material suggests.
JUNG_E opens with a protracted series of captions, explaining that it’s 2194 and the Earth has been largely evacuated due to pollution and climate disaster. The only problem is that the various orbiting moon stations have devolved into Civil War, leaving those still on Earth perfecting robo-weapons to help end the conflict.
One such weapon is super-soldier General Yun Jung-yi (Kim Hyun-joo), a highly skilled battle robot built from the DNA and memories of a real military hero, who fell in battle and has been comatose for the last 35 years. Surrounded by lab technicians, chief robo-scientist Seohyun (the late Kang Soo-yeon, who sadly died after filming was completed) runs endless test scenarios of General Yun’s final mission, trying to discover her fatal flaw. However, Seohyun’s judgement is possibly clouded by the fact that General Yun is her own mother, meaning that she has to effectively watch her die multiple times a day.
Sang-ho Yeon orchestrates a terrific opening action sequence, with a belter of a kick to it, as General Yun fights her way through multiple battle robots, only to be hit by a devastating revelation. Thereafter, despite the fact that the film initially presents itself as an epic space battle-in-waiting, the rest of the story takes a decidedly more cerebral and emotional turn, as characters – chiefly Seohyun and business-focused Project Manager Sang-Hoon (Ryu Kyung-soo) – debate robo-ethics and worry about whether or not they will make a significant breakthrough before the military decide to shut down the project.
The script explores some interesting ideas, most notably the way the class system is impacted by A.I. in the future – essentially, the rich get to live forever with their private DNA and memories in synthetic, fully-functioning bodies, the middle-classes get various restrictions, like having to share the robo-equivalent of app information with the government, and the poor have to sign away all their rights, meaning that their image, thoughts and memories can be used by the government in perpetuity.
Sang-ho Yeon has a fair amount of fun with the genre, pulling off a couple of delightfully surprising twists along the way. The film also achieves an effective balance between powerful emotion (the look in Seohyun’s eyes whenever she’s observing her “mother”) and chilling body horror, as General Yun has to endure unimaginable pain, shock and trauma every time her robo-body is “awakened” and reset after a test run.
Kang Soo-yeon is heartbreaking to watch in her final role, especially since it largely calls on her to suppress powerful emotion for the majority of the film. She’s balanced by Ryu Kyung-soo, who delivers an engaging comic performance as cocky Sang-Hoon – his frequent affected English language line deliveries are very amusing.
On top of that, Kim Hyun-joo brings both charisma and unexpected emotional depth to General Yun (this is definitely the sort of film that will make you feel sorry for a robot), and there’s strong support from Kim Hyun-joo, in a small but pivotal role as the wizened Chairman of the Kronold Laboratory.
The main problem is that JUNG_E‘s action-to-drama ratio is a little off – there are thrilling action sequences at the beginning and the end, but the pacing in the middle section occasionally slows to a crawl as a result of all the robo-chat. On that note, it’s amusing that the heavily foregrounded Civil War plot barely receives a mention in the plot, to say nothing of the expected interplanetary space battle.
That said, if you downgrade your expectations with regard to robo-battles, this is an engaging and thought-provoking sci-fi story with strong performances, provocative ideas and some chilling horror moments.
*** 3/5
JUNG_E is available to watch now on Netflix.
