Before watching Train to Busan back in 2017, I was never into horror or zombie movies and was even afraid of the dark. I watched it when I traveled to my aunt's place for Post Utme (Post Utme is an exam for admission into university), though at that time, I didn't have any phone, I could not think of a way to watch it, so I watched it on my aunt's laptop. However, after watching this movie, I was captivated by everything in it.
So, watching Pennisula (Train to Busan Sequel) last week, it gave a different impression which may be totally different from the original movie.
Train to Busan (Korean: 부산행; RR: Busanhaeng; lit. To Busan) is a 2016 South Korean action horror film[4] directed by Yeon Sang-ho and starring Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi, Ma Dong-seok, Kim Su-an, Choi Woo-shik, Ahn So-hee and Kim Eui-sung.[5] The film mostly takes place on a KTX from Seoul to Busan as a zombie apocalypse suddenly breaks out in the country and threatens the safety of the passengers. The movie successfully launched the Train to Busan film series, with the animated prequel Seoul Station released in 2016 and a standalone sequel named Peninsula released in 2020. Another installment and an American-produced adaptation are also in development. Source
Train to Busan is a movie about an outbreak in South Korea whose cause wasn't really clear. Well, for the entirety of the movie, most of it focuses on the train, where a father named Seok-woo and his daughter, along with other people, were entrapped in a train when going to Busan. Before starting, a zombie noticeably stepped into the train and ultimately infected another person. As the train moved, more and more people became infected, and the number of people in the train reduced drastically. They thought they had hope, but as they reached each station, hope became lost as they saw others infected outside, which made their survival rates drop. Despite all these problems, the father and his daughter tried their possible best to survive, forming alliances with other people while trying to survive the horde of zombies as the movie went on.
Pennisula, however, doesn't directly continue with the story of the original Train to Busan. In fact, it is the exact opposite of the first, as the movie takes place four years after the apocalypse has occurred. The sequel follows the story of a former marine soldier named Jung-Seok trying to make ends meet in the underworld of Hong Kong. Eventually, he takes on the task of returning to Korea to retrieve a food truck filled with money ($20 million) alongside some other soldiers. Upon arriving in the country, they're ambushed by a millitary rogue known as 631 who attacked with a horde of zombies. Unfortunately, they took away the money, thinking that it was supplies. Some of the groups died in the process, while others were saved by others. The protagonist, Jung-seok, was saved by two girls, who took him back to their mother. So with the help of the family, he must find a way to retrieve the truck in order to go back to Hong Kong. A series of activities came into play in the process, and there were different plot twists as the story went on.
Everything about Train to Busan was so perfect that I had to rewatch it when I had a proper phone; the stage, the cinematography, and the CGI were indeed beautiful. The part I enjoyed the most about this movie was the zombies. Those zombies are so deadly that I can feel it, and there is emotion in the play. I really enjoyed it.
So when Peninsula (Train to Busan prerequisite) came out, I had a lot of hope in it. Though I had expected it to be a little different from the first, I still had high hopes for it, so I downloaded it immediately. I'm a bit disappointed in what the sequel gave.
First, the original "Train to Busan" focused more on the story and the characters, showing various struggles for survival among the citizens as the story progressed. However, the sequel had a completely different feeling. Instead of focusing on the characters and the story, it dove straight into action, using guns, explosives, and intense gunfights where people were being killed left and right. While it provided a very action-packed zombie apocalypse vibe, I wished it followed a different storyline, perhaps focusing on the process of rebuilding the city or exploring other ideas to make it more interesting.
Moreover, in the original ("Train to Busan"), emotions came into play. We could all agree that in the first movie, we had people we liked and disliked—the people we wished to die and those whom we wished not to die. So the original introduced emotions in the story; it felt real, painful, and interesting. But in the sequel, the whole cast of characters was just neutral in the story, with no emotions whatsoever; the feeling was not felt at all. Even though the story focuses on the protagonist and the family, the emotion in the story was a bit cringe-worthy.
In addition, we all know who the zombies in the first movie were. They were very fierce and ready to pounce on anybody that came into their midst, though the characters had already discovered the weakness of the zombies; the zombies aren't as fierce as they were in the first (perhaps no feelings).
While "Peninsula" doesn't have the same level of horror and excitement as the first, it was still enjoyable. It was fast-paced but packed with interesting actions. It pretty much started on a great foot, as we see some interesting fighting scenes. The car chase was very interesting to watch; the way they maneuvered the cars and the intense collision between cars made everything interesting. Though it gave a familiar feeling, it will still keep you on your seats watching it. It shows that the producer really focused on the action side of things.
The CGI may not be as good as the first, but it's still okay. The zombies look fantastic, and though I would've preferred them to have changed in shape compared to the first movie, I really hope they've evolved and mutated and have different strengths, which will make the whole story more interesting.
At the end of the movie, I felt lost; I had problems connecting all the dots between the first and sequel. It was my friend who explained how the first was connected to the second and how it unfolded, which was a bit disappointing.
Overall, if you're a fan of an action-type zombie apocalypse, you'll very much enjoy it. But if you're using the prospect of the first to watch this, I wouldn't recommend it. With this, I give the first movie a 9.5/10 and the sequel 4/10.
Thanks for reading my post. I hope you enjoyed it. See you next time. Bye 👋.
Translation done using Deep L
That movie was so good, I really enjoy it, and I think the zombies were the best part! Greetings!
Well, the action part was quite enjoyable give the car chase and the car driving. But using the prospect of the first, it's entirely different.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for the reply, I really appreciate 🙏 ❤.
The second film is genuinely terrible in comparison to the first. There's even an animated spin-off which is even worse!
Exactly. I'm quite disappointed with what they did in the second film considering the prospect of the first. It looks like Sequel trap which is common with apocalyptic movies, when the first film will be very good but the sequel will go straight to the action part and won't be as good as the first. It's so disheartening.
Anyway, thanks for the reply, I really appreciate 🙏 ❤.
Yeah that's precisely what it is. That animation they did was even worse, it's insane how bad it is.