agmtw logo
search
Kingdom (2019)

Kingdom (2019)

An adequate, if a bit condensed, adaptation with excellent action and production design

7.0

Movie

Japan, United States of America
Japanese
Action, Adventure, Fantasy, History
2019
KIM SEONG-HUN, SHINSUKE SATO
Bae Doona, Heo Jun-ho, Jeon Seok-ho
133 min

TLDR

It’s fun!

What it's about

China, Warring States period (475–221 BC). Sold as a slave to a small village, war orphan Shin trains hard with his friend Piao to become a great general, though a meeting with a young King Eisei might change their fate.

The take

Of course, as a serialized medium with plenty of volumes, it isn’t easy to condense manga into movies. Many a title have let down fans before, especially with the notorious live action curse. But there are some films that capture the energy and excitement of the original, and one such film is Kingdom. Not to be confused with the Korean Netflix show, the Japanese film is a thrilling depiction of the Chinese history-inspired story, with excellent choreography, elaborate sets and costumes, and all the battle scenes expected from the adaptation. It’s not particularly deep, and they really brush over Shin’s loss in favor of much more swordfighting, but it’s not bad if all you’re looking for is epic action in historical dressing.

What stands out

Shin is very fond of shouting. This is understandable, considering he lost his best friend to the politics of the warring states period, but RIP to Kento Yamazaki’s vocal cords.

Comments

Add a comment

Your name

Your comment

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

UP NEXT 

Why Don’t You Play in Hell? (2013)

A ragtag crew makes the film of their dreams with a former child star and the yakuza in this ode to old-school gritty action films

7.2

The Shadow Strays (2024)

Timo Tjahjanto’s second Netflix collab takes a darker path in this bloody and brutal crime thriller

7.1

Lust, Caution (2007)

A wartime spy falls for a collaborator in this erotic espionage drama

7.3

Hard Days (2023)

A detective has a series of terrible, horrible days in this decent Japanese thriller remake

7.0

Shin Kamen Rider (2023)

A bizarre superhero adaptation of the classic 70s tokusatsu series that goes absolutely bonkers

7.5

Rurouni Kenshin Part III: The Legend Ends (2014)

The thrilling continuation of the franchise that reintroduced the samurai genre to the world

7.2

Tokyo Fist (1995)

A salaryman returns to the ring in this avant-garde boxing horror

7.4

Kabaneri of the Iron Fortress: The Battle of Unato (2019)

A decent, if strangely paced, conclusion to the steampunk zombie drama

6.7

The Tiger (2015)

The Korean wilderness is not easily conquered in this epic, yet contemplative period creature thriller

7.2

The Guilty (2018)

A minimalist, razor-sharp thriller that will have you gasping for air.

9.0

Curated by humans, not algorithms.

agmtw logo

© 2024 agoodmovietowatch, all rights reserved.