Reviewed By-Steve Genier
Directed By-Min Byung-chun
Cast-Choi Min-su, Jung Woo-sang and Sol Kyung-gu
Source-MODERN dvd NTSC ALL
Runtime-120 mins
You ever feel like what you do, who you are and what is happen is just a dream or another existence? Well if not your about to feel just that by watching this Korean action/thriller directed by Min Byung-chun. An officer is executed by firing squad, punished for what he thought was the right thing to do. Only it seems that he doesn't die, he awakens in a hospital bed. Once well, he is brought aboard a top secret government project. Korea's first nuclear powered submarine dubbed THE PHANTOM and armed with nuclear warheads. The strange thing being, things are not normal. The crew is nameless as he now is, really none-existent and they are forbidden to share what little left they know of their pasts. Pretty much for the whole one hundred odd minutes of this film you are trapped pretty much as are the cast of the film in the confines of a submarine. Hope you don't get too sweaty in confined situations, no worries there is plenty of action and good script at work here. You tend to forget at times of the darkness the interior of the sub presents by the interaction of the cast and sheer tension that escalates until the end. THE PHANTOM is on a suicide mission to destroy Japan's nuclear sub program, but they must weave their way past the Japanese defense. There's a catch though, because of their position there have difficulties releasing the warheads, difficulties that become fatal.
The direction of PHANTOM: THE SUBMARINE is never side-tracked, in fact there are so many other elements that add to it's superb flow. Two main characters butting heads for supremacy highlight the many other attributes this film has to offer. Although very minimal, the special effects are very effective when put into play as well. The underwater sequences seem very realistic and the FX crew show their confidence by having a whale swim beside the sub in a couple of scenes, almost symbolic of the underlining theme of this film. As mention briefly already, the acting is top notch and very convincing, especially the main core of characters. The support also did their duty as well to have you on the edge of your seat. You will not take you eyes of the screen, you will be totally enthralled until the end. The imagery presented towards the end is sheer brilliance, the last gaps for air, knowing that the end is near. Quick edits and dyer desperation insure that audience feels the endevidable end of the crew of THE PHANTOM.
For my viewing pleasure I watched the NTSC REGION ALL from MODERN AUDIO INT. Pretty much a bare bones presentation, with the exceptions of the audio having DTS 5.1, also 16:9 widescreen. There is only trailers for other films (etc; City Horror and three other films) accompanying the disc, which is a shame considering the magnitude of this film. More or less a negative ending to a great little film. Still don't let the lack of extras deter you from viewing PHANTOM: THE SUBMARINE, the story and acting more then suffices for the lack of.
STORY: 4 BITCH SLAPS
PICTURE/AUDIO: 4 BITCH SLAPS
EXTRAS: 1 BITCH SLAP
OVERALL: 3 BITCH SLAPS