[Review] What Were the Thoughts Behind Filming Part 2 of the 70 Billion Won ‘Alien+’?

Review of the First Korean Film of the New Year 'Alienoid' Part 2
Chaotic Plot, Forced Comedy... Divisive Opinions
Applause for the Korean-style SF Challenge Incorporating Folklore

Movie 'Alien+Human' Part 2 Still [Photo by CJ ENM]

A staggering 70 billion won. The films "Alien+In" Parts 1 and 2 were simultaneously produced with budgets of 36 billion and 34 billion won respectively. Part 1, released last July, attracted 1.54 million viewers. The revenue was 16 billion won. The break-even point (BEP) was 7.3 million viewers, making the audience count woefully insufficient. The industry lamented the result as close to a disaster. For a sequel to exist, the first part must succeed. This is the basic formula for sequel production. The outcome was painful. At the time, director Choi Dong-hoon confidently said, "Part 2 is more fun." On the 10th, six months after Part 1's release, Part 2 will hit theaters. The production cost and break-even point for Part 2 are similar to Part 1. Will it wash away the previous installment's poor performance and restore pride?

"Alien+In" Part 2 was unveiled at a press screening held on the 3rd at CGV Yongsan in Ichon-dong, Yongsan-gu, Seoul. The film depicts the story of humans and mystics trying to save everyone by traveling to the future amid a fierce battle over the divine sword and uncovering hidden secrets.

The story moves between the Goryeo era about 630 years ago and modern 2022. The aliens have imposed a punishment that imprisons prisoners inside human bodies, causing them to disappear when the human dies. The prisoners attempt to escape, and the administrator guard (Kim Woo-bin) has been preventing this. One day, the leader architect (So Ji-sub) arrives on Earth with subordinates and instigates a rebellion.

Ian (Kim Tae-ri) tries to prevent the alien prisoner's escape but ends up traveling to the past. Trapped in the past, he searches for the divine sword that can open the door of time and tries to return to his own era. Muruk (Ryu Jun-yeol), the mountain spirit Heukseol (Yeom Jung-ah), Cheongun (Jo Woo-jin), and Jajang (Kim Eui-sung), who have helped Ian in every crisis, fiercely compete for the divine sword. With only 48 minutes left before the alien atmosphere Haba explodes, humans and mystics join forces to save the human world.

Movie 'Alien+In' Part 2 Stills [Photo by CJ ENM]

Expectations were high. I hoped it would be fun. So personally, I wished Part 2 would attract many viewers. Recently, the film investment market has worsened, making large-scale investments in film production difficult. Although planned and produced before the pandemic, if this Korean-style series SF (science fiction) hero film succeeds at the box office, it could lead to the production of a second and third installment. In that sense, I hoped the film would be good.

Part 1 spent time explaining the personalities and relationships of various characters and setting up the crisis by moving between the past and present. In Part 2, they had to face off in earnest. However, the released Part 2 was chaotic. It was frustrating because it was hard to understand what was being said.

Perhaps conscious of the previous installment's poor performance, the director for some reason focused on emotional narrative and comedy. Although I cannot specify scenes in detail, the cheerful Ian sheds tears much more frequently. The screen time of some roles that provided laughter in the previous film also increased. However, this is a case of excess being as bad as deficiency. The deliberately comedic scenes feel contrived, and repetitive scenes that could have been omitted cause fatigue.

At a press conference, Director Choi said, "I thought of it as an action film based on emotions. I saw emotions of meeting and parting with someone as the underlying theme, and in Part 2, those elements were worked on to be much more apparent." Regarding the criticism about the increased comedy, he responded, "Comedy is an excellent lubricant. It allows difficult situations or scenes to be handled flexibly, so I thought about how to do comedy well."

Movie 'Alien+Human' Part 2 Still [Photo by CJ ENM]

As an SF film, the thrill is weak. Even the genre's appeal that was worth seeing in the previous film has disappeared. It is noisy throughout but fails to make an impact, and the narrative is weak, failing to hold the audience until the end. The traditional folklore and SF elements do not connect smoothly, making it somewhat childish. Some parts feel like scenes seen long ago in Hollywood films. The huge "bait" dropped in the previous film is awkwardly resolved. It is confusing what the film is trying to say, and the genre's virtues are missing, which is disappointing.

However, applause is due for the Korean-style SF challenge. Such a bold attempt could not have been made without the ten-million viewer director Choi Dong-hoon. Through long preparation, Director Choi took on this massive project. If he had only repeated films he was good at, he might have achieved the intended results, but choosing the thorny path is commendable. Such attempts are a major driving force for the development of Korean cinema. Wouldn't it have been more meaningful if the result had been good? That is why it is more regrettable. Running time is 122 minutes. Rated 12 and over. Released on January 10.