The Film
Koreans like big-budget disaster movies as much as the next glutton. So instead of dubbing 2012, The Day After Tomorrow, and Deep Impact, they pulled all three together and got straight to the point with Tidal Wave.
Well -- sort of to the point. Billed as South Korea's first disaster film, Tidal Wave (also known as Haeundae) takes well over an hour to get to the good stuff. Roland Emmerich laughs in their faces. We can't blame him, either. The film is super goofy in more than a few parts.
Tidal Wave opens like an outtake from Discovery Channel's Deadliest Catch, with fisherman desperately trying to save their buddy from -- you guessed it -- a tidal wave. Aside from that, the bulk of the film tries to introduce you to way too many characters.
We love a good disaster movie. Aside from entertainment value and potential catchphrases, most generate some cool imagery. Tidal Wave is no different. Some of the colors in this 2.35:1 transfer border on fake, but it works because of the subject matter -- and the way that subject matter is delivered. Detail is more prominent during the opening scenes. Once the poo hits the fan, things are a bit more chaotic and a little less clear, although you probably won't care.
The Sound
Tidal Wave follows the disaster-film formula. We know rule number one is to inject as much cheesy dialogue as humanly possible. Sadly, it also follows the dubbing rule of hiring the worst actors you can possibly find. Hobos could act better than the people that dubbed this film. That makes the English track very difficult to watch. If you can handle the pain, the DTS-HD Master Audio track does deliver that dialogue well -- in both English and Korean. Again, you'll want to fast-forward to get to the good stuff, which includes plenty of bass to push along the tsunami-style action.
The Extras
Speaking of pain, all of the special features are standard-def. If you aren't a total A/V snob, there are a ton of goodies here. There's a 45-minute making-of piece, which should fill you in on everything you would possibly want to know about the production. A total of 13 extras (including previews) will take you through everything from CGI to marketing of the film. Also, it's pretty cool that sound mixing got two featurettes, even though they only add up to a combined total of about 15 minutes. Those in needing of dissecting this disaster film will be far from disappointed.
Final Thoughts
Despite the good image, sound and extras, Tidal Wave is more disaster than disaster movie. To say it has a slow start is an understatement. Even for fans of the genre, this is a rental at best. Just make sure to keep your finger on that fast-forward button.
Product Details
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