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The official English-language poster of the film “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” (photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
The film opened in 30 major North American markets on August 15, including Boston, Chicago, Atlanta, Seattle, New Jersey and Virginia. It has since hit a record high, becoming the highest-grossing Korean domestic movie ever in the region.
Local leading news outlets rushed to report the sensation the movie has created since its opening. For example, the Los Angeles Times daily said that, “The action scenes are intense, showing sophisticated visual effects with realistic period-era warships trading cannonball volleys.”
“The lingering grief from April’s Sewol ferry sinking has left South Korean moviegoers eager to be reminded of this narrative of courage and triumph,” it added.
The August 16 LA Times article introduces the heroic tale of “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” that has been a megahit in Korea.
The New York Times article “Inside a 16th-Century Naval Battle," published on August 14, features the film “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.”
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter magazine mentioned, “Much of the naval action is realistically and thrillingly staged with blazing cannon fire and slashing swordplay that sufficiently diverts attention from the sometimes unrealistic special effects.” “Admiral Yi is as likely to achieve mythic status onscreen as he has in historic accounts,” it added.
The Hollywood Reporter article features the smash hit “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” that has set records at the American box office since opening on August 15.
The movie, directed by Kim Han-min, tells the story of Admiral Yi Sun-sin, a navy commander of the Joseon Dynasty (1392-1910). It focuses on the heroic tale of the 1597 Battle of Myeongnyang, in which Yi and his navy fought against an encroaching Japanese army off the sea of Myeongnyang, currently the coast near Jindo Island, Jeollanam-do (South Jeolla Province).
The battle is a naval victory regarded as a national victory in Korean history, as Yi led his last 12 ships to an against-all-odds triumph over more than one hundred Japanese vessels.
The 128-minute film is divided into two sections. The first half has a narrative of Yi’s planning for the battle, while the second focuses on the historic naval clash.
Scenes from the film “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” (photos courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
“Now we are living in a totally different world than where Admiral Yi lived, but Yi’s spirit and his heroism in which you can see in the movie still gives us lessons and his courage still touches our hearts,” said Choi Min-sik who plays the hero in the film.
Actor Choi Min-sik plays the heroic commander of the Joseon-era navy, Admiral Yi Sun-sin, in the megahit “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” (photo courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
Actor Kim Myung-gon acts as the Japanese daimyo Todo in “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” (photos courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
Actor Cho Jin-woong plays the Japanese admiral Wakizaka in “The Admiral: Roaring Currents.” (photos courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
Actor Ryu Seung-ryong stars in “The Admiral: Roaring Currents” as the cold-hearted Japanese samurai Jurushima. (photos courtesy of CJ Entertainment)
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
jiae5853@korea.kr
