OLDBOY – 4-DISC LIMITED EDITION / CERT: 18 / DIRECTOR: PARK CHAN-WOOK / SCREENPLAY: PARK CHAN-WOOK, LIM JOO-HYUNG, HWANG JO-YUN / STARRING: CHOI MIN-SIK, KANG HYE-JUNG, YU JI-TAE / RELEASE DATE: OCTOBER 7TH
Special Features: Old Boys documentary / Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance / Lady Vengeance / Audio commentary tracks / Featurettes / Interviews / Deleted scenes / Trailers / Image gallery / Double-sided poster / 100-page hardbound book
Really, where to even begin with this one. This new release from the ever-fantastic folks at Arrow Video may be pegged as Oldboy, yet this release is so much more than Park Chan-wook’s 2003 movie. First and foremost, of course, let’s focus our attention on that ’03 offering.
Starring Choi Min-sik, Oldboy is a tale of brutal and bloody vengeance. Based on the manga of the same name, the film sees businessman Oh Dae-su kidnapped and held captive for 15 years. A seemingly random act, the plot thickens once Dae-su is released back out into the world. Having spent over a decade stewing in isolation, this is man who has changed from happy-go-lucky drunk to a disciplined, focused badass who has a major axe to grind as he looks to find out who held him captive and why. Along the way, Dae-su falls for a young sushi chef (Hye-jung) who helps him in his quest, but this quest is far from an easy one. For the questions that Oh Daeu-Su has, though, sometimes it’s maybe better to not know the answers…
There really is no doubting Oldboy’s place as one of Asian cinema’s finest achievements. From the way the movie is shot, the way the plot is paced, the stunning central performances, the wince-inducing violence, and a monumental twist, so much of Oldboy is nothing short of exemplary. And now, with this 4K restoration of the film, Oldboy has never looked so fantastic. But not just looking great, the movie itself still holds up as a true tour de force that is just as fresh and hard-hitting in 2019 as it was upon its release 16 years ago.
As alluded to, however, this new Oldboy release is far more than just Oldboy. A four-disc package, this new Arrow release includes a frankly ludicrous amount of bonus material. Not just are there some fascinating featurettes, commentary tracks, and other behind the scenes content, but this release also includes the stunning 2016 Old Boys documentary and the Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance movies that make up Park Chan-wook’s Vengeance Trilogy.
Sympathy for Mr. Vengeance and Lady Vengeance maybe don’t quite hit the heights of Oldboy, yet both are great pictures in their own right and their inclusion here only makes this new Oldboy release even more jaw-dropping.
Seriously, Arrow Video has a reputation for knocking it out of the park with their releases, but Oldboy is one of their very best overall packages to date. With four discs of glorious content to devour, this limited edition Oldboy release is something that fans of cinema, period, simply have to pick up.
