I heard some high praise for Project Wolf Hunting when it first started to appear at one or two festivals. Then things started to even out slightly. There were a number of people who found it a bit disappointing, or just didn’t think it lived up to the hype it had gathered. That wide range of opinions meant that I had no expectations when going into this. I knew the very basic premise, and I knew it was super-bloody. I could only hope that it was also really enjoyable.
It’s alright. Not great, not even really good. Just alright.
A group of dangerous criminals are being extradited from the Philippines to South Korea via a large cargo ship. Some police officers are also on board, of course, and things are tense from the outset. An escape is planned, but it soon becomes clear that there is something else dangerous on the ship. Something that might start tearing through cops and criminals alike.
Written and directed by Kim Hong-Seon, this is a fun premise that is sadly ruined by an overlong runtime and too much unnecessary plotting. Yes, I said it. Project Wolf Hunting has too much plot getting in the way of the carnage. It’s not that the details revealed are bad, and they are often accompanied by more bloodshed, but what this needed was a more streamlined approach to the backstory. I guess viewers are supposed to care more about the final outcome, and the fate of one or two main characters, but it doesn’t work, which means keeping things even simpler, and shortening the runtime, could have been a better way to go.
Seo In-Guk and Jang Dong-Yoon do well enough in main roles, and Choi Gwi-Ha is a formidable presence, playing “Alpha” (the super-powered killer turning the ship into even more of a bloodbath), but the other performers, whether cops or criminals, or shady corporation staff members, are overshadowed by the geysers of blood and crushed bodies. This is a Resident Evil adventure by way of Ichi The Killer.
I did worry that, like one or two other recent gorefests, Project Wolf Hunting would start with an insane level of gore that would soon become tiring, but that wasn’t the case. Although it still becomes a bit tiresome, there just isn’t enough variety in the characters or kills, there is at least an escalation in the violence. This helps to make the film enjoyable enough, but some inventiveness, and more style or humour, would have greatly improved the viewing experience.
Good, but not great, although I am currently undecided on whether or not I will be interested in the potential sequel teased at the very end of the film. I am sure gorehounds will rate this slightly higher than I do. I just wanted something a bit better.
6/10
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