Oldboy

From a purely technical perspective, Spike Lee's remake of Korean filmmaker Park Chan-wook's cult revenge film is respectable—a nicely-lensed (apart from some regrettably artsy shots) effort that boasts a couple of intriguing sets (one opulently modernistic, the other deliberately dingy), an effective music score, and a solid pace. And Lee directs the tale—about a man who is kidnapped and secretly imprisoned for 20 years (framed for murdering his ex-wife), only to emerge two decades later as an avenging angel determined to punish his unknown abductor—with admirable craft and efficiency. The cast shines as well, with Josh Brolin in the central role as Joe Doucette, backed by Samuel L. Jackson and Elizabeth Olsen, among others. But while it has quite a few virtues, this Oldboy suffers from one fatal defect: it turns what had been a weird, bizarrely nightmarish tale (with lots of unexplained links and strange lapses of logic) into what amounts to a pedestrian thriller in which the narrative connections are all tidily spelled out, opting for the utterly conventional, compared to the absolutely gonzo original. Paradoxically, this approach makes the whole story seem even more preposterous and absurd. A glossy but unnecessary and ultimately ill-conceived remake, this is not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “making-of” featurette (17 min.), a “Transformation” promo (2 min.), trailers, and a bonus UltraViolet copy of the film. Exclusive to the Blu-ray release are alternate and extended scenes (12 min.), a “Talking Heads” promo (3 min.), and a brief “Workout Video” clip. Bottom line: a decent extras package for a disappointing remake.] (F. Swietek)