[Courtesy of Lotte Entertainment]
SEOUL, Jan. 04 (Aju News) -- "Along With the Gods: The Two Worlds", a strange fantasy mixture of exquisite visual effects and traditional mythology, has overwhelmed South Korea's box-office, drawing more than 10 million moviegoers in 16 days.
The film, based on popular web-cartoon of the same title and directed by
Kim Yong-hwa, recreated hell as described in Korean mythological folklores and Buddhism, giving a refreshing jolt to fans who got familiar with the images of hell described in the western culture.
"Along With the Gods" depicts a story about a firefighter, killed in action, journeying through the stages of hell along with a team of death angels to be granted a chance to be reincarnated.
The film has gained popularity, watched by about one out of every five people, since it hit the screen on December 20. As of Thursday, it has attracted about 11 million viewers, becoming the 16th domestic film to break the 10 million mark, according to Its distributor, Lotte Entertainment.
"The movie is a fresh shock to many South Korean movie fans because there's no film which has described hell in such a way," Kim Kyo-suk, a pop-culture critic, told Aju News on Thursday.
"Many have heard about hell in their bedtime stories, and watching the movie must have made them feel like their imaginations coming to life with superb visual effects."
The movie was simultaneously produced with its sequel to be released later this year. About 20 billion won (18.7 million US dollars) was put into the original's production.
Popular actors Cha Tae-hyun and Ha Jung-woo took the main roles while Oh Dal-soo and Lim Won-hee appeared as supporting actors. The story held a strong message about family affection and had multiple tear-jerking points, a vital point in attracting middle-aged movie fans.
"The film was just amazing," said Kim Kee-hee, a 59-year-old housewife. "I would give four and a half stars because its story and visuals were flawless!"
reporter
Park Sae-jin
swatchsjp@ajunews.com
