If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

This is a coming of age storyline that you've seen in one form or another for decades. It takes a truly unique voice to make yet another one worth watching.

The movie turns out to be a little better than the average. Starting from a romantic formula often seen in the cinema, it ends in the most predictable (and somewhat bland) way.

Action: Before I watched the whole movie, I saw a short clip of a spectacular fight scene from this movie and I thought if the whole movie had scenes like that, this movie could be pretty cool. Unfortunately, that cool scene that I saw doesn't happen until the end of the movie and it was rather short. The rest of the fights were even shorter. Some good moments of action here and there, but generally nothing as good as the fight at the end, which didn't last longGeneral complaints: I usually like martial arts movies, but found this one to be not very enjoyable, even an uncomfortable experience to watch - partly because watching people treating each other badly, which is almost all that happens in this movie, is no fun, but also because the main character is not likable and his behavior makes no sense. For instance, right from the start, he's Korean, but goes to Japan during the WWII era to become a fighter pilot, which doesn't work out for him, because of course they don't let him become a fighter pilot. But why in the world did he think this was a good idea in the first place? Join the country that's devastating his own? Willingly go to a place where they don't like him? I'm already confused. Then for the rest of the movie, he's a jerk to his friends, yet overly respectful to his enemies. I didn't understand the guy at all.

Fighter in the wind... Haven't i watched it like a 100 times. Friends even make fun of my passion about this movie. I love it not only for the writing or martial arts scenes, but mostly for letting the main hero progress and grow as a person through the film and letting me know him better all the time during his changes. The unskilled, afraid young Korean in the racist Japan community, having to take on bullies, underworld and surviving. The guy who watered himself out of terror, became the best fighter in the world. This film gives him space and time to evolve and make us know him better over time. This is how you get attention from the audience Hollywood!! Many lessons can be taught to western action movie makers, even to this day 11 years later. The human aspect of the hero taking beaten, letting us see his wounds, care for him... Seeing his knuckles and body bloody and beaten. Showing us his suffering. Even more showing us how he fought his own demons and set his mind to victory, how he decided to take off to the mountains and train, how much he wanted to become better and stronger. Not only as a fighter, but as a person as well. This is what makes him exemplar to us watching. I know that this is not Oyama's 100% real story, but i do not care. Character build up, minimalistic editing and great fight scenes made me fall in love with this movie.I will never forget his notion about fighting and perhaps dying. His deepest fears. Great movie, must see!

Let's start with one clear salient point. South Korean films are way better than most of us in North America believe. They are way better than Japanese films, way better (in terms of constraint) than Chinese films, and although lacking a Tony Jaa, also much much more professional than the Thai product. Yes most of the reviews of this film suggest that something is lacking...? They are correct. And I will tell you what is lacking. Excess. That is the key to this film. To appreciate this production -- which it begs you to do -- you need to remember that it is based on a real story. And not any real story, but a story of a man that Koreans view the same way a religious person might see a saint. This was a Korean who, after being humiliated by the Japanese, found some sort of inner strength he did not know he had, and then literally went off to Japan to beat the ^(^(^ out of every respected martial artist -- every one! -- until finally they acknowledged his superiority. (As a child I remember seeing pictures in books of Choi stopping a charging bull with one single strike -- you won't see THAT on Americas Got Talent!) Once you understand how important this story is to South Korea, you will understand why the glitz is missing. Not just a great film but a true story about one of the most amazing martial artists of all time. But restrained. See?

This is a typical Korean movie with full of anti-Japan sentiment and lies. Choi Bae-dal was so-called "chinilpa" (pro-Japanese traitor), who loved Japanese martial arts and got Japanese name and nationality. He practiced Shotokan-karate and Gojyu-Ru karate, not Korean martial arts or Tekkyon.Because Koreans don't like to admit that they learned many Japanese cultures during the colonial period, they have distorted the history as if the origin of all Japanese cultures was in Korea. Korea's Taekwondo association has made similar distortion and hided the truth that karate was the origin of Korea's national martial arts.When Choi Bae-dal was alive, he pretended to be Japanese. He never used his Korean name "Choi Bae-dal" in Japan and wrote some books in which he described himself as if he was patriotic Japanese. However, because he made a success in Japan, Koreans have created the image of nationalistic anti-Japan hero of him in comic and movie.This movie must be feel –good victorious story for Koreans. Anti-Japan movies in which Koreans defeat Japanese occupy one of the major categories in Korean movies. The producer says it is based on true story. Yes. Choi Bae-dal existed and he founded Kyokushin-karate. It is true. But the other story is just a fantasy. Nothing more.