Verdict
Summary
Fun and engaging, and moving at a pretty fast clip at 99 minutes, Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is a good time at the movies with a high concept and well executed action scenes, with characters that are engaging and more or less relatable.
Plot:
A shaman-for-hire who doesn’t really believe in his himself or his abilities comes face to face with the challenge of his life when he encounters a true supernatural force that threatens an entire town.
Review:
Roaming around as a shaman-for-hire with his sidekick who knows how to make a haunting look real enough with gadgets and gizmos, Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-won) is a one-man Ghostbuster, but his shtick is getting thin and tired, despite how good he can be, managing to convince even the most skeptical customers of their so-called hauntings. When he gets an offer to do some kind of exorcism on a young girl in a town that is basically packing up and vacating their residences due to some kind of powerful supernatural force at work, Cheon realizes right away that this is not going to be a simple gig with his fake hocus pocus. There is indeed something going on here, and he must draw deep on his memories and upbringing as the grandson of a great and powerful shaman who instilled what he needed in Cheon’s training for him to take the mantle of protector and warrior. Armed with a broken sword that has enough juice in it to fight off demons and possessed people, Cheon and his crew of misfits will face the ultimate evil, putting them all to the test.
Fun and engaging, and moving at a pretty fast clip at 99 minutes, Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is a good time at the movies with a high concept and well executed action scenes, with characters that are engaging and more or less relatable. I can see this becoming a series, and the effects are really solid too. The film has just the right amount of comedy relief and doesn’t go too overboard with it, and the villains aren’t too over the top or too powerful, which I feel is sometimes a detriment for these superhero-type movies where nobody gets hurt despite being smashed around walls and beat up to a pulp. This one balances its supernatural elements just right, and the ending is satisfying too. From director Kim Seong-sik, this one should have some major crossover appeal.
Well Go USA’s new Blu-ray release (it’s also on DVD) of Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman is out this February 27th, and is also available digitally. Bonus features include character bios and the trailer.
