Wellgo USA Blu-ray Synopsis: After dying unexpectedly, firefighter Ja-Hong is taken to the afterlife by three guardians, where only after passing seven trials and proving he lived a noble life will be able to reincarnate. Based on the widely popular web-comic, ALONG WITH THE GODS: THE TWO WORLDS is a star-studded, action-packed fantasy epic about life, death, rebirth, and the unseen forces that guide us through it all. (139 Mins)

 

Views: I've never had the pleasure of reading the web-comic of which this film is based on, but I had caught wind of this adaptation upon its release and it had intrigued me. My husband and I had spent the majority of the Covid-19 lock-down binge watching some amazing K-drama's on Netflix such as Strong Girl Bong Soon, Mr. Sunshine, Hotel Del Luna, Black, Kingdom and so much more. I have always championed the films of South Korea, and still think it has consistently been the best of Asian cinema since the turn of the century. Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds confirms that with its incredible direction, story, emotion, action and entertainment value! Much like a big budgeted, extended episode of the aforementioned Black series, Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds is an incredible journey into the afterlife offering some stunning visuals and beautiful set-pieces, a few good laughs, some fantastic action sequences, and plenty of lump-in-the-throat moments that really brought tears to the eyes!

 

Cha Tae Hyun from My Sassy Girl and Hello Ghost, plays Kim Ja Hong; a brave young fire-fighter who loses his life after saving a young girl from a burning apartment block. He is instantly met by 2 out of 3 guardians who are there to guide him through the afterlife, acting as his defence through 7 trials that will take place over 49 days, offering him the chance for reincarnation should he be cleared of all offences. The bonus is, that Ja Hong is considered a Paragon – someone who has died a noble death and led a great life; something that leads viewers to believe that his journey will be somewhat predictable.

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But it's most certainly not!

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During his journey through what seems like an adults Disneyland, the afterlife is suddenly hit by a series of negative forces – natural disasters of the underworld I suppose. These are caused by a vengeful spirit – someone connected to Ja Hong who has just died and has some anger management issues. With only his brother or deaf-mute mother left behind, Ja Hong instantly fears for his mothers life and refuses to move on until he knows of her destiny. His third guardian, played by the great Ha Jung Woo from The Chaser and The Handmaiden, offers to go back to the real world to find out leaving Ja Hong in the capable hands of his two underlings – a job they soon find extremely tricky with their wise boss out of the picture. Once back in the real world, the film starts to really take a turn. As Jung Woo explores Ja Hong's life, he takes us on an incredible ride of emotion and reincarnation as he finds the heartbroken mother alone. This confirms that it is of course Ja Hong's brother who is the vengeful spirit, and gets introduced via an action scene akin to something that looks like it was pulled right from the pages of the wonderful Naruto – or perhaps even a cut scene from one of The Matrix movies...

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As Ja Hong's trials continue with their own twists and turns, Jung Woo starts to mingle with the living to find out what happened to his younger brother. This story alone is wrought with emotion, highlighting so much hurt and loss as well as an unspoken love that leads to the death of the younger Kim. Its a shocking moment, and something I don't want to give away as it leads to so much more in the story – bringing on an apocalyptic ending that is highly impressive for a non-Hollywood movie. Its brilliantly crafted to blend the journey of both worlds together, making Ja Hong's tale even more surprising and stronger as it moves on as well as keeping events in the real world, highly emotional!

 

With a running time of almost 2 and a half hours, Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds takes a lot of commitment, cramming almost every minute with something meaningful, exciting or well worth seeing. With incredibly detailed sets, interesting characters and of course, plenty of visual effects that would challenge that of any Marvel movie, this South Korean epic is such an incredible viewing experience it puts many Hollywood films of the last two decades to shame. Bringing a lump to my throat more than once, I can hardly find a fault in the film and highly recommend it to anyone wanting something a little different, but something quite amazing. Its final moments present an unexpected cameo that leads right into its equally fantastic sequel – The Last 49 Days...

 

Overall: Visually stunning, brilliantly acted, and highly entertaining, Along With The Gods: The Two Worlds is an emotional and exciting tale that deserves to be seen!

 

Wellgo USA Blu-ray Extras: Character Introductions, Behind The Scenes, Trailers