Tidal Wave (2009)

Tagline: There is no escape from nature’s wrath.

Curiosity: My girlfriend and I were out renting movies and, oddly enough, she was the first one to grab on to this South Korean disaster flick. Best. Girlfriend. Ever.

Plot: After the 2004 tsunami that devastate Asia, geologist Kim Hwi (Park Joon-hoon) is pretty darn sure it’ll happen again, this time taking out Korea. Nobody believes him.

The rest of the movie is about the citizens of the city Busan, specifically their love lives.

Thoughts: My girlfriend hated Tidal Wave. I loved it. The special effects are pretty iffy, but the script is surprisingly solid. Even though it’s at times pretty boring – the tsunamis don’t appear until the final half-hour – Tidal Wave manages to be more realistic than other disaster movies like 2012. See, here’s the thing: Most people don’t give a darn about all the ways we could be wiped out of existence. We’re perpetually dodging asteroids; people just don’t know it. And Tidal Wave shows this view (or lack of a view). Most of the characters contribute nothing to the plot as far as tsunamis are concerned. Rather, they live their lives. They raise children and go to work and try to find love. Just as in the 2004 tsunami, most of these people

don’t know what’s coming. And that’s relatable.

It doesn’t always make for perfect cinema, though. Movies without central plots can fall apart easily, and there are long stretches where Tidal Wave doesn’t do a whole lot. Luckily, the characters are sufficiently batshit insane to entertain anyway. Man-sik (Sol Kyung-gu) is pretty thoroughly nutso – just about all of his scenes involve brawling and getting uncomfortably drunk.

Once the tidal wave finally hits, though, director Yoon Ke-jyoon is pretty brutal. He has no qualms about beating up his characters, even the ones who are pure of heart. Despite an overextended ending, the final half hour is riveting shot after shot of devastation. In particular, a sequence in which a ship collides with a bridge is alternately humorous and intense. I feel a little hypocritical watching a film inspired by a real tragedy - I won't watch 9/11 movies - but Tidal Wave still delivers.

Reflection: We also rented Thirst. It’s like a mini-South Korean film festival up in here.