Set in the wastelands of Manchuria circa the 1940s, 'The Good, The Bad, The Weird', a bonkers oriental western from Korean director Ji-woon Kim (A Tale Of Two Sisters), opens with a spectacular train robbery in which thief Yoon Tae-goo (Kang-ho Song) makes off with a valuable treasure map that is seemingly sought after by every other outlaw, shady character, and opportunistic gunslinger in the area, including ruthless killer Park Chang-yi (Byung-hun Lee) and bounty hunter Park Do-won (Woo-sung Jung). Oh, and the Japanese army too!
What follows is a violent, madcap adventure with the gun-crazy characters pursuing each other through the desert landscape, engaging in frenetic shootouts, well orchestrated chases (think Mad Max, but with horses), and flawlessly choreographed punch-ups, pausing only occasionally to allow the viewer to pick their jaw up off the floor and draw a breath. Sometimes, the blistering pace and chaotic action becomes so intense that it's hard to keep track of who is shooting at who and why, but with so much fun to be had, this is a minor quibble and it certainly doesn't detract much from one's overall enjoyment of the film.
What follows is a violent, madcap adventure with the gun-crazy characters pursuing each other through the desert landscape, engaging in frenetic shootouts, well orchestrated chases (think Mad Max, but with horses), and flawlessly choreographed punch-ups, pausing only occasionally to allow the viewer to pick their jaw up off the floor and draw a breath. Sometimes, the blistering pace and chaotic action becomes so intense that it's hard to keep track of who is shooting at who and why, but with so much fun to be had, this is a minor quibble and it certainly doesn't detract much from one's overall enjoyment of the film.