Netflix has added a fantasy movie that should be perfect for fans of Jackie Chan movies. When it comes to international movies, Netflix has become a huge destination for film fans, and the streaming giant offers original movies and series from all over the world. This includes some of the best international films from Asian countries, from South America, and from the Middle East. When it comes to the Asian releases, it includes everything from horror and fantasy movies to martial arts and intense dramas. The latest movie is one that should make fans of Jackie Chan and films like Kung Fu Hustle happy.
Netflix has added the South Korean movie Arahan, and it is one film that anyone who loves Asian action movies should check out.
Why is Arahan Worth Watching on Netflix?
Arahan is a South Korean martial arts action movie, but it is much more than that because this is very similar to Jackie Chan movies, as it brings in a lot of comedy to the mix. Ryoo Seung-wan (The Unjust, Escape from Mogadishu) directs the movie, with his brother Ryoo Seung-bum in the lead role. The movie follows an inept rookie cop named Sang-hwan who is accidentally injured by a young martial arts student named Eui-jin who has been studying under the six masters of Tao. When Eui-jin takes Sang-hwan to her father, the six masters of Tao decide that the young cop has the makings of a great warrior.
This is clearly a comedy of errors since Sang-hwan is clumsy and extremely inept, and he has to learn how to control Qi, his spiritual energy. When an evil warlord Heuk-woon defeats the masters, Shang-hwan has to team with Eui-jin to stop Heuk-woon before he takes over the world. What really makes this stand out is that the characters here are expected to save the world, but they look like a normal, everyday person, and there is no reason to believe Sang-hwan can ever save anything, not even himself. It is perfect for people who loved watching old Jackie Chan martial arts comedies. What helps Arahan stand apart is that it adds a little bit of the superhero aspects a few years before those movies actually exploded in popularity.
Arahan is not a new movie. This was released in 2004, and it is a movie that fans on Netflix have a chance to rediscover thanks to its addition to the platform. This was released around the same time as other martial arts comedy action movies like Kung Fu Hustle, which was also released in 2004, and while Ryoo Seung-wan is not quite at the level of Stephen Chow, he still delivered some solid kung fu action scenes with brilliant comic touches.
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