Based
on “The Kingdom of the Gods"
Written
by Kim Eunhee
Directed
by Park Inje
The
Netflix original, South Korean TV series Kingdom doesn’t
waste much time in its opening scene, instead choosing to explode into the screen with thrilling action and sacrifice.
Crown
Prince Lee Chang (Ji-Hoon Ju)’s wages a defensive war against the
undead and struggle to claim his rightful throne from the power
hungry Cho Hak-ju (Seung-ryong Ryu) and Queen Cho (Hye-Jun Kim). The
opener dazzles with poignant war music, battle, and loads of frenzied
undead. These bad boys resemble “World War Z” sickies
with hightened speed and a vicious streak a mile wide. One thing is
for sure, if Rick Grimes faced these walkers when he woke up, there
wouldn’t be a “The Walking Dead” series at all.
Despite
severe logic gaps, the season opener offers enough uniqueness to
stand on its own. The production team's efforts to present Kingdom
in the Joseon period (after the Japanese invasion) adds satisfying historical flare to the otherwise supernatural occurrences. The protagonists fight with kukri, sword, arrow,
and barely understood black powder muskets against the sort of undead
that destroy nations and worlds while surviving machinations from the
Cho. The rigid caste-like government structure of Kingdom allows for
satisfying intrigue which adds important points of man vs man
conflict amount a man vs world existential threat.
It is evident that Kingdom
doesn't’ have the budget of HBO TV series. The difference is
visible in some scenes where ambient atmospheres clashes with cheap
settings that look so colorful at night they might seem toy-like.
Nevertheless, it is, by far, the best zombie apocalypse story that
South Korea has developed. Shored by solid acting by its stellar
cast, this series truly is a gem withing Netflix’s robust
programming.
References
"Kingdom: Season 2: Ep.1." Netflix. March 14, 2020. www.netflix.com
"Kingdom: Full Cast and Crew." IMDb.com Inc. March 1, 2010. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt6611916/fullcredits/?ref_=tt_ov_st_sm
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