Escape from Mogadishu

Not at all overrated

At first I was hesitant to watch this film because of it was based on a true story about the civil war that took place in Somalia; South Korea has had multiple issues with portraying foreign cultures after all. So hearing about this movie's plot taking place in a real historical event, though I am not part of that culture, made me uneasy. But because it got high ratings and awards, I gave in to my curiosity and gave it a go. From my observation, the film mainly focused on the 2 Korean embassies (as the title says) escaping from Mogadishu and barely touched on the details of the war going on around them.

Acting was SUPERB, as expected from top actors, Zo Insung, Kim Yoonseok, and Heo Joonho. I didn't know Koo Kyohwan was in this until I saw him in the film which was a pleasant surprise as he's becoming one of my new favorite actors after watching him in D.P.

Overall, it was a really touching story of how the 2 Koreas managed to put aside their political differences to survive together through the chaos. It actually reminded me of the movie Joint Security Area. Regardless of where you're from, this film will definitely make you strongly wish for reunification between North and South Korea.

I'm still curious, though, if they accurately presented the war. I kind of hoped that they showed more of the innocent Somali people who, like the Korean characters, were also victims and also desperately tried to escape. For those who know more about the real event and have seen the movie, please let me know in the comments if there were any inaccuracies. Thanks!

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this is not my type of story though the "inspired by real events" always gets me.
though the movie was not boring during the 2 hours, I still wished for a little more touching moments, and maybe angst but not devastation

like they could've bonded more during the night, they could've cooked together, the kids could've played together, the adults could've talked about books or music, something that gave the parting a more bitter feeling

I've actually seen a few movies like this, and I'm actually glad there was no sudden hidden evil because no matter what, there was too much evil there ;(
though I knew someone was bound to die, no wonder I liked Koo Kyo Hwan, he's the D.P cutie! that makes it sadder ;(

behind every conflict, behind every war, there's normal people who want normal things but they're in situations they can't control ;(

sad, heartbreaking, violent, scary, devastating and yet heartwarming and hopeful TT_TT

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English and Portuguese Review

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞
From the beginning, I thought the story was going to be something completely different, so I was actually surprised. One of the first things that caught my attention was the fact that the movie takes place in Somalia. I’m not used to seeing Korean films set in an African country, so seeing people from different ethnicities, languages, and cultures all mixed together really grabbed my interest. At the same time, I’m always a bit cautious about how Korean productions portray other cultures, but I feel like they did a good job here.

The movie is heavy and even pretty sad at several moments. It’s painful and nerve-wracking to watch so much war, so many bodies, and so many situations where it feels like no matter what the characters do, danger is always there. The movie keeps you tense the whole time, especially knowing that all of this really happened.

One thing I feel like I have to mention is that, since this is a South Korean movie, they do end up making the South Korean characters look a little too “good.” Everything is framed in a way that makes them seem like the moral ones, and I really doubt things played out exactly like that in real life. This becomes even more noticeable when the North Korean characters show up. Even with the historical rivalry between the two Koreas, the movie still puts the South Koreans in a more favorable light, while the North Koreans come off tougher or more aggressive. But at the same time, it’s interesting to see how both sides end up helping each other out of pure survival, and that creates some really good and tense moments.

Still, the acting is really strong. The actors pull you right into the chaos and confusion, and you end up feeling the desperation with them. It’s the kind of movie that keeps you hooked because of this mix of tension, harsh reality, and a little bit of hope in the middle of all the destruction.

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𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐨
Desde o começo eu achava que seria um tipo de história totalmente diferente, fui surpreendido. Uma das primeiras coisas que me chamou atenção foi o fato de a história se passar na Somália. Eu não estou acostumado a ver filmes coreanos em um cenário africano, então ver pessoas de várias etnias, diferentes línguas e culturas misturadas me deixou bem interessado. Ao mesmo tempo, eu sempre fico com um pé atrás com representações coreanas de outras culturas, mas achei que a representação foi boa.

O filme é pesado e até triste em vários momentos. É triste e angustiante ver tanta guerra, tantos corpos, tantas situações em que parece que não importa o que os personagens façam, o perigo sempre está ali. O filme te deixa tenso o tempo todo ainda mais por saber que isso realmente aconteceu.

Uma coisa que eu acho importante comentar é que, como é um filme sul-coreano, eles acabam puxando um pouco o saco dos personagens da Coreia do Sul. Tudo fica parecendo que eles são sempre os bonzinhos da situação, e duvido bastante que tenha sido assim na vida real. Isso fica ainda mais evidente quando os personagens da Coreia do Norte entram na história. Mesmo com toda a rivalidade histórica entre as duas Coreias, o filme tenta colocar os sul-coreanos num patamar um pouco mais favorecido, enquanto os norte-coreanos aparecem de um jeito mais duro ou agressivo. Mas, ao mesmo tempo, é interessante ver como os dois lados acabam se ajudando por questão de sobrevivência, e isso gera alguns momentos bem legais e tensos ao mesmo tempo.

Apesar disso tudo, a atuação é muito boa. Os atores realmente te puxam para dentro do caos e da confusão, e você acaba sentindo o desespero junto com eles. É um filme que te prende justamente por essa mistura de tensão, realidade dura e um pouco de esperança no meio de tanta destruição.

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Watch the car chase scene

This movie is based on a true story when South and North Korea were fighting about UN membership. War broke out in Somalia and the two had to set aside their differences to escape from the war zone.

Loved the very slick Hollywood feel of this movie. The final car chase scene was nailbiting, even though I knew they were going to make it, I was sweating bullets watching the cars try to get past the Somalian police and rebels to get to the embassy.

What I felt this movie lacked was a resolution. For someone who didnt know the history, I wanted to know what happened after. Did SK get their UN membership or not? I think they forgot the plot in the end.

Rating: 8.5/10

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Secret Friendship

Excellent diplomatic (historical!) action triller drama, with a touch of comedy - a standard Korean recipe of mixed genres put together to provide a complete experience. In the execution, the movie is both very realistic and surreal with many well thought details that add to the quality of production and to the message. Look for example where they put "Welcome to Mogadishu" sign in the movie about escape from the city. There is only one moment in the movie (where one person tries to raise a white flag) that i found stupid, but i understand how it was needed to add some extra intensity and peril for our main protagonists. The director does a great job never letting the movie to become boring but always adding new elements of suspense.
The title of the movie reveals what the movie is about - an escape from a city/country caught in civil war, but the real drama starts when you have both South and North Korean Diplomats having to work together. This on its own made the movie worth it.
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I just watched this movie for a second time as the opening movie of a Korean Movie Week here in Croatia and i was surprised how i enjoyed the movie now even more then when i saw it for the first time. Seeing it sitting near Korean ambassador in our Country and with a fully packed theatre of audience that laughed and gasped and cheered was an adrenaline rush, and also to me personally i managed to find many new details that i didn't see during my first watch. At this time when we have more conflicts in the world, the message of this movie is even more important.

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