Lots to like
Our hero, the feckless ML, feels that he can’t win in the game of life–that he’s been dealt a hand of deuces and treys. So life (well actually I should say Death) puts him in a TRULY no-win situation.
Did I say “no-win”? This is the King of no-wins. He can’t even solve this particular dilemma by dying.
DEATH’S GAME starts out as a male-oriented thriller, with non-stop action, and plenty of violence and gore. Keep watching, though, because this series isn’t easily categorized. One episode has horror film vibes; another fills in the details of the romance introduced at the beginning. Whatever. I guarantee that you won’t complain that it drags–more like a cage-full of squirrels on speed.
What really sets this series apart from others are the excellent special effects, along with some amazing camera work. One shot (pun intended) lets the viewer look at a certain character through a bullet hole that’s just penetrated another character’s head.
If you prefer a narrative with more sophisticated characters and a nuanced view of reality, you might think DEATH’S GAME isn’t your cup of tea. The minor characters are mostly sterotypes, especially the villains. But the ML grows and changes–and the focus is mostly on him.
If you look at the plot too closely, you’ll notice some inconsistencies. For example, it’s not clear what happened to the original inhabitant of each of the bodies the ML took over. Some of the rules of the game seem to change over the course of the series. And I personally didn’t appreciate the demonization of people who commit suicide. Some, no doubt, are selfish, like the ML. Others are sick. And still others have an intolerable life situation.
A crow is blown to pieces in one episode. I see anti-crow scenes like this in a lot of dramas these days. Please, guys, stop setting a bad example by encouraging people to torture and kill these amazingly intelligent birds (look up the research).
You may notice some familiar faces in the minor roles. Kim Mi-Kyung as the mother and Oh Jung-se, whose versatility always amazes me, are just two I recognized.
The pluses totally outweigh the minuses in this series. Nine stars.
Did I say “no-win”? This is the King of no-wins. He can’t even solve this particular dilemma by dying.
DEATH’S GAME starts out as a male-oriented thriller, with non-stop action, and plenty of violence and gore. Keep watching, though, because this series isn’t easily categorized. One episode has horror film vibes; another fills in the details of the romance introduced at the beginning. Whatever. I guarantee that you won’t complain that it drags–more like a cage-full of squirrels on speed.
What really sets this series apart from others are the excellent special effects, along with some amazing camera work. One shot (pun intended) lets the viewer look at a certain character through a bullet hole that’s just penetrated another character’s head.
If you prefer a narrative with more sophisticated characters and a nuanced view of reality, you might think DEATH’S GAME isn’t your cup of tea. The minor characters are mostly sterotypes, especially the villains. But the ML grows and changes–and the focus is mostly on him.
If you look at the plot too closely, you’ll notice some inconsistencies. For example, it’s not clear what happened to the original inhabitant of each of the bodies the ML took over. Some of the rules of the game seem to change over the course of the series. And I personally didn’t appreciate the demonization of people who commit suicide. Some, no doubt, are selfish, like the ML. Others are sick. And still others have an intolerable life situation.
A crow is blown to pieces in one episode. I see anti-crow scenes like this in a lot of dramas these days. Please, guys, stop setting a bad example by encouraging people to torture and kill these amazingly intelligent birds (look up the research).
You may notice some familiar faces in the minor roles. Kim Mi-Kyung as the mother and Oh Jung-se, whose versatility always amazes me, are just two I recognized.
The pluses totally outweigh the minuses in this series. Nine stars.
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