Haeundae
Haeundae - not to be confused with a brand of car - is the seaside setting for this confused but ultimately enjoyable comedy-drama, Korea's first foray into disaster films.
After a shambolic first half, designed to familiarise us with the characters whose fates we will discover later on, the film eventually settles down to a peculiar and surprisingly entertaining blend of disaster flick, drama, romance and comedy!
There is certainly too much screaming and hysterics in this film (by unnecessary hysterics, I'm referring to the shrieking that occurs before the wave strikes, or even before most people are aware that a wave will strike).
However, the CGI is very impressive, as is the overall look of the film. On the numerous occasions in the earlier part of the film when the storyline is rambling along, one can sit back and truly appreciate the beauty of the direction.
And I'll be damned if I didn't laugh when one scamp cheats death by narrowly missing falling objects within the space of a couple of minutes. I shall also confess to being just a tad moved by a couple of the sacrifices people make so that their loved ones survive. Mind you, with the back story taking over an hour to establish, I did feel like I knew many of the main characters better than I know some of my own relatives!