Escape from Mogadishu (2021)

Perhaps worked best for Korean audience who have secretly been hoping for reunification. Wish Ryoo Seung-wan could explain more about 'parallels' between his country's internal conflict and Somali civil war. Thumbs up for technical efforts and thrilling car chases.

Fmovies: South Korea's official entry to 2022's Oscars is a solid political thriller. It's mind blowing and intense. It's based on a beautiful interesting true story that delivers a great important message. Original score is amazing. Action and chasing scenes are awesome too.

Based on a true story, this political thriller tells the tale of Korean diplomats escaping from the Somalian capital as civil war breaks out. I have to concede that, although well-made, the film is somewhat routine throughout. However, the chase scene in the final third of the movie is supremely thrilling and carries it all to a satisfactory conclusion.

Escape from Mogadishu fmovies. 1. Dynamics of relationship

Hegemony fight between Somalian government and rebels, ideological conflict and rivalry between South Korea and North Korea, & shallow friendship between Somalian government and South Korean embassy, hiding each party's real purpose. So many relationship intertwined and constantly changing especially toward the ending when faced with life and death situation What's special about 'Escape from Mogadishu' is that even though it narrates many stories and relationship with such energy, dynamics, and tension, it manages to keep them organized and keep audience not astray or confused. Following the events in strictly chronological order helps the movie untangle the whole escape and help audience follow the story with focus even with many details.

Also, Civil war between government and rebels reflect South Korea's and North Korea's domestic state as well. Looking at dead bodies, violence, and hatred outside the cars, Ambassador Han can be reminded of democratic movement and police's excessive use of force concurrently happening in South Korea while Ambassador Rim can be reminded of scars of Korean war in North Korea such as poverty and inequality.

2. Direction utilizing irony very effectively.

Scene #1 Rebels' shooting on embassy climaxes, and Kang Dae-jin sets up the speaker echoing Ambassador Han's speech celebrating friendship between Somalia and South Korea. So much violence going on while audience hears dry and somewhat insincere message emphasizing peace between two nations in the background

Scene #2 Similarly, when military and police clashes with rebels with utmost violence, viewers hear praying and azan in the background. Religion should be the opposite of violence and cruelty, but what viewers see at the exact moment is beating, blood, and fire.

Scene #3 Four cars protected and covered with books, sands, and wooden doors dash to Italian embassy, and road on the side is filled with people praying, bowing, and kneeling. As soon as the ceremony stops, they slowly stand up, pick up the gun, arm themselves, and return to the position to fight. It is the scariest and most daunting sequence than actual shooting or driving action scenes.

Scene #4 Final scene. At the airport, the composition of the scene is very symmetrical. South Korea and North Korea on each side, information officers dressed in the same style, and bus stopped parallel to each other. This symmetry is magnified in the bird's-eye view. Then, each party separates to the exact opposite way even in symmetrical path. Not even a glance. They stop but never turn around. That was the best way to describe two nations' state, same but different.

This works much better when it's speaking about the South and North Koreans relationships than when it's talkig about Somalia (it completely fails on that field). The thid act is very strong and compensates for a very hesitant first act.

Don't expect a artsy or a very contemplative film. This is a blockbuster and should be watched and reviewed like one.

This is such a small story that it is actually hard to make anything of it and well...they didn't.

I like Korean movies , they are certainly well made and have a different viewpoint and cultural tone which enhances the films for a western audience and to be fair there have not been many I have not liked ... until now!

It was slow with too much chatter and references to the North / South Korean divide although I did appreciate the director trying to show how much the two sides need and perhaps really want to be unified but it comes across more as a political documentary and this is really not the time nor the place to be doing it.

Have no idea why some reviewers are complaining about Somalians not looking like Somalians - what does a Somalian look like? And I guess for the vast majority of Korean and other folks who watch this they won't have a clue either so it give it a 1 star for this is just nonsense and people should not be reviewing movies if they judge a film based on stupidity like that.

Overall the film has a few action scenes that were not very memorable , nor much fun with too much contemplating thy navel going on and not much real meat on the bones.

If you want to see how this kind of film should be done to make it exciting, interesting and a great film then checkout Owen Wilson in NO ESCAPE (2016), now that is how you make this type of movie!