'Peninsula' film review: Shallow, direct-to-DVD quality sequel disappoints
If 'Train to Busan' was the most refreshing zombie in many years, then the South Korean horror-action flick 'Peninsula' (opening in select theaters Aug. 21) is its dull and unnecessary sequel that fumbles a lifeless attempt at world building.
In short: Four years after a zombie outbreak turned South Korea into a quarantine zone, four refugees return to South Korea to retrieve an abandoned truck containing $20 million in cash.
To be clear, 'Peninsula' is a standalone sequel set in the world established in 'Busan,' where South Korea has been entirely abandoned by the world at large. The original was powered by a powerful father-daughter relationship that became the film's heartbeat. This descent back into hell is defined by a protagonist struggling with deep survivor's guilt - a remorse that borders on resentment for his survival when so many others died.
The "humans are the real enemy" is a pretty tired zombiepocalypse trope at this point. And the human threat in 'Peninsula' is as vague as it is shallow. Given an opportunity to inject some commentary of any depth, the movie just explains that the violent group of humans are just totally crazy. There are hints to their origin which could have made their current status as violent raiders more tragic and empathetic, but 'Peninsula' is content just declaring the bad humans as insane and moving along. It's a missed opportunity that could have added some dimension to an already thin story.
Even for a sci-fi zombie flick, 'Peninsula' strains credibility with is over-the-top action sequences. The movie is propelled forward by too many improbable deus ex machina moments to count. Frankly it's insulting when a script resorts to "boy that was really lucky" bits of fortune to save main characters time and again. Even within the hyperbolic zombie genre 'Busan' was a relatively grounded action film that replied on personal, intimate sequences -- whereas 'Peninsula' chooses a more cartoonish, general CGI chaos approach to zombie chaos. Several characters seemed to have taken driving lessons from the Dominic Toretto school of driving, as they perfectly thread the needle over and over and over.
This movie is mercifully straightforward: the survivors simply have to find a truck and get to the waterfront to have any hope of survival. And 'Peninsula' isn't much more than that unfortunately. Some iconic and memorable action films have simple plot structures ('Mad Max: Fury Road’ or 'Train to Busan' for example), but these movies add layers of either remarkable action sequences or thematic substance to give these films dimension. 'Peninsula' is just "good guys must escape zombies and bad guys and get on a boat." But if people firing guns and running over zombies seems attractive, then 'Peninsula' clears that very low bar for entertainment and excitement.
Final verdict: Despite an earnest (if heavy handed) attempt to center the story in humanity, 'Peninsula' is a sequel that unfortunately regresses the series and becomes indistinguishable from so many other zombie horde movies.
Score: 2/5
'Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula' opens in select theaters Aug. 21. The horror-action sequel is unrated and has a running time of 115 minutes.
