Volcano High School

I'm thinking that you'll either LOVE or HATE this movie depending on what mood you're in when you watch it. This movie is like playing a video game on the hardest difficulty setting. It's just like standing in line for the premiere of a blockbuster motion picture. It's a front row seat at a Korean ROB ZOMBIE concert. It's a shot of whiskey without the chaser. Rough and rowdy, it's fast (oh yes!), it's furious (oh hell yes!), it's THE X-MEN meets THE MATRIX in high school. It's WHASANGO, or better known as VOLCANO HIGH directed by KIM TAE-GYUN and it doesn't get any better than this!

Leave your brain at the ticket booth and kick back for a supernatural superpowered Martial Arts CGI assault-fest on your senses for which there may NEVER be an equal to. Yet again, the Korean Cinema kicks the fucking door wide open to the boundaries of film storytelling with an epic effort that has everything going for it. There's mucho action, wacky punk rock characters, hilarious "foreign" comedy, snazzy computer animated special effects, babe-o-licious Asian hotties, and a smack-you-in-the-mouth fight scene finale that borderlines pure unadulterated Kung-Fu Theatre bliss.

VOLCANO HIGH SCHOOL tells the tale of the student body of the infamous Volcano High who, after the previous "student-teacher war" have begun to adjust to a slightly normal education process. Of course, with students running around with extraordinary superhuman powers, it's never easy for the teachers to keep order in the classroom and the fact that whoever "runs" the school becomes the inheritor of the fabled "sacred manual of fighting techinques" meaning there's trouble brewing all the time.

Enter the major cast of characters who are in competition for this award: Kim Kyung Soo (actor JANG HYUK), our main star and newest transfer student. Hak Rim aka Elegant Crane (actor KWAN SNAG-WOO), the current number one fighting champion. Chae-Yoo aka Icy Jade (actress SHIN MIN-A), the captain of the Kendo Club and Soh Yu (actress KONG HYO-JIN), her supra-sexy second in command. Jang Ryang aka Dark Ox (actor KIM SO-ROH), leader of the Weight Lifting Club. And Shimma (actor KIM HYEONG-JONG), orange haired head of the Rugby Team. This motley crew, together with a zany supporting cast of student followers, teachers, and principals, makes this extreme viewing pleasure all that more enjoyable. There's even a little love story for the chicks. And when things really heat up, the vice-principal calls in "The School Five: Masters of Suppressing School Wrongdoing" to handle the situation. And believe you me, those five can kick some major butt!

But does the whole thing make any sense, you ask. NO! Does it have to? NO! It's simply mindless "eye-candy" entertainment for those interested in such fluff and if you think too hard about the actual story or plot, I do believe that your brain just may turn to mush. Needless to say, everyone will certainly walk away from this film with a different take on it but for me, the benefits of seeing this flick not only satisfied my craving for another fix from the "exaggerated cinema" but it gave me the wonderful opportunity to witness the existance of probably the sexiest girl in South Korea, the sultry SOH YU with her nappy matted hair, permanent angry face, and super "take no shit" saucy attitude. And she can "GO" too. Too bad she didn't have a bigger part (with nude scenes) though. So, with all that being said, what are you still waiting on?! Go see this movie right now! In my opinion, no Asian DVD collection can be complete without it.