Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman Blu-ray Review

 

• Director ‏ : ‎ Kim Seong-Sik
• Actors ‏ : ‎ Gang Dong-Won, Huh Joon-Ho, Esom, Lee Dong-Hwi, Kim Jong-Soo
• Language ‏ : ‎ Korean (DTS 5.1)
• Studio ‏ : ‎ Well Go Usa
• MPAA rating ‏ : ‎ NR (Not Rated)
• Number of discs ‏ : ‎ 1
• Media Format ‏ : ‎ Widescreen
• Run time ‏ : ‎ 1 hour and 38 minutes
• Release date ‏ : ‎ February 27, 2024

        Although the plot of Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman borrows heavily from the horror genre, dealing with an exorcist who is cynical about the existence of evil spirits until finally encountering something that can’t be explained, the execution feels more influenced by the superhero genre. The spectacle is absurd and leans heavily on computer generated effects, while the horror elements all take the backseat to action and humor. While some of the MCU films like Dr. Strange and the Multiverse of Madness have leaned into horror elements, this horror film has adopted the tone of most superhero films, with equally disappointing results.

 

        The title character, Dr. Cheon (Gang Dong-won), is

the grandson of a shaman who spends his time performing exorcisms, despite no experience encountering actual supernatural activity. Although he has a sincere interest in hunting down a dangerous evil spirit responsible for the death of his grandfather, Dr. Cheon mostly just scams people with the help of his tech expert and the film’s comedic relief, In-bae (Lee Dong-hwi). When they encounter a young woman named Yoo-gyeong (Esom) who has the ability to see the spirit realm, Dr. Cheon takes the opportunity to make a real difference by using his grandfather’s broken sword which has the capability to take on the spiritual threat.

 

        Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman doesn’t appear to be aiming for high-brow cinema, but instead takes on the laziest formula used by most Hollywood blockbusters these days. While this may be a nice diversion for some, it is also unlikely to leave much of an impact. Making matters even worse, the execution of this spectacle is often less than believable. Though there are certainly worse examples of CGI, there are also far better. This can make some of the more exciting sequences less effective, and this often results in the entire endeavor feeling more than a little silly.

 

        The Blu-ray release for Dr. Cheon and the Lost Talisman doesn’t have much in terms of special features, but it does include character bios and a trailer.

 

Entertainment Value: 6/10

Quality of Filmmaking: 4.5/10

Historical Significance:  2/10

Special Features: 1/10